OUR SECOND MAORI CONTINGENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2553, 30 August 1915, Page 6

OUR SECOND MAORI CONTINGENT

THE NATIVES' BURDEN AND DEBT TO THE EMPIRE By Telegraph.—Press Association, AuoUland, August 28. An inspection of the fciccond Maori Contingent, which has been in training at Devonport during the past two months, was made by tho Minister of Defence (Hon. Jas. Allen) on Saturday, at tho camp at the Penrose Rifle Range, where some 250 of' the men were receiving rmiskefcry instruction, and also the isolation hospital in. which a number of convalescent measles cases are receiving treatment. "I am very pleased indeed with the contingent," tho Minister stated to-day. "Although I do. not say it is a better contingent, the men aro a fine lot, and as keen or keener than the. First Contingent. They display a good spirit, and 1 am quite sure ..they will do well wherever thoj; g0. ,: _ . Mr. Allen, said that tho contingent would be dispatched in -about three Weeks. "They will not be quite so well' trained as we should like," ho remarked, "but they receive furtlier training in Lgypt before they go to the front. As soon as the camp is available another contingent will be assembled. If the Maoris are going to 'do their duty tbey must maintain theso reinforcements at the rateW aGout 340 overy two months until the war is over. An Appeal to Their Racfl. "I firmly believe that the Maoris realise' the responsibility that /is upon tliem," Mr. Allen continued, "and appreciate the -privilege of being allowed to share with the wliite New Zealandersj with 1110 .men of' the Empire, and of our Allies, the right to uphold justice and humanity and freedom. Some of tho Maoris, I understand, are holding back. I cannot realise why the difficulties and even the injustices of itlie past should stand in tho way of tbeir coming forward freely to join their Maori and pakelia brothers in upholding tho flag which has done, so much for them. Anything the Maori may ■ have lost through the settlement of the white man in New Zealand lias been more than compensated for by the fact that ho has heen under the rule of England instead'of some other nation,, and he should not : hesitate when ' British supremacy in theso islands stands in tho balance, ; lam very pleased to say," Mr. Allen added, "that there are only a few of the Maoris who are holding off, and I. believe their 1 diffidence is only temporary." Compliment to Our System. Mr. Allen drew attention to the fact that the period of training in New Zealand affords the only opportunity for learning important lessons of cleanliness and sanitation. Since tho Imperial authorities had paid New Zealand the higli compliment of dispatching the last two reinforcement drafts to the front immediately after their arrival in E »ypV ho remarked that no higher testimonial could be given to. the value of their training, but it imposed a greater- responsibility upon the system. He stated that eacli contingent will receive a certain amount of training at Trentliam, and will then be placed m a .canvas camp in conditions more nearly resembling, those ..which the men will experience at-' the front. '"We have not had time to submit Hie Maoris to tliis hardening process," Mr. Allen continued. "They are now living in excellent probably, much better than tliose to which they have been accustomed in their own homes. They will be placed in a training camp in Egypt,_ where the conditions are possibly very, different, and it will be very wrong for them or anj-one else to draw a distinction between the training here and in Egypt, because there is an object in it all."