RECRUITING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 12

RECRUITING.

MEETING AT TOWN HALL. A large crowd assembled at the Town Hall steps on Saturday evening to iiear addresses by several gentlemen on the subject of recruiting. Tne Dunedin Pipe Hand opened the proceedings with a number of selections which wore highly appreciated, and then all present joined in singing the National Anthem. .The Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) made a splen. did appeal for more men to go to the front to fight that hellish despot who sought to crush the whole world. Mr Manten, of Wellington, was the next speaker, and he impressed those who listened to him. Ho said England was today fighting a battle not for herself, but for the whole of the civilised world. This was borne out by the fact that all subjects of the greatest Empire ever known were rallying round the banner of freedom, arid were hastening to answer the call to take 11 P arms in defence of that liberty for which our forefathers had paid so groat a price. Mr H. D. Bedford, on stepping tor ward to speak, was greeted with a salvo of applause. Ho said there was an old legend which likened the Briton to a buli-dog whose grip was so tenacious that once he had fastened his teeth into anything no amount of thrashing or shaking would loosen his hold. Duly by cutting off his head could you relax his grip. Mr Bedford said: “I like that representation of our nation under the figure of such a bull-dog, and I believe it is a true one. But when the grip of the bull-dog is prolonged through months and years, it will weaken through mere exhaustion unless the dog is constantly receiving reinforcements of vital power. That is (he condition of our Empire. Now our Empire has fastened its teeth upon the German terrier of militarism. Will the German ever shake it off? Not until either the British nation expires or the British nation neglects to concentrate the energy of its manhood on maintaining its strangle hold upon the German menace. He asked that those men who wanted to get a tooth into this German terrier or a stranglehold upon him to come forward and hand in their names.—-(Ap-plause.) Mr Jollie, of Wellington, made a very impressive address, and dealt with a number of reasons why young men should go to fight, all of which have been treated more or less at various times since the war broke out.

During’ the time the addresses were being delivered six young men enrolled. The proceedings closed with the singing of the National Anthem.