THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1914. THE EXPEDITION FORCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15719, 21 September 1914, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1914. THE EXPEDITION FORCE.

It would, be as difficult, as it i: unnecessary, to add anything to tin stirring speech made by the Minister for Defence to the paraded troops al the Epsom Camp. From a ful heart the mouth speaketh well anc it was assuredly from a full hear! that Mr. Allen spoke so plainly anc so earnestly on Saturday. At sucl times as these the Minister respon sible lor, the military action of th< country is overloaded'with cares, i: subject to a strain which keen con scientiousness makes all the greater It goes without saying that it i: very easy to find cause for petty anc cavilling criticism in any expedition ary organisation, but when we con sider the speed with which a smal j force has been despatched, and th< main force prepared for a distani war, there is every cause for Nev iZealanders to be grateful. Thii gratitude flows spontaneously to the men who have so promptly anc eagerly left their civilian vocation! to fight for their country and theii Empire in this ''righteous and holj war," but it is not Less due to the Minister and the Department whost silent and laborious work has en abled a patriot army to spring fron our cities and our fields. New Zea land has been fortunate in its recen Ministers for Defence, and we do no' hesitate to say for them that what ever their domestic politics they an sympathetically appreciative of th< work of Mr. Allen, and of the offi cers who have given effect to the expeditionary scheme. Among these officers the most prominent is of course, General Godley, who has done such magnificent work in th< establishment of our universal ser vice, and whose present duty it is t< lead our New Zealand contingent ir the Imperial battle-line. Genera. Godley is an officer and a gentleman in the highest meaning of the words His courtesy, his tact, and his quid perception of conditions have beer invaluable in surmounting the ini tial difficulties of universal training while his fine soldierly qualities anc I his instinctive sense of the constant duties of leadership have set an in spiring example to every officer, anc won the hearts of our colonial troops There is no man to whom New Zea land could more confidently and trustingly commit the care of its fighting sons. General Godley understands the colonial, appreciates his virtues, and has a kindly eye for his peculiarities ; under his command our men may often be led into danger, but they will never be led needlessly, and they will always be led well; they will be cared for in manly fashion, and they will be shown how to make the name of New Zealand honoured among the free states of the earth.

The Minister for Defence, whose inspections are in no way formal, and whose experience in military matters gives him the right to speak with more than ministerial authority, is able, after seeing the whole of the Expeditionary Force, to speak with pride of its composition. " I am proud to know," said Mr. Allen at Epsom, " that such a splendid body of officers, non-commissioned officers and men are going away to represent New Zealand." This justifiable pride permeates every citizen. Sir lan Hamilton suggested in his report that we could not ex- j pect our colonial armies to be a match in equal numbers for trained European forces. This may be so I of the whole great body of trained and partially trained men who i would rally to defence if Australia or New Zealand were actually in- | vaded. Our Expeditionary Force is another matter. It is composed not only of picked men, but of selfselected men. It is eager to drill. It is representative of the entire community. It has been full-fed from its mothers' arms. It knows something of what it has to face, and it knows that it is fighting for the freest Empire, the dearest country and the holiest cause that ever called to battle. It may be said that every nation thinks its warriors the best, but that is incorrect. Germany trusts to outnumbering; as has been the practice of aggressive powers, from the''time the Persian led his host to Marathon until the Kaiser poured his millions over Belgium into France. Our men can do no more than their duty, but the j duty of a free New Zealander is something higher and nobler than the duty of a Prussianised Germah. With Mr. Allen, we all believe that they will do that high duty to the uttermost, and that by their duty doing New 'Zealand will be proved worthy of its freedom and self- . government. Only in one sense is New Zealand ; lacking in great military traditions. , Excepting in South Africa, New Zealanders have never fought in regimental organisation. They do not appear as participants on the records of great European battles and naval warfare knows them not at all. But this is the most British of all the

overseas dominions; 98 per cent, of our European population are British to the bone. We are as much the

inheriters of all the great and inspir-1 ing traditions of the British as are our kinsfolk in the Old Home. Our forefathers fought the Armada, won at Trafalgar, stood at Waterloo, i There has been no war of all the many wars that Britain has fought I for freedom which was not shared by the British families whose New Zealand sons march now to the fighting line. The racial tradition is ours. ■ We are a free nation not because some other nation fought for us but j because the British carry their freedom with them wherever they go. Because this great tradition is in our blood, because we come in unbroken and unsullied descent from all those who have made the Empire free and great, we can be sure that our New Zealand contingents will be heroic in the field. By showing themselves the inheriters of the British tradition

they will establish a local tradition for the more immediate encouragement of all who follow them. The British tradition cannot be surpassed, but it can be maintained and localised. Nothing can be done by men finer than the wonderful retreating fight made by British regiments from Hons, well-nigh to Paris, a fight that never ceased and was never flinched from; but New ,Zealanders can show that they arc j kith and kin to the men who made boasted German victories barren and futile, and can justify our pride in the faith that they are fit to fight side by side with those regiments in war.