THE TWENTY-SEVENTH

Southland Times, Issue 17968, 8 March 1917, Page 5

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH

ENTHUSIASTICALLY FAREWELLBD, The Municipal Theatre was filled last evening when the Southland quota of the 27th Ucinforcement was tendered a civic farewell under the chairmanship of the Mayor (Mr D. McFarlane), who was supported on the platform by the speakers of the evening and feeveral Councillors.

The “Boys,” who had been played to the Theatre by the Regimental Band, as usual occupied the front seats and proceedings were opened with a selection by the band. The Mayor said that it was hard to speak. Just fancy! -Here was the 27th Reinforcement going forward to succour their comrades in the struggle which he had earnestly hoped would have been over long ere that. It was not to be, however, and another lot was going to fight for their homes and their country. Those before him, he thought, looked as stalwart and as fit as any that had preceded them (Applause). He was sure that they would worthily uphold the traditions of the New Zealand Forces. The New Zealanders had the name of being amongst the bravest of the brave and he felt certain that the Twenty-seventh would uphold that name. He begged of them not to forget their friends at home and asked that, as New Zealanders, they should stick together. He hoped that he would still be Mayor when they came back, in which case no one would give i them a heartier welcome than Duncan McFarlane. (Applause). He would only say "An Renoir”,. or “So-long,” as he hoped that they would .soon .all be back after a victorious career. (Applause). The Rev. R. C. Hunter, who was the next speaker, addressing the men, said that he did'not need to dwell on the justice of the Allied cause, nor urge them to do “their bit,” as he knew that they would, do that without any purging. _ Nor was it necessary for'him to remind them of. the name which the.earlier,, drafts had made for New Zealand, save; to remark that if they meant to enhaiicethe reputation of their country’s troops they would “have their.,, work, cuf He would, however, like to say a wordor two about the gre^ v crisis' and ; its “afterwards.” There was no doubt that' the crisis had come. Thank Heaven that Great Britain was at last steady, serious and Braced throughout for the fray. Thank Heaven for- that! (Applause). There were very few at present who had time to think of the aftermath—they were so bound up in the conflict. But there would be an “afterwards,” and let them take it for granted and rest perfectly assured. that.lEji.rppe.'lV'ould never, again revert to its status quo ante helium. ' It was “dead certain” that the old would give place to the new. They were living in a time of times, which was approached only by the time of the fall of the Roman Empire. When that came it marked not only the downfall of a great Empire, but iflso the beginning of a new era. It would be the same with this crisis. They were entering upon another era. Even now statesmen were talking about a new map of Europe. Soon it would be a new fabric for society. Very naturally the demand was that the aggressor should be punished, and punished he would be; but war cut both • ways and the victor as well as the vanquished would be punished. But if Britain were punished in the. abolition of her master-selfishness he, for one, would not be dissatisfied. A new spirit was already manifesting itself in Britain, where a new sense of duty held the people. The Britisher no longer was intent on raking in huge profits. He had no desire for riches but wished only to be allowed to prove himself a man. (Applause). Were those not signs that, out of the awful chaos of war, there was going to emerge a greater, grander and more beautiful British Empire? He thought so.. They had all been talking about brotherhood. All sections had talked their throats dry and their bodies limp about brotherhood. The war was going to show them what brotherhood was and what was expected of them. Take politics—in New Zealand and in Great Britain. Previously Party had ruled. The war had shown them that Party politics had got to go—that legislation should legislate, not for their Party, hut for the State. (Applause). Then take commerce. Be- 1 , fore the war they had had nothing but a reign of strikes. Those had got’ to go. In their social life they had spent their time in frivolities that were not worth a snap of the fingers. Were they going to send—their men to the front on the understanding that they were going back into their old state? Were they going to say, in effect, that they were not Worth fighting for? Far better to say to their warriors when they returned: “You have fought for me and I appreciate your action. I’m not going back to live in the same old selfish life, for I intend to show you that. I am worth fighting for —and that New Zealand is worth fighting for.” (Applause). Concluding, Mr Hunter wished the lads a pleasant voyage and the best of luck. He wished them, too, a share in the “scrap,” for he believed that that would do them good and expressed a hope that they. might soon return with victory in one hand and a German sausage in the other. (Laughter and applause). The Rev. Father O’Neill said that he had listened with great interest to Mr Hunter’s speech on the rosy times in store for the Empire. Let them hope and trust that all the rev. gentleman’s prognostications might be fulfilled. Let them hope that the war would rid the earth of all the many evils of the past. But it struck him that there Was one thing that was very badly; needed in order to improve that old world of theirs —one thing that they might reasonably hope to see effected.. The New Zealand soldiers had gone away with insular ideas. They had gone to fight for the liberty of their Empire and thesafety of their dear ones at home. They had gone away with restricted ideas, but their eyes had been opened by what they had seen in France and Belgium of the spirit of real religion and sincere kindness and charity. They had seen men go into battle, not in any spirit of bravado, or with an oath on their lips; but they had seen men dropping on their knees, with prayers to their Creator for pardon and forgiveness of their sins, before rushing into the charge from which many of them never returned. (Applause). The thing that would be of such great advantage to the world if it resulted —as he hoped and trusted that it would—was that the men should learn to understand each other better; that the men would learn to differ without ill-will. The men would then learn that their neighbour had a perfect right to his convictions —whatever they might hje—provided ‘ that he consistently followed them and they were to him convictions clear as light. Let them hope that that beautiful spirit of Bracken’s lines would at last be realised;—

“Oh God! That men would see a little clearer, Or judge less harshly when they cannot see. Oh God! That men would draw a little nearer To one another, they’d be nearer Thee. And understood.’’ (Applause).

One monster, though, they would have to rid themselves of before that state of affairs could come to pass, and that was that vilest of all monsters —bigotry. Bigotry had caused more heartache, more trouble and more misery than almost anything else. It was the result either of malevolent disposition fostered from below or of ignorance pure and simple. The more people realised that the convictions of others were entertained with the deepest determination, the more worthy of their respect they tvould deem those others. Amongst the most recent proofs of the bigotry monster’s active existence in Mew Zealand had been the utterance, a few days before, of a minister of the Gospel of peace and charity, who had undertaken to tell his audience that the war had not been brought about by the Kaiser, nor was it caused by national ambition or the greed for more territory. The sole cause of the war was the Pope. Mow there was a discovery in their twentieth century!

However, they were there to farewell the men who were off to take their share in the battle for the maintenance of the freedom of their glorious country from tyranny and oppression. They were going, lie hoped, to be a credit to those who bad brought them up and to their native land. He hoped that nothing in their whole conduct all the time they were away would cause the blush of shame to come into the faces of their friends and relations. (Applause). He trusted that they would come back with an unsullied record, and reminded them that someone would judge Mew Zealand by their actions, at the same time asking them to treasure the good name of their country. In conclusion, he wished them every blessing and all good luck for a good journey, glorious victory and safe return. (Applause)

During the evening solos were rendered by Mrs Mclnnes and Messrs Murray, Bewley and Mclnnes. The audience was not slow to recognise merit and the applause was liberal, several of the soloists having to respond to insistent encores. Master Walter Kay, a little chap still below his teens, recited in splendid style "The Union Jack” with “The Old Flag” an an encore number. The reciter appeared in uniform and his work was heartily applauded. Proceedings were drawn to a close by three hearts cheers for the “Boys” and the National Anthem.

The following men comprise the draft which leaves by this morning's express; English, Daniel Joseph, South Hlllend; English, Vincent, Dipton; Evans, Seymour Thomas, Longbush; Rubber, Harry, Heddon Bush; Muir, James, Balfour; Knight, Walter James Anderson, Invercargill; Findley, Walter Manson, Invercargill; Howie, John Ruskin, Waikiwi; Price, Percy Albert, Waikiwi; Tuffery, Wilfred, Timpany’s; Templeton, Muir Campbell, Riverton: Elliott, Alex. Wm., Elfin Bay: FTanks, Arthur Leicester, Invercargill; Kelly, .Sydney John, Invercargill; Moncur, Wm. George, Kennington; Munro, Henry Gordon, Invercargill; Rose, Alex. Stanley. G., Kennington; Allan, Ernest Stone L., Invercargill; Barry, Patrick Joseph, Invercargill: Bunting, Robt., Milford Sound: Bissett, Norman, Invercargill; Blomfield, Sydney, Invercargill; Brown, James, Bluff; Burrows, Joseph, Freshford; Beck, James Robert E., Winton; Ben, Arthur Stanley, Riverton; Butel, John Mills, Arrowtown; Clifford, Timothy, Nightcaps; Cole, Frederick Walter, Otautau; Carter, Robt. James, Mandeville; 'Carran, John McKay, Caere; Cousins, John, Invercargill; Capil, Thomas Edward, Grove Bush; Cleary, Thomas, Oreti; Coster, Sydney Ralph, Hedgehope; Carran, Wm. Nelson, Wild Bush; Daly, Patrick Cecil, Gore ; Dixon, Robert, Mataura; Dickson, Robt. Liggett, Scots Gap; Doyle, Chas. Stanley, Centre Bush; Dickson, Chas., Colac ; Eadie, Wm. Roxburgh, Invercargill; Fraser, James Wm., Seaward Downs; Parrelly,-James, Otautau: Flack, Alex,, Waikiwi; Fortune, John, Invercargill; Ferry, Daniel Bernard, Invercargill; Frew, Thomas Hayes, Gropers Bush ; Fqy, Alfred, Invercargill; Fraser, John Wm., Invercargill; Geddes, Francis David, Invercargill; Gray, Alex., Wallacetown; Gallagher, Denis, Invercargill; Gibbs, Henry Edward, Invercargill; Greer, James, Invercargill; Garrick, Jas., Bluff; Gibbs, James, Grasmere; Heenan, William Duncan, Awatata; Hansen, Jas. Meldrum, Arrowtown: Hamlin, William, Gummies Bush; Harris, Sydney, South Hillend; Hilton, James Robert, Awarua Plains; Hay, Rupert Oswald, Invercargill; Hanna, Robert, Thornbury; Hunter, Harry, Riverton; Hayward, Frank Hamilton, Dipton; Hansen, Wm. Neil, Frankton; Harper, Robert Forbes, Invercargill; Kirkpatrick. James Alex., Walrio; Kirby, Joseph Ambrose, Arrowtown; Kydd, David Alex. Forbes, Waikala; King, Robt. Knight, Blackmount; Lewis, Chas. Morgan, Invercargill; Larson, Enoch, Kingston: Leßrun, Philip Arthur, Invercargill; Lancaster, Gilfred, Waimumu; Lafranchl, Albert, Cardrona; Lyne, Wm. Reynolds, Gore; Madigan, Edward Patrick. Invercargill; marson, Richard, Riversdale; Mennie, Alexander Wm., Invercargill; Millar, Archie, Invercargill; Moylan, Edmond, Bush Siding; Millar,' Wm. Whitelaw, Invercargill; Meehan, John Henry, Waianlwa; Matthews, Robert Hugh, Pukerau; Morris, Thomas, Tuatapere; McLaren, James, Wyndbam; McDermid, Duncan, Invercargill; McLeod, Alex. John Bee, Otahuti; McNarey, Robert, Invercargill; McCarthy, John, Llmehills; Mclntosh, Wm. Gunn, Wyndham; Neas, Walter, Fredk., Waikiwi; Neilson, Andrew James, Invercargill; O’Reilly, Lawrence, Invercargill; O'Donnell, Patrick, Glenorchy: O’Donnell, John, Gropers Bush; Pritchard, Frank Herbert, Invercargill; Prictor, James Alfred, Invercargill; Peters, Geo. James, Kennington; Pattinger, Sinclair Inkster, Knapdale; Pay, George. Invercargill; Pay, Edward Studley, Invercargill; Pope, Gordon Willie, Invercargill; Page, Geo. Henderson, Invercargill; Randall, Christopher Owen, Tuatapere; Richardson, Thomas, Invercargill; Russell, John Gardner, Lome; Russell, Eric, Invercargill: Ross, John, Dipton; Robinson, Alex. Francis, Invercargill; Shirley, Ernest Victor, Colac Bay; Stack, James Patrick, Chatton; Senior, Rory David, • Wyndham; Shipman, Alfred, Gore; Stewart, Edward, Waikaia; Turner, James John. Otaraia: Templeton, James George, Invercargill; Todd, William Alex., Wyndham; Veint, Chas. Alexander, Invercargill; Wylie, William Andrew, Menzies Ferry; Wright, Albert Andrew, Little River; Young, James Robert, Invercargill; Street, Eric, Invercargill.