THE ENEMY AWAKENING..

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 10 July 1917, Page 8

THE ENEMY AWAKENING..

INTERESTING STATEMENT BY MR MASSEY. NEED FOR NEW ZEALAND STEADFASTNESS. BY TELEGRAPH —PUESS ASSOCIATION. PUKEKOHE, July 9. In alluding to the question of com- ; pulsory service, at the reception to-day, ■ IMr Massey said that America and Canada had followed the example ot New Zealand. He believed that Australia would have to follow our lead. In spite of the unfortunate referendum of last year Australia had done very well He had gained considerable inside information, and without giving away any secrets, he could say that the enemy Powers were weakening, both from 'a military and a financial point of view. They," however, had not yet reached the noint of collapse, and they . would last at least until the next Euro- ■ pean winter set in. _ _ ' "As to ourselves," he continued, I hope that there will be no weakening, no slackening. Our duty is to go right j ahead, not to look behind, but to press j forward until a decisive victory and per- , manent peace are assured. There would be no brighter page m British history than that whicn would tell of the magnificent response of the Oversea Dominions to the call of the Empire in the time of her need and peril. (Applause.) We would have to go on until the Power of evil was taken away from Germany and her allies. Anything -oublished in this country or m any other British Dominion that could possibly be used to inuence the people of Germany was circulated in that coun try ; and what would the German people 1 say'if they heard that the New Zealand j people were slackening and desired to withdraw from the war? He knew there was no oossibility of such a thing, but care should be taken to avoid even the creation of the impression that such was the case. In touching upon the same subject at the banquet, to-night. Mr Massey said: "We have got to go on until the ond comes, whenever the end does come. We have got to see that we do not break faith with those men who have died for their King, country and Empire." Sir James Allen,'speaking at the reception, said he did "not believe there would be any slackening in the prosecution of the war, either in New Zealand or in any other portion of the Empire. America, the giant oeace country, and Canada, had followed New Zealand's lead in regard to conscription, and he believed Australia would .yet also do . so.

Mr Massey and Sir James Allen left by to-night's train for Wellington.