WAR EFFORT IN CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23002, 23 April 1940, Page 10

WAR EFFORT IN CANTERBURY

Mass Meeting In City ' ALARM AT SLOW RECRUITING Committee to Plan New Drive Nearly as many men as the Chamber of Commerce Hall could hold assembled last evening to examine reasons for poor recruiting in Canterbury and to plan steps to stimulate it. Called by the Christchurch Recruiting Committee, the meeting was representative of industrial, commercial, and sporting organisations. After a series of speeches, the whole meeting constituted itself a war effort committee pledged to make a fresh drive to stimulate recruiting and rouse Christchurch to enthusiasm for the war effort. The War Effort Committee will examine suggestions advanced at the meeting to achieve its purpose. Typical suggestions were: That employers should release more of their staffs for the army; that employers should let fit men with no genuine reason for not signing up understand that they would lose their jobs if they did not; that children in the schools should go home and ask their brothers, why they had not signed ..p; that marching feet were the best recruiting sergeants in the world; that more parades of Burnham men should be held; that speeches of British statesmen on war issues should be circulated widely; and that an appeal should be made to intellect as well as to emotion. • The only woman present, who disappeared as soon ‘as the meeting was over, but whose name was given later as Mrs Bennett, was greeted with applause when she rose to put her plea as a woman. Mrs Bennett said that as a mother she knew young men’s views. They wanted definite guarantees of security when they came back. They knew the empty promises given their fathers. They had shared starvation with their •fathers after the last war. If they had, assurance of security they would hot be Tax at this moment. ■ The Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, MiP.) who was presiding last night at a meeting of the City Council, was not present in his capacity as chairman- of . the Christchurch Recruiting Committee. Similarly, leading representatives of the Returned Soldiers’ Association were not able to attend because of an executive meeting. Their absence was mentioned when a list of apologies, was read. Figures Quoted Mr W. R. Lascelles, who presided, said that the first compelling fact behind, the calling of this meeting was the presentation last week of figures of recruiting progress in the three military districts for the filling of the 3rd Echelon. These figures revealed that in the Northern Military District there was a surplus of 423, in the Central District a surplus of 209, and in the Southern District, which included the whole of the South Island, a deficiency of 868. x , These figures surely j(Rd not truly represent the patriotism" and sense of duty of a province which had been noted for its patriotic fervour. Then again, response to the Fighting Services Appeal revealed a disturbing state of affairs, Auckland had contril uted £25,000, and Canterbury .£4OOO, In the face of this the Christchurch Recruiting Committee, of which the Mayor was chairman, felt that it was time to place the whole situation before a section of the responsible organisations in the city. The purpose of the meeting was both to stimulate recruiting and to speed up the war effort of this province. In the last war. New Zealand’s contribution of manpower was 124,211, out of an available total of 250,000. The high degree of efficiency of those troops was proclaimed by those best able to pass judgment—the Germans. In the last war, also, the territorials at home did important work in providing a feeder for the Expeditionary Force. It was hoped ‘that the territorial force to-day would receive the encouragement- which it should have. In a review of the international situation, Mr Lascelles gave his definition of the issues. “The broadcast last night was true when it said that the days of Attila and his Huns are here again.’’ he said. “We are at grips with the dragooned youth of Germany, nurtured on the brutal Nazi philosophy. We have got to throw aside all our complacency and all our apathy.” Appeal to Employers Mr G.W. Dell, secretary of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee, appealed to employers to undertake sacrifices which he was satisfied were due from them. If an employer did not want to release a man from his staff he should realise that the employee was offering to risk his life arid the employer only his money. Then, too. employers of women whose husbands were away should exercise tolerance should the women’s work suffer through their anxiety. Nobody here at this meeting would like to spend a honeymoon with the wife working and the husband away in the army. „,, ~ . Mr S. Hughes, president of the Master Butchers’ Association, assured the meeting that the services of the master butchers were at the disposal of the committee. He expressed surprise that young men did not come forward as they did in the last war. Last time it seemed there was a dog fight to get into the volunteer army. The idea then seemed to be "go or bust.” Dr. L. C. L. Averill, president of the Christchurch Rotary Club, asked that greater assistance be given to young men intending to enlist. He felt that women could stimulate young men to enlist. To see at a picture theatre 200 able-bodied young men get up at halftime and get an ice-cream for themselves and their girl friends was rather a disgusting sight for New Zealanders at this time. It had been distressing in the past to hear, jeers from passers-by at the territorials in this city. This was particularly so at the King’s Birthday riarade last year. New Zealanders never cheered. In France the New Zealanders were known as the silent division. The New Zealand people could perhaps applaud more generously than in the past. “Dependent on Navy” Colonel H. C. Hurst, chairman of the defence committee of the Chamber of Commerce, said that it was a Chamber of Commerce tradition that trade and defence must go together. From the time of the Tudors . naval power Had given Britain supremacy in international V trade. Businessmen knew this and. - were therefore in favour of ! a strong navy. He reviewed the British naval effort in this war, and claimed that NewZealand’s whole economy and standard of living were, directly and absolutely dependent on the British Navy. ' - . New Zealand had her part fo play and in the past her men had stood shoulder to shoulder with • other Britishers from, the four corners of the globe. To-day we were not doing enough. Canterbury had the reputation of being a slow, starter, but a good finisher/ Now was the time to prove it. To do so the support of the whole