THE WAR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 85, 23 November 1911, Page 7

THE WAR.

BATCH OF BELLICOSE NEW ZEALANDERS. MORE OR-LESS OF A JOKE. (Per Press Association.) Christchurch, November 22. Sydney files to hand show that tiro offer from New Zealand of a troop or a squadron to fight in Tripoli against the Italians emanated from Mr Cook, Commander of the Legion of Frontiermen.

Interviewed on tho subject Mr Cool-; said that his connection with the matter was more or Ices of a joke. “Several fellows wanted to go over to Tripoli,” he said, “and asked me if I would send a cable to Sydney if they provided tho funds, and the funds being forthcoming, I cabled as stated. My action was not taken as a member of the Legion of Frontiersmen, and, the follows who asked me to cable do not belong to the Legion. At the time I cabled, the announcement calling on British subjects to maintain a neutral attitude in the war between Italy and Turkey had not been published, but as soon as it was published the whole proposal fizzled out. Of course, I would not have had anything to do with it as scon qs J found out it would be illegal to do so. There arc some fellows hero and in other parts of New Zealand who do not care whom they fight so long as it is not against tho British. I could get thirty or forty men in New Zealand to go to any part of the world for active service. It would not matter against what nation so long as it was not England, and they would tumble over one another to get the chance to go. Many of these men have seen service in various parts of the work]/ and some of them are South African veterans. If anything had come of tho offer to help Turkey T should, of course, have been obliged to obtain permission from the New Zealand defence authorities.”