GREEN ISLAND RECRUITING RALLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16663, 7 April 1916, Page 95

GREEN ISLAND RECRUITING RALLY

| ABSENCE OF YOUNG MEN. i A large number of the residents of Green Island assembled in tho Town Hail last night for tho purpose of partkapaAuig iu a recruiting rally organised by the local Recruiting Committee and to hear addresses by Dr P. Marshall and the Rev. W. Hay, of Dunedin. The Mayor (Mr J. Lindsay) presided, and, after tho proceedings had been opened with the singing of tho National Anthuin, he addressed tne gathering. At the outset ho said he was disappointed at the ateeiico of tho eligible young men who wore still |in the district. Already 100 young follows had gone out of the district to figSi.—(ApI plause.) And they oould hardly now pick out moro than ?0 or 75 men who wetr© able to go. This said a great deal tor those who hail gone, but it <lid not say much for those iS young men who were hanging (behind—(Appliiuao.) This information was given in ordor that tho "pgopie would make it as hot as tibjey oould ior the young fellows, who were con.spiou.oua by their absence from the meeting, as thoy_ ware from tho liring line, when they saw them. Volun- . taryism was being given its final chance; in lact, it might be said, even now, to have merged into something else, because the iaot that, men were being pressed to go ma-do it very much liko conscription. He hoped that the roen would respond to the call of Mapire. The Rev. Mr Hay began by urging upon those present to do . their beet to show the young men of the district the dire need there was for men. If we realised the tremendous need there was for every man today, we should be in a better position to do the work which we had' set out, along with our noble allies, to do for the freedom of the world. That national decrepitude on which Germany built so much, and calculated to suoh a nicety, was, after all, near to the truth. He was very much afraid that all was not right with our Empire in this war, and this was due to our national tendency to think all would" be well with us at the right time, and our boast that an enemy had never yet set foot on British soil. The time was coming when eyery man would be compelled to do his duty, even if the doing of that duty cost him his life. Referring to the Now Zealanders' exploits, he said their sacrifice and triumph had thrilled us, and thrilled the world, and he only hoped it would pass into the shirkers and oompel them to go to the recruiting office and offer their services.—(Applause.) Dr Marshall said it was most comforting to know that as many as 100 men had already gone forth from tho district. It was a fine record, but this must be maintained. Men must come forward and fill up the gapa which might unfortunately arise. There were 36,000 men in the dominion of whom we were heartily ashamed. These men absolutely refused to serve their country in any capacity whatever in this war. We were' living in stirring times, and it should be brought home to the young men that it was their duty to offer their services to the Empire. So far as those 36,000 men were conccrned he would herd them up in a place set apart for them and compel them to work very hard, and have the fruits of their labour confiscated by the State.—(Applause.) Dr Marshall said that tho recruiting scheme was in a measure missing its point. It was not bringing forward single men, as those who were registering were mainly married men. Were, the single men frightened or was ii> because their mothers said " You are "not to go" that they did not offer? A good many of them had never once before obeyed their mothers since they were 13 years of age, but now, of course, it was very convenient to " obey mother." He, trusted that those present would have the " will to win" foremost in ■ their minds, and that they would talk war to such an extent that the young men would be compelled to go and fight. .It must be impressed upon them that we must wia this war or pensh. A man who went to fight at this time was fighting for mother, sister, and the honour of his women folk in a manly way that he oould never 'be doing if he stayed at'honje, and he would also be fighting for the .civilisation of the whole world.—(Loud applause.) During the evening' solos were sung by Mr Bryant and Mr Evans, the accompaniments being played by Miss Hughes. Eaah item was greatly appreciated, as also was the placing of the Green Island Band. The proceedings olosed with the singing of the National Anthem.