PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 98, 26 April 1916, Page 3

PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH

"OTJK MEN WHO FELL FIGHTING."

The Bt. Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister, who on rising was most cordially received, said, in supporting the very fine and appropriate resolution which the Mayor had moved, that he took it they were not there that night to discuss tho question as to whether blunders were committed in connection with the occupation of Gallipoli. (Hear, hear.) "We are here to-night," he said, " to do honour to the men—our men— who have perished—(applause)—the men who fell fighting, the men who have fallen for the honour of their country and for the honour of the empire to which we belong. I am sure you will agree with me that their memory will never be forgotten so long as the Southern Cross looks down on Australia and on the islands of New Zealand; their deeds will never be forgotten by the people of these southern lands. (Applause.) To those men who are here to-night, to their comrades who have been to the front and who have now returned to their native land, and to those who are still in the fighting line, we express our appreciation of their heroism and gallant conduct from the time they left New Zealand till tho present day. (Applause.) . . . .

THE SEVEREST TEST. " I believe they were subject to a far more severe test than when they were actually in the fighting line. I refer especially to the time after the heavy fighting—between the heavy fighting and the time of the evacuation; because the greater part of the territory occupied by the British troops was exposed to the continual fire of the enemy, and our men had'to endure great hardships —unsuitable food, scarcity of water; and then when disease broke out, when there was nothing for them to do but to hold on with grim determination to their positions, and never give way an mch —that was a severer test thaD the actual fighting. But they came through both tests successfully and well, and we honour them for so doing. (Applause.) Their officers tell us that every order given to them was obeyed cheerfully. I was informed that there was more grumbling, more complaints, when the order for withdrawal came than took place during the rest of the campaign. As a matter of fact, withdrawal does not appeal to the British soldier; and I am quite sure the Australians and New ZealanJers possess their full share of that .sentiment which belongs to the British Army and to our race. So far as the evacuation was concerned, I believe it was a perfect piece of military tactics, and a splendid piece of organisation. That was proved, because it was carried out with- i out loss of life." "LITTLE WHITE CROSSES." "I believe," continued the Prime Minister with earnestness, "that the work commenced at Gallipoli on 25th April last will have yet to be completed. I want to tell you what I mean by that. Those little white crosses on the bleak, lone hills of Gallipoli mark the.restingplace of the descendants of some of the best pioneer stock that originally settled these lands. On those rugged'hillsides lie the bones of many a gallant lad, because he refused to turn his back to the enemy of his country. I want to say this—and I am expressing my own opinion, and I am sure also that of many others: We shall be humiliated if the feet of strangers are. allowed to leave their prints on the graves of our heroic boys. (Loud applause.) Such a thing indeed would be nothing short of desecration. Ido not know when peace will! comer —nobody can tell; I do not know what, the peace proposals will be; but I want to say this sincerely: that I hope Gallipoli, or Anzac, will be preserved for the Anzacs. (Applause.) I am a strong believer in the future of our race. I believe the nation, and the company of nations to which we belong,, will yet occupy the gates of our enemies, and the Dardanelles is one. And when the time comes for peace—and we shall not, I think, have to wait long—the Peninsula of Gallipoli will go with the Dardanelles. THE GALLANT 29th. "I think we should also do honour to the British soldier who fought side by side with our soldiers at Gallipoli. (Applause.) Though we did not hear so much of him, even though now we do not hear so much of him, the fact remains that many thousands of British and Indian troops were fighting alongside our troops at Gallipoli." Mr. Massey proceeded to say that they must all have read Sir lan Hamilton's report of what was done by what he might term the purely British troops. One couJd not help being proud of being a British citizen, and proud to call such men fellow-citizens. The Prime Minister then quoted Sir lan Hamilton's description of the advance of the. 29th Division. Nothing better was ever written of any British soldiers or of the .soldiers belonging to any other nation in the world. (Applause:). Appreciative reference was also made to an incident in which the Norfolk Regiment particularly distinguished themselves, when they died fighting "too proud to either surrender or ask for quarter." "A NEW COVENANT SEALED." "Let me say," added the Prime Minister with deep feeling, "the blood of New Zealanders, Australians, English, Irish, Scotch, and the representatives of almost every part of the Empire, was poured out in onu stream. By that blood a new covenant was sealed which will knit the Empire together more strongly, more permanently and unitedly, than would be possible by any other means. (Loud applause.) The history-of the present

war when it comes to be written will form a bond which will make the different parts of the Empire inseparable for all time." "A NEW AND BETTER EMPIRE." It had been written, said Mr. Massey, tliat "war is hell." He did not think that statement was far wrong. Still, he believed in some respects this war would do our Empire a great deal of good. We had become too careless, too indifferent to the things that matter. One section of the community was too much given to pleasure; another section of the community was too much given to the making of money—to the ' amassing of wealth: We must realise our deficiencies and shortcomings; and he ventured to predict this—and he believed it would come true—-that in the time to come, when the war was over, a new and better Empire -would develop, that the people would take more heed for the welfare of their fellow-citizens and for the national welfare, and there would be a stronger determination that from a military and naval point of view 'the Empire would be prepared for any emergency that might possibly arise. GREETINGS FROM OUR SOLDIERS. Mr. Massey then read the following telegram he had just received from General Godley: — "Greetings from Second Anzac Corps of New Zealand on Anzac Day. We honour the memory of our fallen comrades. (Signed) Godley." (Applause.) , That telegram proved that our men who were at the front had not forgotten their fellow citizens here;' and they asked to be allowed to join in doing honour to the men who had fallen—the men whose names would ever be respected by the people of this country. Satisfaction was expressed by the speaker at the passing away of the political crisis at Home. He thought it would be nothing short of a crime and national disaster to force a general election in the United Kingdom at the present time. The preparedness of the navy was alluded to, and the splendid work done at Home in raising and training such a, large army was emphasised. He had just received news that there had been another air raid in England. He hoped we would not imitate the tactics of "the baby-killers"; and' that when the war was over we would be able to look back and have nothing to be ashamed of. He mentioned the case of one New Zealander who said to him that he was anxious to get his son into the British Flying Corps, and who added : "I feel so strongly that I am going to give my boy £500 for the first bomb that he drops in Berlin." (Laughter.) "When we have driven the Germans back into their own country," continued the speaker, "and are fighting on German territory, then we shall be able to dictate such terms as will ensure the peace of the world, I honestly believe, for many generations to come." THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR. After reminding the audience that 50,000 New Zealanders had donned khaki, the Prime Minister continued :— "I _am not going to discuss the question at the moment of whether we should have the compulsory or voluntary system. Our experience during the Easter holidays will no doubt be the same as during the Christmas holidays, and that is that large numbers will wait till the holidays are over before coming forward; and it is quite natural that men should like to stay with their relatives and friends during that time. If the vol- ! untary system fails, then it must be followed by a form of compulsion. (Loud applause.) • Now, there is no i getting away from that. (Renewed applause.) There is the hard actual fact—we must have one or the other. Parliament will meet in. a..fortnight to-day, and Parliament will be asked to agree to a measure providing for compulsion. There are a certain number of men—not very many, perhaps —who spend most of their time denouncing compulsion. If such men were sincere, and believed thoroughly in the voluntary system, the proper thing for them to do would be to enlist under the voluntary system. (Applause.) I know that there are

many young fellows who cannot get away, bui there are tens of thoii.sands of young fellows who can go if they want to. I pay those young fellows will never forgive thamselves if they do not take advantage of the voluntary system, and offer themselves to their King and country." A voice : A "bob" a day for compulsion. Mr. Massey said that interjection reminded him of an incident at an openair meeting at Dnnediu, when a man exclaimed : "God help Bill Massey if .he pays the conscripts as much as the volunteers." (Laughter.) It had also Ijeen suggested that volunteers shoula be given the letter "V" for their caps, and the others should be given the letter "C." (Laughter.) He did not agree with those opinions, but there were the two alternatives. There was no middle course. The Prime Minister concluded, amidst cheers, with an eloquent appeal to young men to come forward for their King and country.