NEW ZEALAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 90, 6 August 1914, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

THE KING’S MESSAGES. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR. [Phb Puebs Association,] * Wellington, August 5. An announcement made this morning that the Governor would read a proclamation from the steps oh the old Parliament Buildings at 3 o’clock brought together a crowd numbering several thousands, who extended over j the spacious grounds and into the neighboring streets. The porch of the building was crowded with members of Parliament and Government ' officials, and punctually at the appointed hour his Excellency arrived ■ ■ accompanied by the Prime Minister, 1 other Ministers being in close attendance. The crowd lustily cheered the Governor, who, advancing to the edge of the stops, announced that lie had received the following message from the King:—

“I desire to express, to my people of the Oversea Dominions with what appreciation and pride I have received the messages from their respective Governments during the last few days. These spontaneous assurances of their fullest support recall to me the generous selfsacrificing help given by them in the past to the Mother Country. I shall bo strengthened in the discharge of the great responsibilities which rest upon me by the confident belief that in this time of trial my Empire will stand united, calm and resolute, trusting in God.” (Signed) George, E.I.

To this he had seut the following reply:—“New Zealand desires mo to acknowledge your Majesty’s gracious message and to say that, come good ■or ill, she, in company frith the dominions and other dependencies of the Crown, is prepared to make any sacrifice to maintain her heritage and her birthright.’’ (Signed) Liverpool; Governor., The reading of these messages provoiced expressions of genuine enthusiasm, but a feeling of intense expectancy came oyer., the ..vast assembly as his Excellency proceeded to read yet another document, which' proved to be a cable from the Secretary of State, for the Colonies: . , hj WAR HAS BROKEN OUT WITH GERMANY. —Signed) Harcourt. No sooner was this announcement made than a wild burstvof cheering broke out, a verse or the National Anthem was sung, and cheers followed . cheers for several, minutes. When quiet was restored, the crowd was addressed the Prime Minister, who was greeted with cheers. He said: “After the very startling announcement -which has been made by his Excellency, I trust that we are all of one way of thinking, that the British people and the Empire are to-day face to face with the most serious crisis over experienced in the history of the Empire, and we are confident that wo shall come through successfully.—(Loud cheers.) —We must take notice of the, very earnest advice contained in the last announcement of the message from his Majesty the King. We must stand together, calm, united and resolute, trusting in God, and I am glad to say that not only in New Zealand does this feeling of conlidenco exist, ibut it obtains throughout every part of the Empire. The whole British people are to-day able to present an united front to our enemies. Wo have done our duty on every occasion in the past when the Empire required assistance, and we will do our duty on the present occasion in ■a whole-hearted manner. That we

■will be called upon to make sacrifices goes without saying, but I am confident that tliose sacrifices will be made, individually and collectively, willingly, and in a manner in' accord with the highest traditions of onr race and the Empire to which we belong. Wo must dp everything possible to protect our. country, and at the same time to assist the Empire. When we have done all that mortal unan can do, the rest must be left to the Higher Power of Him Who watches over Israel and slumbers not nor sleeps. My advice at this most trying moment is to keep cool, stand fast, and do your duty to New Zealand and to the Empire.” ‘‘Wo will do that,” replied many voices in the crowd. “I am sure you will,” answered t the Prime Minister, earnestly. (Cheers.) SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Sir Joseph Ward then spoke as follows; —“I want to say that I believe firmly that out of evil good will arise. ~ Everyone recognises the horrors of war. A time arrives in the affairs of nations, as of individuals, whep they must fight in defence of honor and for their existence; when the blessings of peace havo to be foregone, and all the grief, that the sacrifice of human life entails has to be borne with fortitude and resignation. The loss of treasure will be stupendous, but that is ' a secondary consideration. The British Empire is entering upon the (greatest crisis in her history. Her rulers havp done nothing to provoke or precipitate wan 1 . On the contrary, they have done all that was humanly possible to avert it, but it is impossible, in my opinion, for Groat Britain to stand aside and to let powerful friendly nations go down without

her taking part. To have done so would have been an act of cowardice ;—a thing.Hinknowu to Britishers. Peo-‘ pie in all parts of the Empire at' this grave juncture will stand united, and with undoubted courage and inflexible determination to leave nothing undone to defeat the enemy, which I earnestly pray, under the guidance of Divine Providence may soon be brought about, and that the outcome of this unprecedented struggle may ensure lasting peace through centuries to come. My mofto is; ‘For King and Country, ’ and lit will be fervently breathed by\ the loyal people of this Dominion, as it wilPhe throughout our widely scattered Empire. May God bless and protect the British forces on land and sea, and make them victorious is my earnest prayer.”

Those sentiments were greeted with another outburst of cheering, and again the National Anthem was surf;, the crowd slowly dispersing, evidently impressed with the sorionsnossgof the intelligence just conveyed to thlm.

IN OUR DEFENCE.

THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

Wellington,: August 4. Major-General Sir Alexander Godley, General Officer commapding the New Zealand ior.Q,e?,, pressman this evening of the stops being taken to defend the,Dominion in the event of a German raid. “The full strength of the Garrison Artillery,” he said, “has been called out and mobilised. The men are,now, in .the forts. \ olunteers from the coast defence infantry are being called out to, protect vulnerable point?, The proportion of the Territorial force which the Government considers necessary Tor defensive purposes at this juncture has been called out as a volunteer force. The partial mobilisation that the Government has decided upon involves calling up at each district headquart-

ers men required from various arms who will be accepted on the understanding that they volunteer for service abroad and will. bG prepared to ba utilised for that purpose.. should their services be required later on. Men must volunteer for the arm of the service to which , they now.,, belong, r or,, have belonged. Preference will bo'given to those who belong to the Territorials, 01 those with military ex-ppriencc, in the order named. ' ‘ The ages gnust be between twenty and tjiirty-five years. Large numbers of applications,” said the Commandant, “are being received for service in the Now Zealand expeditionary force, fry the Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, pud by Defence Headquarters. These Vro causing an enormous amount of additional work. They cannot be dealt ‘ with by this office. Offers of assistance should be communicated to the 1 oiTicef commanding the district. ( “Numerous inquiries have been ; made, as to the direction in which .help ; and assistance to the Government can ( best be given in the event of a New Zealand force going -abroad. 'ls these offers of assistance Made by the pub- 1 lie will no doubt increase, it may be c useful to have it made known “that the 1 following gifts are most suitable:— 1 Horses: Riding, or half or three-quar- i ter draught; motor bicycles; a considerable number of ordinary bicycles; c motor cars (a few will bo required); 1 saddlcuy; draught harness; grooming j kits; blankets; stout serviceable boots s of regulation pattern; strong leather 1 braces and bolts; canvas shoes; under- c clothing; socks; flannel shirts; cardi- \ gan vests; towels; haiidkorchiofs; 1 hold-alls (knife, fork and spoon) j.shavr- c ing outfits; bootlaces; “housewives” (with thread, buttons, needles, etc); Juiir brushes and combs; soap; clasp knives with lanyards, and field glasses.

APPLICATIONS invited. Applications for tiro New' Zealand expeditionary force will he received 110111 ( volunteers under the following categories;— Territorials now serving, over 20 ■years ( of ago' including those on the unattached list A and R and the Territorial reserve. Failing the supply of volunteers from these sources, applications from others with previous military experience between 25 and 30 years of age will be entertained. All volunteers are to understand the conditions of the agreement which is Ito serve abroad out of New Zealand for the duration of the war, or for sucli shorter period as is required to convey the troops home. No one to be included in the force who has not reached the age of 20 years. Preference is to be given to single men. Medical examination.—All ranks will be required to undergo medical examination before signing the form. Nobody, will be accepted whose height is under sft 4in, and whose weight exceeds 12 stone. Allowances.—Pay and allowances will be the rate paid to New Zealand Territorial Forces when in camp. Horses.—Each mounted volunteer will bring his own horse which will be inspected by a board as to its ntness. All applications for volunteers will bo made by those wishing to volunteer through squadron and company commanders. All men that have seen service and all civilians that wish to go will apply to the Groupt Officer at Hawera. ARMY COMMISSIONS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS'. AN UNUSUAL OPPORTUNITY. Captain A. G. Stevens, Group Commander at Hawera, received last night < the following telegram, offering re- , markable opportunities for young New ■ Zealanders:—

“Fifteen direct commissions nffored

in British Army to New Zealand. Conditions and qualifications are: Over twenty and under twenty-five at date of examination, unmarried; passing qualifying theoretical examinations at Hawera; previous military experience not essential, but desirable. Candidates must be suitable in every respect, and be recommended by you as likely to hiake a suitable officer. Passing the examination will not guarantee commission. Detailed instructions follow bv post. Forward names of approved Applicants immediately. Recommendation to be accompanied by certificates as to moral Character by clergyman, headmaster. Please communicate this to Press.” Captain Stevens points' out that this is an unusual opportunity for men to secure British Army commissions, with prospects' of immediate active service. Application should, wherever possible, be supplemented by a personal interview with Captain Stevens at Hawera, and this should, of course, be dona immediately. THE LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN * Captain Stevens, Area Officer, received last night the following telegram from the district headquarters at Palmerston North:— “The General has given leave to Frontiersmen to participate in any special territorial drill under local officers should they so desire.”

HORSES WANTED,

Captain Stevens has also received a telegraphic request to circulate the information that the Government will bp glad to receive gifts of horses for any purpose. It is to he understood that they may be taken out of New Zealand, and. also that any horsh used in such an event will be the absolute property of the Government, to he used as the Government choose. Horses not presented will by paid for by the Government. ASSISTING THE POLICE. A further wire directs that should the police call for military assistance in connection with tho detention of the enemies’ subjects, it is to he given. Captain Stevens is asked to' communicate these instructions to the adjutants in his group.

POSITION OF CONSULS.

Auckland, August 5. Official information that war has been declared .between England and Germany has not yet reached the Imperial German Consul for New Zealand, Mr Carl Seegner. He stated this evening that as soon as he received tho expected telegram ho would vacate the consulate and become a private citizen and a British subject. The position of the Consul for the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Mr Eugen Langguth) has not yet been defined. Mr Lanpfgtfth Stated that if he is informed that a state of war exists between England and Austria he will hand over his papers to the American Consul, as ho is a subject of Austria. Mr Langguth will not, according to official etiquette, be able to remain in British territory. He intends, however, to apply to the 1 authorities for permission to remain in order that he may attend to his private affairs. THE FEVER IN NELSON. Nelson, August 5. A patriotic demonstration took place here this evening. Five members of tho Nel'sOii' Club' have subscribed £125 towards the expense of « Nelson expeditionary force.

GUNBOAT STRIKES ROCK.

A NARROW ESCAPE. (Sydney Daily Telegraph.) The American 'gunboat Princeton, attached to the SamOau station, -which visited Sydney a couple of years ago, was in a serious plight when the American mail steamer Sonoma called at Pago Pago, Samoa 1 , on route to Sydney. The vessel had been cruising along the coast a week previous, and struck an uncharted rock. A big hole was ripped in the steamer’s side, and she began to fill. The captain headed the vessel back to Pago Pago at full speed, and succeeded in getting Her into the smooth water of the bay. She was then run on to the beach, and the crew hurried• ashore just before the vessel sank. Only the-' bridge, masts, and top of the funnel wore showing above water, and libavy hawsers had been run out from the shoi'e to prevent the vessel from slipping into deep water. Captain Trask, of the Sonoma, in describing what he knew of the acci* dent, said that' the Princeton struck on a rock in Arina Passage, the entrance to Pago Pago, carrying 13ft of water. Lieutenant Bell, the commander, was in some doubt as regards tile safety of the channel although vessels hacf passed through hundreds of times. It was about six. o’clock in the evening when the vessel hit the rock, which ripped a big hole near her forefoot. “She commenced to fill, and” continued Captain Trask, “would undoubtedly have sank but for the forethought of her commander. A piece of the rock the vessel struck on stuck in her side, and acted as a ping. Commander Bell instantly set the engines going, and raced back to Pago Pago. Had the rock dropped out, the Princetown would have sank, hut the force of water rushing against the self-con-stituted plug kept the water from swamping her outright. It was a near ‘go,’ however, as the water was coming in all the time; but Lieutenant Bell managed to beach her just ns she was sinking, arid got out with the crew.” Captain Trask added that the Princeton would stay on the bench until the arrival of the Ventura with punaps aud

gear, and then she would be pumped out and patched up, and possibly brought along to Sydney for repairs.

The Princeton is a screw steamer of 1000 tons displacement. She was built at Camden in 1899 at a cost ot £'47,262. Her dimensions are:— Length 168 ft., beam 36ft., and depth of hold 12ft Gin.

NEW WAR WEAPON.

Australian inventive genius lias perhaps been more successful in the devising of lethal weapons than in anything else. The latest is a machinegun, the inventor of which is Mr T. F. Caldwell, an engineer, of Richmond, Melbourne. He is going to England to place the weapon in the hands of armament manufacturers, and be was imbibed to go to Sydney to permit oi experts examining it, and the inventoi gave a demonstration of the various points of the gull. . The weapon, which stands on a light steel tripod, has two barrels- encased in a water-jacket. The mechanism b h) constructed that both barrels can be fired together or independently. In the event of a jamb, firing can continue from one barrel while the otbei barrel is being adjusted. The adjustment can be made in a few seconds, for the mechanism is so simple that no tools are required to take it to pieces. Other machine guns have been known to jamb at a critical moment, and valuable lives have been lost by the failure. Mr Caldwell appears to have reduced the possibilities of failure to a minimum. Ordinary service cartridges are used, and those are mounted on a metal disc, which is a great advantage over the belt webbing used in other machine guns. The disc feed allows the gun to be hied at any angle. The gun is so completely under control that it can be regulated to fire from 1 to 1000 shots a minute. It is so light that it can be handled by one man, and a single-barrelled gnn could be made for use in an aeroplane. At the Port Melbourne rifle range the gun was actually tested on a 500 yards range, when 6000 live cartridges were fired. There is a device on the weapon which enables the cartridges to bo passed through without firing. This enables the machine gun to be tested when taking cover without revealing the position. The discs can bo placed on the gun in less than two seconds, and the gun itself taken to pieces about a quarter of a minute, ft is simplicity itsjplf, there being only 84 pieces in its whole construction, as against 1100 in the Maxim. Mr Caldwell has been working for five years on this gun, and for the past three years has been perfecting the mechanism, TJie gun is sure to attract much attention.