Re. Off.
Now lads, you know we are free Britons in this country. We expect every New Zealander will do his duty because he’s glad, aye and proud to do it. You are all only waiting to be told what to do. We have no compulsion. But when you know what we are going to do, you’ll all want to join in.
Shepherds.
Tell us Mister.
Re. Off.
We are a small nation. Only about a million souls of us altogether, counting women and children. Now that’s very small as nations go. But what are we going to do? We are going to put a larger number of troops in the field than the British had in the great battle of Waterloo!
(All at first incredulous, then wildly enthusiastic.)
Re. Off.
Aye, Aye, lads. Well may you shout. That’s what comes of being New Zealand Britons. But we are going to do more. We are going to do what the experts tell us is the most possible that any nation can do; in three years we are going to have ten per cent. of our total population in the field! That’s the maximum, the absolute scientific limit of what any nation can put in. And that means from our little country we shall send one hundred thousand men to the field.
All.