MANY MAORI RECRUITS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 181, 2 August 1941, Page 8

MANY MAORI RECRUITS

RECORD IX NORTHLAND (0.C.) WHANGAREI, this day. Every young Maori in the Whaka-rapa-Panguru district has joined either the territorial or the overseas forces. This is believed to be a record. At a recruiting rally held at Pangaru this week all the youne Maoris who were left in the Motutf-Waihou-W hakarapa and Panguru districts enlieted for service. This meeting was fully representative of all the settlements. In discussing the position of the Maoris and the war, the chairman said that the native race fully supported the war effort, but was opposed to conscription, which was most repugnant to the Ngapuhis Many young men had already gone overseas from the district, the first following in the footsteps of Captain Harding Leaf. Mr. Kanara Topia. the recruiting officer for the district, was present and invited recruitments. Maori recruiting in Northland has shown a marked increase since the visit of the Hon. P. K. Paikea. During his visit Mr. Paikea addressed a number of meetings and recruiting officers were appointed. For the month of July 200 Maori enlistments for territorial service and 46 for overseas service were received at the Whangarei Army Area office the majority of these having been received during the past fortnight. A number of enlistment are still in the hands of the various recruiting officers.