FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1916. MORE MEN.

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 815, 11 February 1916, Page 8

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1916. MORE MEN.

The Recruiting Scheme. 1? f NDER the new recruiting scheme, ij which is being launched this week - by the Government, a personal appeal will be made to all New Zealanders of military age to come forward and ; do their duty to their country, to the J Motherland, and to the-Empire. The Recruiting Board would not ask for more men were not the Government fully, convinced of the necessity for such an appeal being made. No intelligent person who reads the cablegrams can • fail to see that the great struggle in which the Empire is involved is bound to continue for a considerable length of time, and that every part of the Empire will be called upon to put forth its full fighting strength in _ aid of the - , splendid cause of-truth and justice, honour and humanity against the evil cause which is represented by the enemy. * * * # - The war should be, must be, taken much more seriously by New 'Zealand- - ers, if we are to be credited with a firm determination to do our full duty to the Empire. New Zealand has already won the applause and .esteem of the Old Country by the heroic gallantry _ displayed by our men on the blood-stained 1 slopes of Gallipoli. But we must not merely. stand on that record. The job is only half done, and it may be, in- ; deed it is fairly certain, that the later and concluding stages of this struggle in which our nation is engaged will call for and witness the exhibition of an greater, deeper, nobler spirit of .deter- \ mination than that already displayed. More men and still more men will .be - required of us. and there should be no procrastination or faltering in pur response to the Empire's appeal. % * * * The information obtained by the National Registration Act should be of most valuable assistance to the Recruit- ' ing Board in the conduct of its appeal to ' men of military age, but, in addition, every person who can bring any* wholesome influence to bear upon young men . in the direction of enlistment, should set to work to employ an individual endeavour to bring him into the military fold. Mr. Massey has plainly told the country what he is _ prepared- to do , should voluntaryism fail to provide the requisite number of men. Should the :scheme now l>eing initiated not_ give the desired- result, then conscription must ■Come. Let there, be no mistake \as to that! The opponents of conscription should now lend a hand to make voluntaryism a success. By so doing they can best prove the honesty of their objections to the compulsory system.