RECRUITING CAMPAIGN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8303, 23 November 1915, Page 4

RECRUITING CAMPAIGN.

KON. ijli, MaNAH AT MCTHVEN

Tim S\'in'if.\i:<l' of .iiliiiii'" (lion. ,l)r. ]{ol»"/r Nt Suit) cnf)LUiH('d )dn recruitIti;/ Uttiv Uisl- tritilit, whim ho spoke at Mot'lU'c'/i i-o ti Ui'ii'ly (*»'#'- audience, which hn'ltliU'il a gnttifyiug percentage of yuuiiu Hi<th SU' SY, .Morgan (Chairtiuw d' 1' i'ltr MtiHtil- Jl'iitf. County Council) \>i't<ii'i<U'i\, snn\ on tho. platform w«r«'AJ»' U', ./, D'toUU; M.1., and Mr {'.', 11, I'riolc mernhw for Auckland Wei*)., H|><^'cJ)cK ol' vvmlcojdo- wore made \>y Mr M(yi'!.<o!f Jtn<| Mr Dickie, the )uhl"!)nu\i'(\ ridvo<';iiiii^ local camps and coiihcn'pl,/o)j, Mr J'ooJ" kfti'l thtd the Empire was lii'infr, fcfcUxl 1.0 its fontro and was (i«hl;in^ Cor its liff. Dr. McNal>»ha,d Hi'l- liimwlf afijo'r', from other important dutJcß l;o mako nn appeal of tho most. .serious nal-ure to New Zealnndcrs. to kcc|) :i pl<'dg«> and promise to the Empire 1o (ill up tlio ranks. Mr I'oolp appoalofl not only for men, hiit for the building up of" patriotic funds. ITo strongly advocated lonaJ camps. There was no appeal to young, manhood more direct ithan tho indirect i'pponl of the young man who was undergoing his training. .If they c-oulcl only overcome the mercenary considerations ihnt kept Wollington'the central gold mine, the local camps; would stimulate recruiting and put completely out of the, field any talk of .conscription. (Applause). Dr. McNah, jvho had a very heartj reception, said that on his arrival in Methven he had been waited on by ;i deputation asking for .police protection, rind he had decided "to place himself before his audience' as another, deputation .asking for'military protection v • for the Empire. (A.pplausc). He came forward as a southerner to deal with what appeared to -bo (ho would say no niore) a backwardness iti southern recruiting. Ho believed, however, that when the national register disclosed tho fit men in each locality it would he found that the ,south was not very far behind. But he did say to the wealthy men of the south—the millions!ires —that they were not giving as the northerners were, giving. ITowovor. ho was there not to appeal to this section or that, but to state simply the gravity of the situation that the Empire- w,)<i facing. Approximately 42.000 in»n had given themselves already, but tho appeal now had to be made to the young men who had not yet made up their minds, lie did not wish to compliment Methvon, but he could honestly say that at none of his meetings had lie addressed such a largo proportion of the young men of the community. Re saw a great augury for success in it. and he wished to bespeak their careful attention to the serious position that had .to be faced

;:"I pray to God," said Dr.McNab, '<c that peace" docs not come within the next 12 months, because it will tnke that time for v-> to get back to the ground from which wo can dictate our terms of peace." He quoted the statement that peace to-day would be i victory to Germany. Kitchener wanted steady recruiting. *Ho was proud to realise that his countrymen were not to be frightened by danger or disasl-er. They were not to be recruited by "namby-pamby '■ word's, but by serious reverse* and disasters. The difficulty was to bring the, seriousness of the war to their, imagination. Tho folly that had to bo combated ( \vns the idle statement that this was the Kaiser's war. Germany from the humblest upwards had no religion bat tho successful carrying on of the war. She had reduced the cost of living to a scientific basis. The only limit to the number of men to be sent from Now Zealand was the number required to keep up the reinforcements from month to month. If the young men who remained did their - duty there was no fear of the result. But it meant 2000 every six weeks, and every centre must work/ to that end. A lot had been said about conscription, and for every man who went into camp a whole family became conscriptionists. And if the war went on without the men to take their places of" those who had gone forward he would be n fool if he did not admit the natural consequence. But he relied on the young men, believing that th* war would be "the triumph of a nation with ideals, and without forced military service, over n nation that had forced its men to fight. ' The Minister told a very simple'story of the early days of the war, when the London . Scottish, fighting their way stubbornly back before the German liordes, had left huh hid them a young surgeon, "confidently attending to his wotmded comrades. When they passed back over the ground they found a ring of bayoneted soldiers,, and a young surgeon, also bayoneted. Dr McNab remarked that he had enjoyed many honour-, in his political life. JTo had been eW'ted on six occasions, and twice be hn<i been called to the Ministry, but in the years to come ho would* look back on it as the greatest, honour of his liiV that that young Mew Zealand surgeon and he had been bom of the sime mother. (Apiflau.so). Tie risked ihe ynuno moil how ihey were going to look in tho vonrs- to come, and how the family would fare Ibat line! ,had no renro^ent.'ttivo h-t the front.",\* k • ', Mr McNab wn* yon; '-"lou/llv "nnplnudeil at the conclusion nC his fl/Jdrcs* and' •vo 1*'1-. of ihnnkr-. wore accorded, to him ami Mr Pne.lo. "."'

Dnritut the OToiiinrr i.sHngs vrerq s'mpby +V.nov^ E.C: W. •I >ojyßUrniuT.air:s A. S. Findbv. "i:- ;•■ ■'■■;..