THE EMPIRE AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15512, 12 February 1916, Page 7

THE EMPIRE AND THE WAR.

NEW ZEALAND'S PART

The Hon. G. "VV. Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs, responded to the toast of "The Empire" at the complimentary dinner tendered last night to the delegates who have been attending the Plumbers' Conference.

In the course of his speech, Mr Russell referred to New Zealand's part in the war, and said if anyone had predicted three years ago that New Zealand would have sent over 40,000 young men to fight for the Empire, and would be sending every four weeks practically 4000 men to join these others, he would have been regarded as being bereft of reason. I'ut such was the spirit of patriotism and loyalty, and such was the love of King and country, and | blood and race, that this responsibility had been shouldered. '"I wish to tell you as a member of the National Government," he continued, ''that we are determined to exhaust every possibility o? filling up the reinforcements by the voluntary system. and we sincerely hope that that will be the result; but if the necessity arises and the men ate not obtained in sufficient numbers by the voluntary system, the National Government will ndt shrink from its duty to find some other plan whereby New Zealand can discharge its obligations to the Emoire." (Continued applause.) In concluding, he said that he hoped, when the time came to discuss the terms of p"ace, that whoever repre/ sented the Dominion would indicate tothose controlling the Empire that no peace would be satisfactory to the people of New Zealand if it meant the-J continued maintenance of the German Navy. (Hear, hear.) . j