THE SPIRIT OF ENGLAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4474, 15 February 1917, Page 6

THE SPIRIT OF ENGLAND.

HEROIC SACRIFICE. HOW THE WOMEN ARE HELP INC “Join the forces, and be able to look every body in the face. If you cannot go to the front, then release some man who can go.” Such was the appeal made to young men »y a lady speaker at a recruiting moof.ng at Hurstville, Sydney. The meeting was held for the purpose of forming a local branch of ihe Win-the-War League. . . „ Lieutenant RaiLon v -ecnuting officer) explained chat till' abject of the league was to get everyone to put J is or her hand to the plough in the great task that lay before Australia m the present war." There was still plenvv of scope for recruiting. In NoHn Sydney, for instance, out of ..VJO tn-o-i'ble men left, according to thj war census, not more titan 14 had \ oiunteered. It rested with the peopie to induce these young men to on'e-t. A mere 929 recruits in one lront.i Ua country the -me ol An.-liaha was a paltry contribution. Miss Evans, who staled that she had been I*lll jug tlu- muu'tiuu wcikers at Woolwich for a year, and was now on her way back to Europe, made a strong appeal to everyone to do their duty. “I have thirteen Orothers,” she said, “and I. don’t know where any one of them is to-day, but I know that they are doing tlieir duty wherever they are.” Miss Evans told how the women of England were making munitions, and how in Cunad a girls of 13 aiul 14. were ploughing and doing farm work, and doing ifc willingly. “I have stood at a tub myself every day for a fortnight washing clothes from the trenches, and I consider it a privilege to do it,” she said amid applause. She told of the heroism of boy munition workers, who toiled without complaint, and made light ot minor accidents—one boy working on a night shift had fallen asleep witii fatigue, and had had Ins hand torn off m the machinery, but the gallant lad had made light of his suffering, .being glad to have served his. country. In factories where certain explosives were made, women had wanked among poisonous fumes till then flesh and hair turned yellow and eventually they died—dying cheerfully for tlieir country. When a nation was givijig out its lifeblood like tins, it was due to Australians to do sometiling. (Applause.) “I can always see before me the set faces of those people in England,” she said. I lien spirit says, ‘We arc going on to the end. If others don’t come to our help we will carry it. on ourselves; not only to the last man, but, it necessary, the last woman” (Applause). The spirit of sacrifice was so universal that even the children m the poor_ houses who used to have cake allowed them for tea on Sundays, had refused to eat it, and had asked that the money he given to the soldiers. Could strong men in Australia hear these things unmoved, and still hang back from service? she asked.