MANIFESTO BY THE PRIME MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2669, 14 January 1916, Page 6

MANIFESTO BY THE PRIME MINISTER

The following manifesto by the Prime Minister has been issued cncerning New Zealanders' responsibility in the war: — TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND: It is now close upon eighteen months since tho Government of New Zealand, with the full consent and approval of the people of the Dominion, decided to place an Expeditionary Force at the disposal of the Imperial Authorities. 1 • In the interval we have dispatched over 34,000 troops to the front; we have 12,000 more in training, and we stand committed to the dispatch of 2500 men monthly by way of Reinforcements. This means that, by the end of the current year, we shall have sent not less than 61,000 men into the fighting line—no small achievement for a country which has only a population of a little over a million. Hitherto we have worked upon the voluntary system, and while men are forthcoming in sufficient numbers to fulfil the engagements which New Zealand has made with the Imperial Authorities,'there is no desire on the Government's part to depart from that system. At tho same time it is desirable that particularly every single man of military age and fitness, and possessing the. minimum of responsibilities, should' be induced to do what, under existing circumstances, is his obvious duty. I make, therefore, no apology for an appeal to the manhood of the Dominion, especially as arrangements are now being made to bring our new recruiting scheme into operation. GREATER EFFORT IS CALLED FOR. We are all proud of the magnificent response that has already been made to the Empire's call for men to do battle in the cause of justice and liberty, and for the deliverance of the oppressed. But the effort which loyalty and patriotism demand of US' now is greater than was at one time anticipated, and requires that we should put every ounce of energy we possess into the scale against Germany. THE NEED IS FOR MEN, MORE MEN, AND STILL MORE MEN! The call comes to every man in this country, who is in a position to do so, to prepare to take his place in tho fighting line! The cry comes to us from our sons, brothers, and kinsmen in'the trenches: "Come over and help us!" It rings through every note of the official dispatches; it is echoed by tho sick, the wounded, and by the men who have returned invalided from the front; the graves of Gallipoli appeal to us silently, yet eloquently, that the sacrifices made there, and the heroic lives laid down on that shell-swept Peninsula shall not have been given in vain. No man worthy of the name can remain deaf to such appeals. The Empire needs the faithful and devoted services of all its citizens, if it is to prove victorious in the stupendous task to which it has set its hand. Never in all its glorious history . has it called upon its peoples in vain. Shall we fail it now 1 The Motherland, which has made many sacrifices on our behalf, appeals to her sons across the seas for their assistance and co-operation. Zeppelin raids, coastal bombardments, and the grim menace of submarines, have familiarised her with the horrors of a warfare we have so far happily escaped, and which wc, too, should experience but for the protection the British Fleet affords us. It is our duty, nay more, our privilege, to go to her help. THE TALK OF "PRUSSIANISING." In certain quarters of lab we have heard talk of tho "Prussianising of New Zealand." Onlyin one way is it possible to Prussianise New Zealand, and that is by. allowing the enemy to become victorious. If, by apathy and indifference, wo fail in our dutyi and so make conquest an easy matter for our adversaries, the responsibility will rest upon those who have declined to accept the privileges and duties of citizenship, chief amongst which is the defence of the country. Self-preservation, a care for our homes, and the sanctity of family life, apart altogether from love of country, alike demand that we should be on the alert to repel the foe, and to defend the Empire on the fields of battle,_ where tho decisive blows must bo struck that will bring either victory or defeat to the opposing forces, and which will decide our destiny, together with that of the Empire with which our fate is inseparably connected. THE GERMAN DREAM OF CONQUEST. Germany's plans of conquest, which have been unfolded before the eyes of an astonished world, since tho war began, included the annexation of the British Overseas Dominions, also of Egypt and probably India. _ We need be under no illusions as to our fate, if the Central European Powers proved victorious. The German Eagle would replace tho Union Jack and the New Zealand flag in these Southern Seas. The Iluns would simply enter upon and despoil the country, and Gerriian autocracy, backed up by Krupp's guns, would take tho place of our free institutions. Democracy as we know it would perish under Prussian rule, and it would bccomo a crime to speak the English language. Has not a leading Berlin paper told us, with tho approval of .the German official world, that "Mankind needs German methods" and "must mako use of them for its spiritual preservation"; and has not the Berlin "Deutsche Tageszeitung" declared that we must also accept "the blessing" of the German tongue? "On all men," it arrogantly writes, "not those belonging to the more cultured races only, but on men of all nationalities and colours, the German language acts as a blessing which, coming direct from the hand of God, sinks into the heart like a precious balm, and ennobles it! And so, "English," the journal proceeds, "the bastard tongue of the canting Island Pirates, must be swept from the place it has usurped, and forced back into the remotest corners of Britain, until it has returned to its original elements of an insignificant pirate dialect." The dangers we have to guard against are very real; but if we are true to ourselves, true to the traditions of our race, and. faithful stewards of the sacred heritage committed to us by our forefathers, we need not fear the' result. Only by disunion, disloyaly, and half-heartedness, can the victory pass from our grasp. We New Zealanders pride ourselves most of all upon our loyalty to our Empire, our Country, and our Flag. We have made sacrifices on their behalf, but the call is for greater sacrifices still. We arc proud to think that tens of thousands of New Zealand's sons count it an honour to take up arms on behalf of the Empire, and that her heroic daughters have willingly braved tho perils of the battlefield, and of service in strange lands 1 , in order to minister to the' suffering and to succour the wounded. Duty calls 11s to battle on behalf of the Right. Failure to defeat the damnable doctrine that "Might is Right" will land the world into the abysmal depths of savagery. Honour demands that we should make sacrifices for the good of our fellow-men, for the protection of our women and children, and for the sanctity of our home li^fe. THE CRY FROM MARTYRED BELGIUM. Belgium—crushed, torn, cruelly violated, wickedly betrayed, as surely no other country has ever been before, and as no other country shall be despoiled again, if the men of our Empire are true to the traditions of their race—Belgium and the other martyr nations appeal to us for succour and sympathy. We need not wait to have the whole record _of Germany's infamies, scientifically proved', to realise the call of duty here. British people will never forget the sinking of the _ "Lusitania," the "Arabic," and the "Persia," the drowning of our nurses, the murder of Miss Cavell, and the other atrocities revealed to us by the inquiries which have taken place, and from which civilisation shrinks in horror. WE MUST FIGHT ON. For Britain's sake, we have sent our sons, our brothers, and our kinsmen to the war; for her sake and for our own protection, and for the safety and happiness of our womenfolk and children we must continue to reinforce them, and to strength their hands in every possible way; We must fight on, until a durable peace becomes possible, and the.sword must not be sheathed until Belgium's wrongs have been righted, until Russian Poland and Serbia are again freed from the yoke of the oppressor, and until ample guarantees are available for the safety 'of the smaller nationalities of the world. In this way we can all play our part. But to this end we must be prepared to make sacrifices, and I am satisfied that the people of New Zealand, who have already done so much in this direction, will continue steadfast to the last, and bear themselves worthily and well in this war of wars, and in this hour of the Empire's greatest need. THE CALL IS STILL FOR VOLUNTEERS. Many who read this appeal should enlist' right away. Duty reminds them of their obligations; from the trenches their comrades call to them; the cry of "To the front" rings out more and more insistentlu. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Men of New Zealand ! We must "keep the Germans out of 'Old England,'" and out of New Zealand and every other British possession. What is wanted now is the spirit of the Lancashire man of whom I read recently. His two sons had gone to the war, and word came that the younger had been killed. The father was not content, although he was considerably above military age, until he was able to take his boy's place, and one day found himself in the fighting line by his eldest son's side "some where in France." Gripping his boy by the hand, the father said: "I've coom to take Andy's place. When word came about thy brother, thy mother bade me coom to thee, and I'd be a shamed man if I failed to do summat to keep the Bosches out of Old England; and we've got to do it, lad, for the sake of thy mother and thy sisters." "WE SHALL SAVE CIVILISATI ON." Keeping the Bosches out of English territory we shall save civilisation; we shall save the Empire; and shall be in a better position to efficiently assist our gallant Allies, and redeem Belgium, Poland, and Serbia. It is our privilege to act to-day. A duty deferred, or neglected, may cause us life-long tribulation and anguish of mind. Let us, then, "act in the living present." Every man able to bear arms is needed, at the front. You know if you come within that category. If you do, ENLIST AT ONCE I And, .like a certain soldier of Kitchener's Army, you will be able to say, "I was not among the first to go, but I went, thank God, I went." (Signed) W. F. MASSEY, Prime Minister, and _ Chairman of Recruiting Board.