"COURAGE, DETERMINATION, HOPE AND SACRIFICE."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 2 January 1918, Page 4

"COURAGE, DETERMINATION, HOPE AND SACRIFICE."

EVERY OUNCE OF EFFORT NEEDED.

BY TELEGRAPH—PBJESS ASSOCIATION.

DT7NEDIN i Dec. 31. Asked for a New Year's message to the people, Sir Joseph. Ward sends the fallowing:— "Courage, determination, tope and sacrifice," let this b e the motto for the new year. The furnace fires of sacrifice jmust be kept at white heat by throwing on the flames every ounce of effort the I nation is capable of supplying. Each individual is capable of doing something: Do it, hiowever small the effort may appear. It will all count up in the aggregate. Greater self-denial must be practised; there must be no funking; action is the only thing fchat counts today. "The year just concluded has not realised all that we hoped f or, but despite the Russian defection and the reverse of the Italian army, sufficient progress was made to show the-whole world that there can be but one end to this awful war. America^ by throwing her whole weight into the scsfle, has more than compensated for the disappointment of. the past year, and the enemy knows that it is only a matter ol time when he must be definitely making such desperate efforts to force a decision in the West—eflyirij-that are cx?rtajnip downed- to failure. Without the courage of faith in our own strong arn\ without hope that the outcome will spell a glorious peace for Great Bri-i tain and her Allies, and Avithout the determination of sacrifice by each and everyone of. us, we oould not hope for victory, buE we have these attributes and we are strengthened in our purpose because we know that in our nation there is strongly developed the spirit oi equity and justice. We have faith in our cause and in ourselves, and this gives us the will to make every sacrifice to bring about the desired end. The his. *ory of the nation is being written in the blood of our own race, and we would be cravens all to allow such sacrifices to be made in vain. Let us then, will the Motherland, put forth all our inighi in the new year in a supreme effori to crush for ever a cruel foe that, ir the conduct of the war, has shows neither honesty of purpose nor on< generous impulse. ".Great Britain's record in the struggle has been a revelation to the Central Powers. A peace-loving nation we we.ro totally unprepared on land foi war, and that was the main factor in Germany's calculations when she liurled her mighty strength and organisation, built up over, a period of forty years, at heroic little Belgium, with a view of humbling France as a prelude to overrunning the Continent of Europe, and then defeating Great Britain and gaining world supremacy. The scene has changed, and England his become the possessor of one wf the laj gest armies m the world, second to none in courage, resourcefulness and equipment. In her territories she is an armed camp, with mighty factories turning out at record speed guns and all the requisite munitions of war, and the whole of her vast resources, material and human, are concentrated with her Allies on the defeat of the enemy at her gates. Such a record of achievement has been previously unknown in the history of the world, and will stand for all time as an object lesson of what a free and democratic country i s capable of when forced into war for her honor's sake. The spirit of the race is magnificent; the hearts of the people are staunch and true to thensplendid tradition, and with qualities such as we possess, together with a determination to put even greater effort mto the conflict, there can be no doubt as to the result. "To the people of New Zealand 1 would say that while this fair Dominion has done more than well, yet we have felt the stress of wa r less perhaps than any other portion of the British Empire. Thanks to th© British Navy and our mercantile marine outproduce has been carried safely overseas throughout the wnr period, and the country, unfortunately largely due to the war, has prospered beyond all expectations. The cost of living, though it has been one

of our greatest .troubles arid anxietiee^H is lower here than in.any ot^er part ol^H .the, British Empire; o^t^-tl^^H the war is brought poigi^tl^|fem^ when someone near and, dear to us meet^H fa^^^^erneld of b^ttfe;^go«^M I vvesfc' fliillp^oJdiers '6*J' Our hearti^H ( go oui^^^ympathy tto the ;•; inothere^H L wipes' and sisters-, and we^pray !that fih^H l^omfort which can alone comefroin th^H , p:ig of Kings may gradually a«eviat^H ■ •t^eir:..soiTow;.' Apart £r.oni this; sad si4o^| w<? have little to; remind; iw-here."of?:t&^H war. \\ 7 & go on our way in comparati^^^B security and peace, '^ ' ; ':..":X ''■ ■■ v f^H / "I would like to remind the people^ jn^| (appealing to them to put forth? every^H effort in the coming year, vthat-the ho*^| rora of war are ever, pr^ent^i°^t&^H dwellers in the' MothervX/duntryiS i^^B every railway station in London I out the day and night lo^^uwies^^^H J waiting ' ambulance* - ar^fOTm^vl^u^^H j every train from the Ghaniiet town^H bringing their quota of wounded fro^^H the battlefield. This, more than any^H -thing else, brings home ttf the peopl^H there"tn<r stern realities of a brutal warfl^ There are other ever-present factors a»/J well, including the darkened, streets at T night, and the searchlights that are con* stantly trained on the heavens for spy-l-ing out the murdering pirates of the'air^ who prey on defenceless men, -women'- ~ arid children. We have much to K& thankful for in this far-flung post of', ! Empire, and surely it is not too much** jto ask : ihe people tobe patient, *to ,I^, - ' still more .self-denying, and in -all their" actions.to nave but one end in view— the winning of the war by unmistakableand unquestioned victory. Let the new • year,be a period of noble saorifice—th^<beginning of a year of t courage aad.. ' faith. )No one can say wlien this awful' struggle will end, but I am sure tho- * people of New Zealand share with niethe fervent hope that this will be ttielast year of war. . . "To ihe New Zealand soldiers at; Homeand abroad and to the patriotic citizens s of the Dominion I wish every happiness . and prosperity during the new -year. May the af tei -war problems, which haveto come up for settlement, provide ia their solution an effective'system, based I upon the highest Christian principles, . that wiil make wars in the future un-. • necessary, and prevent the recurrence - of such a, crime against humanity as - that in which the world has been. * plunged for-nearly three-and a half " ' years by the action of a ruthless autov"crat. May the people and not the s«lf-% constituted monsters in the, enemy "coun- -> tries in. the future be the constitutional , rulers and framers of wise, humane, and * democratic laws. Let us all devoutly ' ' pray that the joy bells will soon proclaim i the glad tidings of a glorious peaoa ' with honor for the British Empire and i" her Allies. "J. G. WATtD, "Mialtttvr of Fi/Mnce."