LIBERTY LOAN APPEAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17077, 3 September 1917, Page 4

LIBERTY LOAN APPEAL.

BY THE RIGHT HON.V. F. , MAbSM, PRIME MINISTER.

''£?£ Press Association.) V"%|r y t September 2.^ •to the Citizens of New Zealand — I'eliow. Citizens: I wish to endorse most warmly ths several appeah which the Minister of' Finance has. - en behalf of the"Liberty' y.™ L°a *- The three prime neceJ, Mties or the war are men, munitions, ' •- ?n<J money. We.have found the first in the ,5,000 soldiers who cheerfully offered themselves for service at thd trout, and in the thousands of others' whe.are loyally responding to the call - or duty. It i s now our business and duty to see that the men who ara fighting for us are adequately provided tor, that the necessary food supplies, clothing, equipment, and munitions are forthcoming on their, behalf. That all means money, more money, and still raore money: The war cannat go on without it, and the money required must be raised from amongst ourselves. '■• To help the Motherland and our Allies most effectually we .must be self-reliant, resourceful, and independent. Britain, has already raised nearly five thou-sand-millions sterling for the purposes of the war, and right-thinking • citizens-a-gree that it would-"not only; - be improper, but extremely unfair on . • our part were we to look to her for • the money we can and should obtain from our own citizens. Our duty m J this matter is clear—we must make ] it our business to provide the necessary sinews erf war for the requirements, of the men we have sent and are sending to the front, so that the , success of their operations may be ia no wise impaired by any lack of effort on our part. Such failure on : ' our part would undo much of the work our gallant troops have 'already accomplished. We cannot, must not, and will not fail them. Money is now our first most vital and all-pressing consideration. Without it the war cannot go on. The twenty-four millions required ''to cover our war expenditure during the. next twelve months must he forthcoming. Granted that the task is one of great magnitude, it is no greater than thati ' faced by our kirismeii in Great Britain last year, when they subscribed the magnificent total of one thousand million sterling for their' Victory War Loan. On the-per'capita'-basis' our loan ia about equal to that effort. We should be able to better it. . Itf seemed a great thing when we asked ':" our people for eight millions last ■ year. But we got it, with three ; millions to spare. Now that we are calied upon to make this greater effort, I am confident that the response will be equally effectual if our■■ 'citiaens individually recognise their responsibility in the matter. I have faith enough to believe that the twelve millions we are asking for in. this loan will be subscribed, and that the balance will be forthcoming when required But to ensure success, there must be no holding back. On, tjie part of every citizen there must I ,be a clear' recognition of his paramount duty in the-present crisis. Everyone must contribute out of. his . or her means, be they small or great.. And the terms on which the loan is; ~: .offered are such that no hardship is involved, even if the investor has to, borrow the money to niake.good his' holding.' If •ever: there was.a^iH' in which Men were justified in pleHg. ] : ing thei^ personal credit to help on iu\ good cause it it found in this. Liberty * War Loan. What if contributing tar the War Loan does involve some self-j '■'■■. denial or sacrifice on the part of therj citizen ?, Can any sacrifice the stay- [ at-homes make even begin to compare with the supreme heroism and* self-sacrifice of these of our fellowcitizens yrho have gone forth to wax".' on our behalf, esteeming not theiirj "lives dear unto themselves if hap-; pily they may preserve for us, whoti remain, security and peace, freedom!} of conscience^and that independence' of the speech and thought iwhich wt>,' - have ever enjojyed under the British: < riagP We think sadly, yet proudly,; of the gallant lads dear to us as sons and brothers, and of those of maturep; years, husibands and lathers.who hay i made the supreme sacrifice in defence1, of our Empire and country, so that in i years to comas we may live in peacey' freed from the greatest- world-men-, ace ever known in the annals of civi--]if<ation. Our hearts are moved with love and compassion for those who have suffered under the cruel pry* ;" vations of the war, and who are maimed and .crippled to-day because1 they ['ought our battles." But a stemand boutiden duty confronts us. We: know--that unless the" • militaristic ■ spirit of Prussia is crushed and extinguished by defeat overwhelming and conclusive in its effect, Germany will but close this war to prepare for; i the next. The "rchite crosses which -\i mark the las j earthly resting-places* « of heroes who fell at Gallipoli and in ■'.'." Egypt, at Fleurs and-Messin.es,-amis - on other of the battlefields of Europe,; • appeai to us mutely, but none tha less eloquently, to see. that the lives thus sacrificed shall not have been tpent in vain. It is aur duty not} only to the living, but to the dead, , . ■to carry on the war. We must con- , tinue the struggle in the interests of civilisation end humanity. If woi all bear-a hand in the business w-3 shall once more demonstrate to the world the earnestness with whic'r New ZeaTariders stands unitedly together in battling for King, Country, and Envoire. , W, F.MASSEY, : Prime Minister.