A ROWDY MEETING.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14993, 13 June 1914, Page 12

A ROWDY MEETING.

BpISTEROUS SCENES AT ', DEVONPORT.

ANTT __T_TARI!ST HOWLED DOWN-

•T-rXTURE*- BECOMES *_!JSICAr EVENING.'-

(stxciai. to "rax press."**). I AUC_LANT>, J_ no r 1 Stormy scones marked tho attempt of i Mr. Reg. Williams, of the New _». "J. land Freedom League, to deliver . lecture at Devonport last night on tie 5 subject of militarism generally, and _, 3 New Zealand defence scheme in pus ticular. Throughout the space of two 1 hours, during which the young » ficist champion tenaciously" held his .. ground, the crowd, which packed tha f Parish Hall, took control of the pro--9 ceedings, and wont through a long and j varied roportoiro of choruses. • The oo- > ings were almost reminiscent of Boa- " War days, for vociferous cheers v«i« j given for the Flag, tho Empire, and the King, while such songs as "Good- \ bye, Molly Gray," "Tho Soldiers of * t tho King," and other ditties which , made _o fortunes of the Italian organ- " , grinders at Homo during the War, » were especially resurrected for tbe o<> » casion, and sung with a heartiness - that sent eroryono home with a eput--1 ting headache. ' Tho fun started £r_n the very first, [ the first few slides, chiefly cartoon*. . being greeted with liilarious cheers by . [ a big body of young men at tho back ■ i of the hall. . . * » Speaking of a meeting which was * held at Ashburton, tho lecturer declared, that the employers organised ' | tho disturbance, and that after tl»----meeting a youth, who had ■ shouted amongst the loudest, camo to him aa, apologised, explaining that ho had : , been practically forced to participate' in tho disturbance under pain of lositghis situation. (Loud shouts of "LiarP' from different parts of the hall, and a Voice: "Who is ho? 11 ) "Oh, he can bo produced if necessary," retorted the lecturer. THE COMING OF THE CADET& . A period of temporary calm was interrupted by the swinging tramp of many feet outside the hail, and in burst a body of some fifty Senior Cadets, uniformed, and carrying rifles, who, cheering-loudly, marched to the front of the hall and took possession of they first three rows of seats, "Lot mc warn you," said the lecturer, "that if any Cadet or. Tom-> ' torial takes part in a public meeting t while in tho King's uniform, he comes *" < within the penalties of the Defence Act." The warning, however, was received with derisive shouts, whereat an elderly gentleman, who was acting as chairman, stood up and appealed'for British fair play. ;. ■••■'■.-•" Voices: "But he's not a Britisher. ' and he's threatening-a lot of small boys." (Loud cheers./ "The Defence Act' of New Zealand," continued Mr- "deprives these boys of the right to voice their opinions h«re to-night—«*,"- statement :which provoked a member of ftho audience to stand up and endeavour to challenge the lecturer to argue-the point.; But the audience was-not in a mood to lis- > ten-to by either lecturer or interrupter.- as -was' manifested "by chorus of "Sit" down 1" • which traa promptly levelled, at;the wonM-bO;duil-leneer. "" ■••-."•■-■y.'.'-: •■*-''■■.*■>• •.-.■;'.v- V'"■;■' '■' Byi this time „e.l_tr_rer had abandoned _c attempt to continue a consecutive discourse, and could, only occasionally shout ,ont•,sentences during brief lulls tin the din.... vj, •,; ■'",'* „ , "The only men you; win be caJJed upon to shoot down,''; ho was heaid to say, "will be your own comrades'*—a declaration which multiplied ..the **P; ' roar, and was answered by - indignant ehouts from all parts of the hall, and ; once more the unfortunate lecturer waa _ "counted out." _. ... i • _, "'_» '* ' "Talk about the British.: Enip*re, a member of the au_enoe, - when a picture of a Russian _cic__t -. was thrown upon tho screen. . . „' "I am British," retorted Mr Wiiliams, "but.there is nothing Bntieh. h about conscription.", ■ .... _ ■A. Voice: There is nothmg- Bntan ■- about, you! .-.-'. '-.''■-■>'.'' . ~ i;- * A POPULAR PIOTTTRK _ •

Again the chair aan.rose and asked _ if it was- British for a big audience to howl down a man who was pluckjJy * - fighting against oddu, but the only xc-, /' ply was' the -crescendo, of "One, two, three," ate ; ■ ■ -. * A.little later a man rose »n the audienceand protested '■ ngainst _c nature ' of tha pictures rfeii; g shown, the ob - jecti*m arising^out of a slide alleged :tobe a representation of a native be- *- irig subjected to tho stomach-pump tor- - turo during the American Warm the , Philippines, and of a scantily garbed dancing-girl,' by which typo of advertisement, declared the lecturer, the United States was recruiting ."-ailors and marines. Recruits wero led to believe, he said, that by joining tho \ Navy thoy. wculd be able to indulge in orgies'of i vice on shore. A -Voice: It's the ; Everybody's doing it 1 (Loud 'angtiter.) *" Tho ujctarer: Well, I won't keep rfr .<£ on tho screen any longer if you'll be r patient. ' l . * -"" Voices: Oh, do keep it there a Ik. longer." (More lauglrter.) . -'>■ v__„\ \vA CHALLENGE. Photographs of Villa and Carranijsi"" • wore accompanied by the query: •'I/O' you wish to be leaders of murdering organisations r" and once moro the count- ' t ing-out performance was repeated. . „ Ono or tho audience warmly expressed tho or union -.hat the ioctorer ought to bo shot, wheraupon the figure '» front of tho screen retorted that aa he was a member of a rifle dub he was willing to adjourn to a* neighbouring phddock and exchange slots with h— internrpters. Shouts of acceptance were hoard from all parts of the ball, Lut. need Jess to say, there was no - dramatic termination to the proceedings. Soon after nine o'clock the proceedings became so noisy that Mr Williams gave up he lecure as a bad job, merely showing the pictures. Tho "lecture" developed into a "" musical evening. Whistles were.blown and bugles sounded. Cheers wero given for tho King, the Flag, and all things Imperial. When pictures of the Boer - War were thrown on the screen painotio songs in vogue during the war were followed by "Everybody's Doing It," "Oh, lou Beautiful DoD," and ' various American "dassrcal** ditties, the Cadets keeping time by bnmpwg thoir rifles oh the floor. At tho finish the lecturer called for three cheers for the Union Jack, "the , only lag uider which there is not con- * - scription," and tho audience heartily responded. '