AWAITING THE CALL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2220, 5 August 1914, Page 7

AWAITING THE CALL

WAVE OP PATRIOTIC ARDOUR. OFFERS OF SERVICE Although no official announcement has yet been made, a 'number of the members of the Territbriar ed m.their names last evening to their company officers, as volunteers in. the expeditionary force, should oho bo required. Inquiries have been numerous, and have mostly come from Territorials,.; :,l: d ex-troopers of J the ' bbutli African contingents. ' '' \ , At a moating or ex-members ■of .the oldKelbur.no Kiflcs, held at Mawson's ■•'. Rooms j Cuba Street, last evening, Major H. F. Davis presiding, a resolution was passed unanimously, pledging everymember to join,the National Reserve. ,'..- At a meeting of the New Zcalana .Natives' Association last 'evening, the .following resolution was- unanimously, .. adopted on tlio motion of the^ehairnian: "That further action in-; connection ' with the proposal of tlie combined New Zealand Natives' Association and Early Settlers' Association to. hold a diamond jubilee carnival iri January, 1915, W hold in abeyance until the present crisis, in Europe assumes a inoro settled state, and that members of the above- associations after their services to.the Defenco authorities should the Territorials, be required elsoivhero for? the protection of ■Wellington, ■-.*.■■■ : .-.."■.. LECION OF FRONTIERSMEN. ~ AT THE EMPIRE'S CALL. (By Association.) Auckland, August 4. In response to'its offer to mobilise immedialtely, if'it, is Required," the". Legion of. Frontiersmen-hasrreceived the .following telegraW from the 'Prime Minister: ■ ■ "•'.-'.' "Many thanks for offer; will com* lr.unicato with you at once in tho event of .services being required/ , ' ".-'.. ■"■'■-' There ■ were eight squadrons of'the Legion in the North Island, and a large number of'unattached men,;the strength' • ■■for the'lsland being about .1200. These" : ,aro:: divided, jnto , classes—those avjiilablo for service abroad,, and those available for..'. New - Zealand defence' onljv" Members of the Legion are seasbned men, familiar with frontier .work,' aid, according to the rules ,of their, -oifder,"they 'provide theirowriuniforms, anils, and:' equipment. :7 The '■. total strength.througnout- the Empire is now just on" ibjOOO men. '. ■ ' TJie terms"ofVth'e" Legion's • arrangement with the War;;Office!prorad.e that ■m-She-event of war the Legion passes into! tho control of tho Office if required, and fconsequently a ■ Wiir l Oib'c& mobilisation order would mean thatstho New Zealand members on'the service abroad list would be called to the colours, irrespective of the expeditionary forces'organised-by- th'e--Defence'-' authorities of the Oversea. Dominions Ties Legion's staff officer for New .Zealand states that telegrams from all over the Dominion are continually arriving, at Auckland', from-' ■membersanxious, to get to the"'front,,and men' are ■coming into the city from tlie ou£ Jymg distracts- to offer their services. . lelegrahis have come from Westland," Central:' Otago, Marlborougli,'.' and ' Nel-,' son, in the South Island, and from all sorts- of romote places ia the North, where men are offering tlieir services in Whole squadrons. This afternoon-a, large number gathered iii' Auckland, eagerly; seeking chance to.get away to-the' scene of action; ■'Cablegrams were dispatched to the Commandant-General «t----the Legtbny Lieut.-Colonel . Driscoll, D.5.0., m London, stating that the men, nere\ are ready for the call, and praying for a'chaneeto'go "to'-ffie frohtV should war be declared. Tho Waitemata troop volunteered in a body, not one man being willing to stay bebindi Yesterday tho Poverty Bay squadron of ■ . ' about; seventy meil, the most powerful and..best-equipped .of the established squadrons, telegraphed to the Govern- ' ment offering to emhark fully armed for service, within 24 hours. The Legion is part of tho National Defenco Reserve, and therefore expects, if it is not called by the War Office, to hare the opportunity of sending at least two squadrons with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Tho men will find * their oivß horses and uniforms, and ! many of them their own rifles. Immediately \ word is received . mobilisation, will be ordered by the .officers command-.. • Inge the squadrons, troops, and subunits,, and tlie organisers in charge of the. districts are being communicated' with by urgent telegram. CROATIANS OFFER TO JOIN. '•;■:.:■;. Auckland, August J. . ,„ The' Croatian Independence League' I,w las decided to ask tho Prime i'or permission for Croatian recruits '*o accompany any New Zealand volunteers vrlio may be sent to England. ■' OFFERS POURIMC IN. . Although-'tlie Ne ( w Zealand expedi< tionary force is as yet only a possibility, numerous offers of .service are beins received from all parts of tho Dominion,,, both, by tlie ilinister, of,Defenco (the: Honi'Jas.-.';'AHeji) De- . fence Headquarters. Mr. Allen told a; jeporter.. evening that the volunteers' were being informed that in the event of tho, force being organised, thex, ' should apply through thoir squadron,; company, or 'battery commanders, or it they wei'o not TerntoriaJs, through the nearest district defense office. Many, offers are being received from ex-officersl and men who : are not Territorials, bujfc if the expeditionary force is raised preference will be' given, to Territorials of suitable ago, slid afterwards ■ reservists and others whd- have seen servico will bo considered. , J| . ' . •''■•■. As a number bf the offers of service had bees received ot "the Defence- Head- " : quarters, and others liad been "sent thero by himself, Mr. Allen wae not. able to staffl the total \number received, but > it ia already very\ large. Many of tho.' volunteers'are officers and men rfho have ' seen'active service,! some of them in the. British Regular Airniy, and glancing over ' - ; the telegrams which they had sent in. '■ it was easily to bo\seen that tho Dominion is aot so poorly provided with' yotoraa soldiers as a go6d matiy peonlo imagine. Tlie'Artillery, Mounted..lnfantry, 1 and other branches of the. military. forces, arc -repreßoiitoll' 'by : officers, non-commassiqnecl-'-bflicersV and ' men. One offer is to feroyido a: "roußh' bush troop." , :" •• ■'.::!: ' :-.v r .•.■>-:-. Automobile,issociaticne 'all over'the country aro offering.%ir. sorvicos, aivl so also aa-e-~numerous ; iacmbers: or tlie . Native, race, "Still another'offer has ■■■ ■' wme from, the Auckland-yachtsmen: > ihere'.isVElready. a military, nursinc nrga-iusation iiv :the New Zealand of: the Queen .Alexandra Military Nursing Setnce-. but as not proposed: -oade? cuty wicum- ■ -stwqeA.-t<3..Ben4aur.s9jftl)a l 8 i aii: - ■'■