TRENTHAM BOUND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1940, Page 6

TRENTHAM BOUND

WAIRARAPA MEN LEAVE FOR CAMP

SEND-OFF AT DRILL HALL.

COUNTRY DIVIDED BY PARTY SQUABBLE.

“I am sorry to say New Zealand today is divided up hill and down dale,” said Mr T. Jordan, Mayor of Masterton, when giving a sendoff address to 23 members of the Second Echelon who proceeded to Trentham Camp this afternoon by the 2.0 p.m. train. It was divided, he said, by a ruthless party squabble and the sooner they could tie themselves together the sooner they could get on with the job. Mr R. Whyborn, president of the Wairarapa R.S.A., also addressed the men, who marched to the station headed by the. Municipal Band. , On behalf of the public, Mr Jordan said he wished to express apprecia-

tion of their action in offering their services to the country, services of the very highest type indeed. He congratulated the Wairarapa district on doing, what it had often done before, in giving a lead to New Zealand as far as recruiting was concerned. It had done a lot but he still believed the district could do more. It was a grim struggle on which they were engaged and he thought some of them did not appreciate that fact. Never was there a struggle in the world's history greater than this one, against the forces of darkness. Unless the Allies were successful there was no hope of justice, righteousness and consideration for the other fellow. The offer of service by the men leaving to go into camp placed some obligation on the rest of the community and on those who could not go or would not go He was sorry to say that New Zealand today was divided up hill and down dale by a ruthless party squabble. The sooner they could band themselves together as one, the sooner they would get on with this job. If the men going into camp did something to knit together the divided peace of this country their going would be well worth while' for that alone. It was not a time for politicians to talk of social security. The people were not concerned with social security now hut with national security. Mr Jordan went on to state that there was no finer division in the world than the New Zealanders, whose traditions had come to them from the past. He referred to the traditions that New Zealand was building up in the air and in the Navy and said he was pleased to see that one of the first airmen of New Zealand to win the Distinguished Flying Cross in this war

was Flying Officer Long. Mr Jordan offered to do anything he could on behalf of the men going into camp. He said he had seen the first detachment on parade in Wellington recently. They were a fine lot of men, their officers were superb and their commander was "top hole” He had known “Tiny” Freyberg since he was about 13. “I think,” said Mr Jordan, “it was a masterstroke to appoint him commander of this division. I believe he got a thousand men for the division.” Mr Whyborn extended to the men, through the Wairarapa R.S.A., the greetings of all ex-servicemen in the Wairarapa. Referring to the message from Sir Andrew Russell to MajorGeneral Freyberg, “from the old ones to the young ones,” Mr Whyborn said he thought that message was very happily phrased. Ex-servicemen were proud of the men of the First Echelon and were equally proud of those in the Second Echelon, who were obviously the first reinforcements for those who had already sailed. Passing on to refer to the recruiting campaign, Mr Whyborn said the whole of the Wairarapa had received a great deal of satisfaction from the announcement of the lead given in enlistments in the Wairarapa East Coast area, which was the first area in New Zealand to fill its quota for the Second and Third Echelons. He never doubted that the martial ability and spirit of their young men were still second to nine. That opinion had been amply borne out by the exploits of young New Zealanders in the air force from the beginning of the war and by the young men in the nav» on the Achilles in the recent engagement with the Graf Spec. He felt supremely confident that when the time for action came, New Zealand's land forces would add lustre to the reputation that had already been established. He assured the men going to camp that the ex-servicemen of the whole of the district wished to express to them the greatest of goodwill and would follow their exploits with interest and pride wherever they might be. He wished them the best possible luck during their period of service and a safe return home. ' Three hearty cheers were given by those assembled.

OTAGO’S QUOTA

DETACHMENT LEAVES DUNEDIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, This Day. A detachment of 135 men for the Second Echelon entrained for Burnham this morning. This completes approximately half of Otago’s quota, with numbers yet to go before medical boards. It is thought that the quota will be filled within a fortnight.