Te Kopara 29
[3] Te Kopara, Number 29, Gisborne, 15 March, 1916.
‘Iti te Kopara, kai takirikiri ana i runga i te Kahikatea.’
Although the Bellbird is small, he plucks at the Kahikatea. [cf Nga Pepeha 908]
THE MAORI CONTINGENT
What is the Situation?
It is clear that Maori are preparing for the Fourth Contingent which is being assembled. But what is the Government saying about the Maori Contingent? It became very clear during the fighting at Gallipoli in August that the Maori Contingent were very brave, but there has been no explanation as to why they were split up amongst the Pakeha. There are nearly 100 Maori trained to fight now, so what will be the status of the Maori? Will they be divided amongst the Pakeha companies or will they be left together in their own group, having shown their courage in battle?
These are the words of Captain Wallingford (we have pointed out before that he is one of England’s leading gunners), who was responsible for the machine-guns, which he wrote to Dr Pomare: ‘As to the conduct of the Maori, they were using two of the machine-guns under my control. On 8th August nine of the sixteen operating one of those machine-guns were killed within twenty minutes but they were not afraid. I saw them lying at the foot of Chunuk Bair for two days and nights and some of them were killed or wounded. As sentries during the night, as sappers digging defences, or as men engaged in all kinds of work, I saw them during the long duration of the battle and it confirmed my belief that there are no better soldiers than these in the whole world.’
[‘As regards the Maoris, two of the machine-guns under my command were manned by them. On August 8 one of them lost in less that twenty minutes nine men out of sixteen, but still they fought on. I have seen them lie in the open at the foot of Chunuk Bair, mixed with Ghurkas, for two days and nights, when at least thirty percent were either killed or wounded. On sentry at night, when the safety of the army depended on their vigilance, at general fatigue work, and in the digging of trenches – in fact, I have seen them in all conditions of warfare, except the actual charge, and I am satisfied that better troops do not exist in all the world. - Poverty Bay Herald, 21st February 1916, p.4 See Papers Past]
Captain F M Twistleton from Gisborne has written from the scene of the fighting: ‘Twice the Maori came under my direction, and they found themselves in very difficult places. Many times I saw them fighting continually and had to order them to stop. Those who led them had nothing to fear no matter how bad the fighting. And I must also say that they compare with the best in the world when it comes to fighting with bayonets. They are excellent sentries and are courageous at fighting in the breastworks. And if they have confidence in the directions of the commanding officer they will go to any part of the battle without fear. The officers and the men are a credit to their race and their country.
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And my hope is that we will strongly cherish that division right up to the end of this work.’
[‘Twice I had Maoris under me, and in ticklish places. I have also seen a lot of them in action, and I must say they are good stuff. A man need not to wish to lead better material into action no matter how desperate the fighting may be. I should say they are amongst the best bayonet fighter in the world. They are perfect sentries. As trench fighters you cannot beat them. I have not seen them under shell in the open, but with a leader they trusted, I am quite sure they would stand anything. As soldiers, officers and men, they are a credit to their race, and to their country, and I for one hope to see a strong unit kept at fighting strength till the end of the job.’ - Poverty Bay Herald, 21st February 1916, p.4 See Papers Past.]
MAORI AND ALCOHOL.
Reckless Doings on the Tai Rawhiti.
Every day news come of how much alcohol is being brought into Maori settlements. And in recent times it has been seen being brought into Gisborne, and it is said that even women and children are drinking it. The police are working to discover the person who is bringing it in, but because of Maori reticence no-one will reveal it, therefore it is very difficult to uncover this activity. After the court hearing in Opotiki at which 12 cases involving alcohol were presented – Mr J R Kirk was the lawyer, and he spoke to the judge, Mr R W Dyer. He spoke in a personal capacity and not as a lawyer, offering his thoughts about the Maori People. He had spoken to the Minister of Justice asking that the law be amended prohibiting making alcohol available to Maori and providing for the arrest of Maori in the possession of alcohol. At present Maori are forbidden from taking alcohol outside of the hotel, but Maori cannot be arrested if they are discovered in possession of alcohol having employed someone to bring it to them. One weakness of that law is that in places where Maori have agreed to prohibit the sale of liquor to themselves there is no law to prevent them entering hotel bars in those districts.
The judge responded, saying that he agreed with the proposals spoken of. He is the Chairman of the Rotorua Licensing Committee and that Committee is considering this matter. Since he is a judge he must consider this matter and Mr Kirk’s proposals.
FOOD FOR TE KOPARA.
Himiona Hapai, 10/- to May, 1917; Miss F Heron, to March, 1917; Paranihia Waaka, to March, 1917; Materoa A Parata, 10/-, to November 1916; Matene Tekaro, 5/- to March, 1917; Ruka Totitoti, 7/6 to July, 1916; Pona Marunui, to March, 1917.
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WAR NEWS.
In the February edition of Te Kopara we published news of the capture of the Appam by a German ship, the Moewe. The Captain of the Appam said in the report from Sir Edward Merewether (he was on board the captured ship, the Appam): The appearance of the Moewe was remarkable. Their ship was travelling at full speed when the German ship was sighted. It appeared to be an ordinary ship and so as it drew near to them there was no cause for concern. When it was close a shot was fired in front of their ship and it was brought to a halt. It was not long before all the parts of that supposed steamship were disclosed, an electric switch having been pressed in the captain’s quarters, revealing the big guns and the men standing beside them. Then they were locked in one of the rooms and the twenty German prisoners were set guard over them.
Two days later that rogue vessel found another ship, the Clan Mactavish, a cargo ship. It lay in wait until it was close. Although the Clan Mactavish was eventually sunk by that ship, they fought for half an hour. Two torpedoes were fired and then it sank with its flag flying. Fifteen of its crew died and six from the German ship.
Some of the cargo on the Clan Mactavish which sank was frozen mutton and beef from Wellington and Waitara. The Clan Mactavish was valued at£146,000. The value of the cargo on board was £350,000.
American law required that all the people on board the Appam should be released. There were shouts of joy from the prisoners on board the Appam when the news arrived that they were being freed.
The leader of the Germans on board the Appam, Lieutenant Berg, was furious when America decreed that the people on board the Appam should be set free. He said that the people on board that ship, apart from the passengers, were his prisoners, having been captured in German territorial waters. The Customs replied: ‘Perhaps that was so, but now they are in American waters and American law protects them.’
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A nurse of the Genoa Red Cross from France did a wonderful thing. She wanted to save one of their soldiers who was dying and agreed to have one of her organs removed from her body to save that soldier’s life. Now they are both very well.
Mr Bonar Law has told the House of Parliament that 730,000 square miles of German colonial territory have been seized.
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CAPTAIN PITT’S SPEECH.
When Captain W Pitt came to Manutuke with is wife and their child, it was recognised in the welcome and weeping that he was one of the remnant. Sir Timi and Lady Kara were present together with the Hon M Pomare and some of Captain Pitt’s other friends.
In Captain Pitt’s speech about the First Contingent he said that he was deeply moved by the courage of the Maori during their charge on 6th August. Even Pakeha soldiers could not compare with them. He dealt also with their troubles.
‘This is a brief summary of our troubles. Perhaps as a result of my dispute with him as to whether an attack in the place where we were ordered by our Colonel, Col. Herbert, to charge would be disastrous for me and my young men, I was sent home along with my Maori Officer friends. It is true that I was unwell but Dr Te Rangihiroa said I would be fine. However they contended very strongly that I should be invalided home and three of their Pakeha doctors all said the same. It was the same when I got to Egypt. And when I finally arrived here in New Zealand the Government doctors agreed, some saying that I had rheumatics and some saying that I had a heart problem. Eventually I saw the Gisborne doctors who said that there was nothing wrong with me. I did not know which of them was telling the truth but I still maintain that there is nothing wrong with my body. However the real reason why I and my friends were sent back was envy, lest the reputation of the Maori people for bravery grew. I mentioned ten of our men to the Colonel for their obvious commitment and stout-heartedness in our charge and their help given to the Pakeha companies, but no-one took any notice. H Rawhiti was worthy of a medal of honour. When nearly 8000 Pakeha charged they did not reach the place they had been ordered to but turned back. More than 500 of them were killed by the Turks and their bodies were heaped up in a single spot. H Rawhiti was in his trench but came out and went stealthily to fetch some of the Pakeha who had fallen. The bullets from the Turkish machine-guns and rifles were pouring in but he took no notice. He brought back ten of the Pakeha. Bringing back the eleventh he was hit in the back. Were H Rawhiti a Pakeha he would have been awarded a medal of honour.’
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The Maori of the County of Mangonui hae erected a memorial stone to their men who have gone to the war. The stone is fifteen feet high with a depiction of the Angel of Peace at the top.
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AN AIRSHIP FALLS INTO THE SEA.
A trawler, the King Stephen, saw a German airship (Zeppelin L19) drifting in the North Sea. Part of it had been pierced and the gas was coming out but it had not completely sunk. Eight men were on top of it but most were in the available space inside – twenty-two of them. When the little ship drew near they heard the sound of knocking from inside as if people were calling for help. The Germans called out for them to save them and swore that they would give them a great deal of money if they saved them. The Captain took no notice thinking that there were many Germans and only nine of them and that they might be double-crossed and thrown into the water and then the Germans would sail to their own land. This was not a time to extort money but for carefully considering whether their pleas were genuine or deceitful. In the event they sailed away to report to the English fleet. As they sailed away the Germans called out, ‘Save us. We are going to drown in the wild sea.’
London, 6th February.
The Government does not wish to give publicity to what the Germans do when they attack England with their airships. However, because of German boasting that it is inflicting great damage on England which is squirming under the attacks by its airships, it has reminded people: Since the beginning of the war there have been 29 German airship flights over England in which the number of people who died were – 133 men, 90 women, and 43 children. But if one compares that with the 1198 people who died when the large ship, the Lusitania, was sunk, nowhere near so many have been killed by its airships. Germany is sad that more people have not been killed by its airships.
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In his speech Captain Pitt said, ‘None of all those of our Maori Contingent who were killed in the fighting have been left unburied, but all have been buried. Wherever they fell, our men and our minister, Chaplain Wepiha Wainohu, have read the burial service over them and buried them. Only one was left lying in the open for two days before he could be reached because he was still under Turkish fire.
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Two German airships (Zeppelins) arrived on the north-east coast of England dropping ninety bombs as they went and killing thirteen men and some women.
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THE BATTLE OF VERDUN.
This was a very fierce battle. The Germans had deployed all their large guns there, as well as thousands of soldiers, so that they were like waves climbing up and crashing down. Many men died, but it was the German side that suffered most losses. More than 200,000 men were killed or wounded, but what was that to the Germans? When men died they were replaced, and the corpses were indifferently piled up so that they could not be seen by the French machine gunners, the enemy. If they climbed up on the corpses they could be seen by the French.
Germany has committed all its strength bringing down this French fort, but it has only managed to take some small areas well outside of Verdun.
The French say that they are very resolute however the Germans fight. They are not afraid, they are strong, and they have plenty of guns and ammunition.
THE BURNING OF CANADA’S HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT.
The Canadian Parliament Building has been destroyed by fire. Six people were killed. The fires started in the library. A large explosion was heard. It is thought that some inflammable liquid had been placed there to hasten the spread of the fire. The people who died were two women from Quebec, someone visiting the Speaker, two policemen, a waiter and an iron-worker. The Hon Burrell, Minister for Agriculture, was overtaken by the fire in his office and his face was so badly burnt that the flesh came away from his cheeks. One member is still missing and it is thought that he has been burned.
Canada is part of North America and is under English sovereignty.
The Parliament Building of the Dominion of Canada was one of the beautiful buildings there. It was built on a hill 250 feet above the Ottawa River on one side, which slopes down to the town on the other side. It can be seen from all sides. The Cornerstone of the main part was laid by the Prince of Wales in 1860; other parts were built later. The cost of the Parliament Building alone was was £300,000.
One of the leading American newspapers from Providence (Rhode Island Journal) says that three weeks ago it warned the Government of Canada to be on the watch as some plan was being made in the residence of the German ambassador in Washington
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to break into the House of Parliament, the home of the Duke of Connaught in Ontario, and the munitions factories.
The Managing Director of the Providence Journal newspaper is amazed at the fulfilment of his ‘prophesyings’ in his paper so recently. He was aware of the activities of German sympathizers. He it was who also discovered Captain Boy-Ed’s wicked plot against America which resulted in that man being deported.
A GREETING
‘Tihe mauri ora.’ [Sneeze of life.] I salute you, Te Kopara, who went to the German houses of learning and brought back from there some stories for the people of New Zealand to hear. It takes much strength to carry such stories and I am very grateful to you. Now at last we know Germany’s problems. I am happy that you have so increased my [?roa sic - ?koa joy]. My gratitude will not diminish but will be faithful to you right to the end. Continue to be strong in bringing us news of the war. You have a good singing voice, sweet to the ear and reaching into the heart. Bird, although you are a small bird you carry things with ease from one marae to the next. [?He nai sic] My heart looks forward to the time you will appear bringing us news of the war and other matters. You would have no strength if you had no wings, so sing out loud so that the deaf hear and send feathers for you house so that you will keep warm in the coming winter. My thanks, my heartfelt joy, and my praise of you are great. Here is a song to you:
My gratitude will not fade in the light,
But will lie there for many years.
Matene Tekaro.
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A woman was travelling to Onehunga on one of the Auckland tramcars with her baby. The baby was overcome by sleep and the woman placed it on the seat. When they arrived at Onehunga the woman got down and forgot her baby. When the tram set out again the conductor was amazed to find the baby. The tram returned twice to Onehunga before the mother was found.
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A LETTER FROM EGYPT.
To my dear Mother,
Greetings to you there and to all of you whom I have left behind. I love you all very much. Para, I have seen your letter to me; I was so happy when I saw that letter. I am very well. Mum, be brave and wait for me. I have come, Mum, to the place called Egypt, the home of wickedness. It is the case, Para, that here one finds every kind of wickedness. I would say that most of us have been tempted. I have travelled to all the places visited by our father, the Christ, and I am praying earnestly to God. Mum, I am here with Hoani Hakiwai who has returned here from the fighting and is very well. Mum, I face many difficulties; please send me some of the photographs. From your loving son,
Kapi Tareha.
MORE ITEMS.
Teaching at Te Raukahikatea College commenced in March. The Headteacher has returned from holiday. He returned to the school before the students.
The Hon M Pomare said: Although Maori have the learning and the skills for Pakeha occupations they have not been permitted to take the highest positions of the Pakeha. Listen to what Captain W Pitt says. 'Take note of our elder, Sir Timi Kara, had he not had Maori blood he could have served permanently as Prime Minister. Then one can look at the College for Ministers (Te Rau) and realise that no Maori from amongst us has been made a Bishop.'
In some of the speeches made by the Hon M Pomare while he was at Manutuke he said: 'I stand ashamed in the midst of this gathering given the situation in this war. That is because I am from the Tai Hauauru, one of the places that is defiant. [?Otira kei reira ano etahi oku ake.] They have not gone perhaps because of the many prophecies made to me and to Taranaki. They were informed that if they went they would be ill-treated grievously by the Pakeha, and this indeed is the situation of our young men spoken of by Captain Pitt.'
The Williams family have given 3,700 acres of land at Te Araroa out of concern for the soldiers from the Waiapu County returning from the war. They purchased that land from H deLatour for £45,000. This a very kind gesture.
In a message from one of the New Zealand soldiers to his parents he said: Only two days after our return from the Dardanelles, Tuahae Pohatu was killed. He was hit by three bullets from a machine-gun.
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Last February a Service was held in the famous old church in Otaki (Rangiatea). Mr Fong Fai Law, the Wellington Chinese Missioner was the preacher. The Rev Te Muera Tokoaitua was also there to assist. The congregation contained equal numbers of Maori and Chinese. A Maori woman played the organ. The hymn tunes were familiar but hearing the hymns sung at the same time in Maori and Chinese was strange. After the service the Maori said that if another such service is held in the future there should be someone to translate what was said into Maori and perhaps English. This was the first Chinese service in this church. ‘[The people] who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.’ [Ephesians 2.13]
Apirana has returned to Rotorua. He came to examine Rua ‘the Prophet’ about his troubles over the sale of alcohol. When he asked for Rua to be informed of his arrival, Rua said that he would not see him but would see the Minister first. On 9th of the month Apirana went to Auckland.
In a hearing at Otorohanga a Maori called Mokena Patupatu was fine fifty pounds for keeping liquor for sale.
ROLL OF HONOUR OF THE MAORI CONTINGENT.
Wiremu Taka – initially he was listed missing but now it is confirmed that he was wounded and has died.
Lance-Corporal Tuakanakore Whareraupo – died of wounds.
Wiremu Mira – died on 9th February of phthisis.
In Hospital in Cairo:
B Stubbings, H Tewhau – both seriously ill.
J Adams, T Kopae, T K Pitama, P Hoani, P Parata, Sergeant Kaki Harawira, Sergeant R Tapsell – recuperating well.
Some of the First Maori Contingent have been promoted:
Reiwhati Vercoe, Sergeant Major. Wiremu Waaka, Lieutenant.
These are the names of members of the First Maori Contingent who returned on board Te Arawa, which berthed at Wellington on 7th March.
Roy Devon, Maketu, Bay of Plenty. Manuera March, Whangape. Pukupuku Manuera, Heretaunga, Hawkes Bay. Huki Ngarangione, Mahia, Hawkes Bay. Rangi Paki, Rangiotu, Palmerstone North. Rewi Tapihana, Maketu, Bay of Plenty.
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RULES OF THE PAPER.
1. Te Kopara is published monthly.
2. The subscription for the paper is five shillings (5/-) a year paid by postal note or stamps.
3. Anyone wishing to take Te Kopara should send the money with the covering letter.
4. Articles are welcome from all parts of the country, but the Editor reserves the right to decide on what to print. Write clearly.
5. Address all letters to:
Te Kopara,
Te Rau,
Gisborne.
A NOTICE
To those wanting a Prayer Book or Hymn Book. I now have plenty of books. The prices are:
Large, soft cover 2/6
Large, red cover 3/-
Large, hard cover 4/-
Large, superior cover 5/6
Small, soft cover 1/-
Small, red cover 1/6
Small, hard cover 2/6
Small, superior cover 3/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, soft cover 1/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, red cover 1/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, hard cover 3/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, superior cover 4/-
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, red cover, 3/6
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, superior cover, 5/6
Hymns 6d
Words for the Prayerful Heart 3d
I will pay the postage to send the books to you
H W Williams,
Naurea, Gisborne
People wanting a Bible or a New Testament should apply to the Bible Depository Sunday School Union, Auckland.
Bible, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 1/-.
New Testament with explanatory headings. 2/6, 3/-, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.
Small New Testament with the Psalms. 2/-, 2/6, 3/-, 3/6, 4/-. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.
Printed and published by H W Williams at Te Rau Printing Works, Berry Street, Gisborne, New Zealand.
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