MORE MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2647, 18 December 1915, Page 6

MORE MEN

PRIME MINISTER APPEALS

"GO INTO CAMP AT ONCE"

'An appeal to young men to give up tho fleeting ploasures of tho festive season for tho more lasting joy of duty well .done is made by the Primo Minister in tho following statement made to a Dominion' reporter yesterday:—

"I saw ■ between two and three hundred fine young fel-. lows march past tho Parliamentary Buildings this morning," said Mr. Massey. ■ "They were recruits , just joined—not yet in uniform, and on c their way, to the railway station, there r to take t'he train for Trentham! Camp, g They had given up their Christmas lioli- ( days and all the joys which go with F ■the festive season in order to Tcspond 1 in the only'practical way to the call which has gonii forth, asking them at once to take up their duties as soldiers 6 of the Empiro. There was no hesita- j tation about them as they swung cheer- t fully along, without blast of trumpet a or beat of drum. They ware satisfied I t'hat they were doing right, and they ' looked ;it.' - I "venture, to say. they got , more satisfaction out of the fact that' g they had taken tlic ,first'step on tho long road to the front, that with other j brave men they had taken up tliecom- a bined duty and privilege of assisting 1 to defend their 'country in its hour of a danger, than if they had remained for t the present with their friends and rcla- c tives, and enjoyed the jolliest Christ £ mas of their experience. So with their mothers; They , have given up the joy f of haying their sons wit'h them for J the Christmas season; but, like another t matron (one of the many who has been i heard of during the war), they will be C able to 'thank God, .AVho has : given them men for sons.' The Eleventh Reinforcement is still incomplete, and it' is a matter' of honour with our Dominion that it should be up to its full strength before .the holidays com- . mence, and I now make a .final appeal 1: io the manhood of the country, especially to those'who have already gjven j* their names to t'he. military authori- c ties, to do as those young men did this a morning—go into camp at once. It t has been well said that there can be t no nobler opportunity than that/ of scrv- a ing one's country when its very exist- * ence is at stake, and when its cause is f just and rights That is the actual V position to-day. Let our young'men take the opportunity that offers, for a it should not be neglected. Let them t prove themselves worthy sons of Brit- D ish stock, anl even in t'his matter show t their appreciation of their comrades, who s faced overwhelming odds ,on the hill- ? of Gallipoli, and never flinched, 1 and I am confident they will never re- J gret their action." c ■ i ; —-—r"' —. ELEVENTHS OVER 500 SHORT ] MOSTLY INFANTRY. t Tho Defence authorities stated yes- c terday 'that the Eleventh Reinforce- « ments went into camp between 500 and 600 men short, and,,that most of the J shortages were of infaiitry. It was men- J tioned also that some .shortage had oc- c curred in every district. t City Still Slumbering. c In Wellington recruiting is still slow. ° Yesterday's list is of eight men, every t cno of whom is fit, and five of whom ( have agreed .to fight with the infantry, e The Group' Commander states that of t tho A.S.C. men who were notified to ' transfer to another arm or be "wash- j ed out," a satisfactory number ore re- 1 plying, accepting the "invitation" to j transfer. , Two blacksmiths are wanted at once for the Expeditionary Force. i . - —— / I Dental Recruiting Officers./ t •Messrs. Hoby, Didsbury, and Bender , have been appointed dental recruiting ( officers for Wellington City. i ■. ——-. ' < The Latest Recruits. 1 The men who wero enrolled in the City j yesterday are:—/ < Leonard D, Hassall, storeman, City (artillery). . ] E. J. Simpson,, labourer, City (Samoa). Geo. Bennett, fireman, City (infantry). j J., A; Orr, Civil Servant, Island Bay, , (infantry). j Frank Davis, driver, City (infantry), i C. A. Perham, orchardist, Motueka (mounted). ' ; J'. H. Hatton, labourer, Featherston (infantry).' . H. Coppon, gardener, Masterton (in- ! fantry). - ■ ' ■ Before'a recruit goes into camp it is ] the custom for his friends to make him a presentation. Mr. A. E. M. Rowland , states that he is prepared to give a sue- '• cial rebate of 15 per cent. (3s, in the J) oft' all soldiers' requisites, such as , ; \vrist- ■ let watches, binoculars, etc.—Advt,