A SOLDIER'S SPEECH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14287, 2 May 1917, Page 8

A SOLDIER'S SPEECH.

NO TIME FOR SHIRKERS

ANZACS- WILLING TO FACE THE BULLETS AGAIN.

A^APiigh tribute was paid to General Birdwood at the' Anzac Dinner afc Welilingtoiiroii: Saturday by Sapper J. TjFox. "Olio name w;hich shines above all other nanies ;at &nzac,' he said, 'Ms \P-Wt. .of, General Birdwoocl.,; .'.The soul of An?ac, ..as, he. was ., .called, he was. aat« t ijispivatioii, to the. troops whioh came from Australia and New Zealand," Should 'their country need it (he added), he vouturedto predict that every man who had faced the rooky shores af Anzac would again respond to the call. If. the first Da vision, of the Reservists was exhausted and .the 'Second. Division called' up, they, as returned soldiers, would step into the breach. (Loud applause.) As manager of the Biatnrned ficMent Chiti, he kii ew the' boys and they knew him, and he wanted.;to say to the shirkers, m tjie "Dominion that at any rate theopien who had faced the bullets ' w^re willing;, to i face^^m agaiii,, (Loud app.lau^O^Tl-uit

was not the. time to talk about strikes and shirking. Their simple duty was to : defend- tfyat Ayhieh was most worth de-fending-—the British freedom, justice,*' and fair play that . made life worth living. .'*,.■ v■ . „ ;,- .' The. returnee}, soldiers (continued Mj*i, Fox) were" much misunderstood, and he would like to remove a false impression that liad beeu thrust xipon them by piaiiy, people. The soldiers returned from Gallipoli were men of force andj'energy, men who would be useful to, v . their country, and a credit to their country. (Applause.) If they were good, enough, to light, they wero good euougli^.to.kiiow, what was good for them ; buA the problems of the returned soldiers -would be so immense and so\ intricate that it was time for the Government to take the ratui-nsd^ soldiers' question, , m, ' liand." They were asking for a square deal, but' they were not asking for themselves who were able to earn a living, but for others. Let them provide for those who' had been disabled; let them provideamply for those who had bean robbed. of their dear ones. (Applause.) Just aa they had played, their part to defend them-, selves from German oppression, let them defend themselves . against injustice ; and if the right lead was given he be-" lieved! that there was tjo man or woman iii, the,, country but Should respond to their fullest capacity. (Applause!) To' his. mind thq Apzaos would be tlje found-a.tion-stone«of the Doaiuniori. Hitherto 'hey had, had no traditions and ideals, no national, iiispn'atipns,. and, who could tell .that iii' "a.. .generation' or tWo there would not spring- up under the iSbuithern Cross nations mightier than those m the j centre of Europe. While- Anzac and .the AnzaO/, tradition,, were with t them,; they remembered that : they "had done nothing extraordinary, nothing but their duty.. They, .had. simply ; . obeyed their, country's call. .(Loud applause.)