MAORI PATRIOTISM

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 82, 5 October 1915, Page 2

MAORI PATRIOTISM

SHOULD THERE BE A LIMIT TO RECRUITING? (ST TELEGRAPH.— PRESS iSSOCUTION.) PAHIATUA, 4th October. In the course of a patriotic address at the sacred concert by the Hinemoa Opera Company, the Rev. F. Bennett, a prominent Native clergyman, referred to the patriotism of the Maori people, and mentioned that out of a mere handful of Maoris they had already sent over 800 of the very best. As the Government had expressed a wish that reinforcements to the number of 240' should be sent every two months, it could be seen that the Maori people were certainly going to do their "little bit" in the Empire's hour of .need. Elderly Natives of various tribes, especially in the East Coast electorate, had sent over 1000 frozen sheep and over £1000 for the destitute in the Motherland, in addition to what they had done for local funds. Mr. Bennett feelingly asked : "Is there to be no limit fixed as to^the number of Maoris who will be accepted for the I front? There is not the slighest doubt that the Maori as a race is a dying one. The process of absorption is going on bo rapidly that in another generation or two it will be very difficult to find a' pure Maori, but the proportion of the best Maori manhood now being accepted for the front is so high that I for one would be glad if the Government would make the limit, say, 1000 men, and nob ask for any more reinforcements unless the situation became very critical. How is the race to be perpetuated if the best Maori manhood is to be sent in such large proportions to the front? A thousand men out of a total population of less than 50,000 men, women, and children is a high proportion." Mr. Bennett explained this was his own personal conviction only, and did not emanate from the Maori people ; they probably would be willing to send their last man to tho field of battle if the circumstances demanded it. He asked : "Are we prepared to hasten the extinction of the race by sending forth unlimited numbets of the progenitors of the Maori people of the future? The matter is sufficiently serious to demand very careful consideration on the part of the people of the Dominion."