"FALL IN."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16405, 9 June 1915, Page 8

"FALL IN."

AN APPEAL TO CRICKETERS. IP*B TJKITED PBESS ASSOCIATION.) _ . CHRISTCHURCH, June 7. The following appeal to cricketers throughout the dominion to offer their services for the war has been addressed to the local papers by Sir Cecil Moon, chairman of the New Zealand Cricket Council: " In asking you to allow mo as the executive head of the New Zealand Cricket Council, to ■use your columns to appeal to the cricketers throughout the dominion to come forward to servo their King and country, I am following tho example of my-friend, Dr W. G. Grace, Mr A. C. MacLuren. and other well-known English cricketers. I hope that tho response may be as gratifying •as it was in their case—at least 75 per cent, of county cricketers at Homo' having joined tne colours, whilo practically all arc doing some work in connection with the army. ■ There has been some adverse commoit in the newspapers recently on the meagre, rtsponso by representative Austrailan cricketers to the call to arms' and while 1 do not wish to suggest that it i 3 so serious in the dominion, am certain that there is much room for improvement. I quite understand that many who would otherwise • have enlisted are prevented by fa.rnilv or business ties from doing so, and am therefore, with the full approval of my colleagues, addressing this appeal especially to unnvtrried cricketers between the of 20 and 30. When wo were all piaying tho game together last season, it was not so ea\v as it it now to grasp the U rriblo urgency of tin: summons; but from mv knowledge of Now Zealand cricketers I feel assured that after the past 10 months of bitter conflict, and with the glorious deeds of their brothers at the Dardanelles before them, ;t. will not bo necessary to furnish any incentive to come forward at once, further than to point out that they will be fighting for the very existence of that Empire, to be citizens of which we are all sp justly proud."