The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1916. MR MASSEY'S APPEAL.

Southland Times, Issue 17630, 15 January 1916, Page 5

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1916. MR MASSEY'S APPEAL.

Mr Massey's appeal to the young J men of the dominion to come forward | and join the forces was published broadcast throughout the dominion yesterday. At the outset Mr Massey lifted his appeal to a high level of dignity and eloquence wiiich was main-, taiued to tin; end. What the hhnpire was lighting ior was clearly shown. The identity of New Zealand’s in- j terests with i.;n ••• of the Empire was hj emphasised, the call from the men in ! the trenches was repeated, the I dominion’s obligations to the Imperial i authorities were explained, and it was | made clear that it is the business of i, the Government to see that New Ze;t- i land plays her part adequately in ihN ; ; war. to see that justice is done to ihe i men who are already under arms, and to keep faith with the leaders of the i nation at Homo, who are grappling i with the gigantic; task of raising (he i forces necessary to overthrow a powerful enemy. .Mr Massey made his i appeal not solely as Prime Minister i hut also as Chairman of the new Rc- ■ < eniiting Hoard, and it may fairly be (. assumed that the appeal was issued ! ; wiih tiie approval of his colleagues on ! ; that body—Sir Joseph Ward and the | ; Hon, J. Allen. What is the significance 1 f of the appearance of (his appeal at 'i this moment'.' It does not mean that :< the voluntary system has failed. H ij must be admitted by all that New i Zealand has obtained remarkable re- !f suits with tin; voluntary system. , • Already Jl.llfMi men have been put into j] the field, and 12JMI0 more are at, pro- ( sent in training. All these men are j volunteers, and not until the eleventh \ Reinforcements were due was any I v difficulty experienced in sending each a draft of the Reinforcements into camp s complete at schedule date. There is . t reason to believe Hint the Mleventh ' f .Reinforcements will soon be brought e up to full frengMi, anti (lie Twelfths . f tire maetieally complete. If cannot ' | lie said, therefore, that the voluntary i system has failed, hut what, is undeniable is I bill, t hose who are engaged in recruiting are beginning to find it; more and more difficult to obtain the | men as they are required. The reasons I for the slackening are not far to see. i With tfi.tw. men already in the field ! f or in training, (he number 0 f men 1 available ha? been largely reduced, i; Those men who go first are the eager, f: the ardent, the adventurous; those f who remain are more sluggish, less ; a imaginative and more difficult to move. ! ' It would not ho reasonable to expect i y that the pace of recruiting should be ' •' maintained, and .Mr Masseys appeal, " wo believe, is an indication that rc- , j entiling must 'lie stimulated to rc- i ~ nowed life or the Government will bo | $

compelled to consider -whether the voluntary system is any longer adequate to the demands of the situation. There is nothing in Mr Massey's appeal in the nature of a threat, there is no upbraiding nor any censure. I Nevertheless, it is made plain that i New Zealand is in duty bound by her ! obligations to the Empire as well as I by her definite pledge to the Imperial j authorities to supply a certain nnmljer iof men. At the rate of 3000 a month, I trained troops must go away from ] New Zealand during the current year, |and the men must be. found. In New I Zealand, as in Groat Britain, the ! position of the Government is just {this: —“ft is not a matter of choice ' with us, but a matter of necessity, jWc must have the men.'’ In Britain ; the voluntary system has failed to ! provide the necessary number of men. , Speaking in the Honsc of Commons upon the second reading of the Compulsion Bill Mr Asquith, in the name of the whole Government, said: | “Unless the Bill was passed (hey would not obtain the men required to play their part in the war and fulfil their obligations to the Allies.” New Zealand has not yet, reached that position. If the young men answer the call compulsion will ho avoided, but if the call is not answered voluntary the Government will assuredly not hesitate to raise hy compulsion the numbers necessary to keep New Zealand in a position relatively equal to that of the other dominions, to keep faith with the men who are now in the trenches, and to carry out the promise made to the British Government. The new Recruiting Board is working on admirable lines, and the scheme as outlined promises to make recruiting more effective. It is to he hoped that under the new system, men will he induced to follow the path along which their duty lies. It depends entirely upon them whether New Zealand is able to sec the war through without resort to compulsory service.