The Dominion. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1940. HAIL AND FAREWELL

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 85, 4 January 1940, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1940. HAIL AND FAREWELL

The public farewell in Wellington yesterday to the Birst Echelon of the New Zealand Division was a moving spectacle that will live long in the memory of the thousands who thronged Parliament House grounds and the vicinity, and lined the route of the march of the troops through the'city. As'it was the publics fit st glimpse 0 his fine body of young men on parade since they went into camp for training, “hail and farewell” was the sentiment of this historic occasion. It was a thought-inspiring scene, which must have quickened the consciousness of those present to a sharp sense of the reality of the war. , r Marching at the head of the parade was a long line of war-worn ex-service men, veterans of previous campaigns; men who had served their country and done their duty, and now proud to do honour to the younger generation of soldiers who. had answered this latest call to rally to the standard of liberty and justice, It would not be surprising to hear that the turnout of war veterans was the biggest on record; a splendid tribute to the spirit of the young untried battalions they led through the streets, and to whom they look with confidence to uphold in the days to come the magnificent traditions of the New Zealand Division that fought in the battlefields of the Great Wai. The contrast between bronzed and glorious youth and seasoned veterans was impressive. For them who had carried the torch the time had come to hand over the sacred flame. It was the changing of the guard. There could be no doubt about the feelings ot the public as they watched the long procession swing along the streets to the music of the bands and the pipes. People were filled with a sense of pride as they farewelled these young crusaders on their great adventure. And now it is for those who remain behind to do their part. Upon the young men of the country who are not engaged in occupations vital to the nation’s war economy is laid a solemn obligation to keep the ranks of the New Zealand Division at full strength; and upon all others duties to be done in order that the home front will be strong and united.

It must be realized by all (said his Excellency the Govenioi;General in his address to the assembly at Parliament House) that if we are to retain our independence and liberty, personal sacrifice will be required of every individual man and woman in the Empire. and I sincerely hope that many more thousands of the young men of this country will soon be offering themselves for service alongside those of their brothers now under arms. No one can say just how this war will develop. This sense of duty and obligation cannot but have been quickened in the hearts and minds of all who witnessed the farewell to the troops, and it may be hoped that the sentiments expressed by the various speakers in front of Parliament House will be carried far and wide, and find an answering echo from all parts of the country. The Prime Minister spoke of the nation’s duty to the men who were going overseas, and the Government’s responsibility for the organization of the nation’s manpower and resources; of th.e sacrifices the people might be called upon to bear. Part of. this responsibility is to see that the ranks of the New Zealand Division are kept fully manned, and if his Excellency’s appeal to the young men fails to evoke an adequate response, it will be the Government’s duty to take immediate steps to institute compulsory enlistment for national service. “I feel I am speaking for the nation, for the citizens \of the Dominion,” said Mr. Savage, “when I promised the men assembled here today that we are not going to let them down.” The New Zealand people, will endorse this assurance, and will expect it to be translated into action in the widest possible sense, including the ample reinforcement of the ranks overseas. These young men are trusting us to do our part, and as the Leader of the Opposition said yesterday, it is for us to prove worthy of their trust. The right note was struck by the mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop: “It is for us,” he said, “to see that every man capable of national service in this hour of national trial bears his allotted share. According to our means no whit less must we do than is done by the Mother Country. Thus and thus only ?an we be worthy of you, worthy of the country handed down to us, and of the race from which we spring.”