LOYAL MAORIS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1914, Page 2

LOYAL MAORIS

MONEY AND MEN OFFERED.

The Natives of Poverty _ Bay have offered their money and their manhood to the Empire. Only to a certain extent —and that only as far as Africans concerned —will their manhood be accepted. Their monetary contribution runs up to £lOOO, which they desire should be devoted to the Patriotic Fund and the Belgian Relief Fund. A long letter on the subject from their representative men was read in the House by the Prime Minister, and was received with applause. t o ■ . “It must be very gratifying to the members of the House, said the Prime Minister, “that the Maori race are just as anxious to help the Empire in the. serious crisis that has arisen as their fellow citizens.” The Empire, he added, had put its hand to the plough and there would be no holding back. “We have to see this matter through. I feel absolutely certain that the Dominions and Dependencies of the Empire will send double, and even treble, the number of their first contingents. The Dominions will be willing and the men will be willing. No price will be too high to pay for the supremacy of Our Empire as compared with Germany’s attempted supremacy and despotism.” The Hon. A. Ngata said he was sure that the Natives of the Gisborne district would be gratified at the reference made by the Prime Minister to their substantial contribution to the Empire Relief Fund. He was sorry, he added, that in other parts of the _ country th© contributions of the Maoris had gon* into’ the common fund. The Maoris, right through this evil business, had shown a desire to take their full shat® of the common defence, not only in monetary contributions, but in enthusiasm and in offers of men. Owing to the regulations Of the Imperial Government, it was not possible for their services to be accepted right at the front, but the Imperial Government had done the next best thing: it had accepted the Maoris’ offers of service for Samoa and Egypt. Enlisting had been very enthusiastic, and . double the number required had offered their services. The, Maori force would be concentrated during the week at Auckland for training, in readiness to leave New Zealand as the first Maori contingent which had ever left the Dominion under warlike conditions. (Applause.) Mr. G. W. Russell said that the Opposition fully appreciated the great and noble gifts which the Maoris had made, not only xn money but in men. (Hear, hear.)