WAR AND PEACE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 258, 5 November 1906, Page 4

WAR AND PEACE.

We could nnt expect that our renmrks on military training would meet -with the approval of members of the Peace Society. But though we do not inrngine that Mr. Dearsley has authority to speak for any large or important section of the community, we can hardly let his impertinent epistle pass unnoticed. We are not in a position to say what are the aims of the special branch of the Peace Society which Mr. Dearsley represents. In so far as the general object of all such organisations is to promote international good feeling and to reduce the probability of war by advocating peaceful methods of settling diplomatic difficulties, we entirely approve of them, and we have never published a line inconsistent with this view of their purposes. But if it were true, as Mr. Dearsley asks us to believe, that the object of Peace Societies is to encourage people to neglect the duty of self-de-fence, we would consider them a grave peril to national safety, and a menace to public interest thai ought to be promptly suppressed. But we would need more convincing testimony than Mr Dearsley's to induce us to believe that all members of Peace Societies hold such ridiculous opinions.

Let Mr Dearsley apply In iJip solution of this question a little of the logic that he has failed to find in oar arguments. If training in the arts of war is. as Mr Ecir Hardie- says, a '""hellish prac

tiee," then it must be equally wicketi and detestable for sailors and soldiers as for private citizens. It follows, on the authority of the Peace Society, that jit is the moral duty of the British GovI eminent to disband, its axmies and destroy its navies, and renounce for ever the iniquitous practice of defending its country against less philanthropic foes. We will not insult the intelligence of our readers by asking them whether they would approve of such a line of policy. Very likely when the Millennium arrives the sword will he beaten into the ploughshare the wide world over. But then the world will not need Mr Dearsley's advice about the conduct of its affairs. In the meantime the one and only wav of insuring our national and Imperial safety ia to be prepared to hold our own against all comers; and to neglect this fundamental duty of selfdefence would be to sacrifice the world s best hopes of ultimate peace by destroying the British Empire. Perhaps Mr Dearsley takes no interest in such generalities. Jn that case it would be interesting to know if, as President of the Peace Society, he would be prepared to defend himself against an armed assassin by using any lethal weapon to save his own life. Or to put the problem in another form, would Mr Dearsley advise the Armenians or the Macedonians, who daily see their wives and daughters threatened with torture and outrage, to drop the "hellish"' practice of shooting Turks? War we know on good authority is "Hell"; and it is to keep war and" all its attendant horrors away from her borders that England arms and trains her soldiers and sailors. Mr Dearsley advises ns to throw away our weapons, to preach the gospel of altruism, and when we are smitten, to turn the other cheek. As an ideal "counsel of perfection" such advice is no doubt excellent. But having regard to the conditions of modern life, neither individual nor nation could follow such a course without inviting death or dei struction: and we therefore repeat that i the teaching of Mr Keir Hardie and Mr ! Dearsley on the subject of military , j training is insane and preposterous folly. I The following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 ! a.m. this day: "Strong winds to gale I from bptween north-east and north and J west, glass fall, rain probably heavy." I The steamers Delphic and Ea.kaia : brought large shipments of alcoholic li- ! quors from England to-day. The Rakaia jis landing at. Auckland 42 casks and 755 I cases of spirits, and a quantity of cased beer, and the Delphic, 120 casks and 2395 cases of spirits, and 160 cases of ' beer. The Delphic"s cargo for the prinI tipal ports is one of the largest that has j been brought into the colony in one I bottom, comprising about 10,000 cAses ' and 1000 casks. A young man, named Thomas Mayes. j was arrested at Hamilton yesterday, on j a charge of stealing a lamb from a hock i which had been impounded on iSaturday afternoon, lie was brought up in Court this morning, and remanded for a week, bail being allowed. The executive of tbe National Dairy J Association has decided to immediately I rail for applications for an expert to J watch over its members' interests in I London. Consideration is also being given to the question of freight Home. Mr R. Seddon, of Te Puke, met with a painful accident on Thursday. He was riding from Ngongotaha to Tirau, when bis horse fell and rolled on him, breaking his leg below the knee. Mr Seddon was accompanied by Mr Ealph Brown, and the latter rode to M&msLku for assistance. Subsequently the injured man was taken to the accident ward at the Rotorua sanatorium where he was attended to. Mr W. Turner, a stumping contractor, had a narrow escape from a. serious accident at Te Ore Ore last week. He, with two mates, had completed a contract, and in doing some cleaning up work they decided to destroy about a dozen damaged detonatoxs by throwing them on a fire. Turner believed the detonators to. be deficient in strength j owing to their being damaged, and stood j only a few yards off when throwing \ them in the names. His two mates I were more discreet, and put a hundred j yards between themselves and the fire. J Turner suffered immeddately for his temerity, and received a charge full in front of his body, inflicting injuries from his chest to his snins. Subsequently Turner went into Mastcrton for treatment, and though the injuries are painful they are not of a serious nature. The detonators were of 7(Hb explosive I force. I An old colonist who came to Auckland 40 years ago, in the person of William Barker, passed away at the age of 75 on Friday night at his residence,°Pitt j and Vincent-streets. Mr Barker was » native of County Tyrone, Ireland. He leaves a widow, one son, and two daughters. ' ' " 8 Following is a list of donations to the ! working funds of the National League or I New Zealand received to date:—Anonyj mouf, £100; Mr. W. B. .Leyland, £25; Mr. E. Horton (twelve instalments), £25: J.S.S. (twelve instalments), £25; j Sir John Logan Campbell, flO 10/; Mr. I J. C. Macky. £10 10/; Mr. J. J. O'Brien. ! £10 10/; Mr. H. Horton, £10; Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co., £10; Dr. T. Hope Lewis, £5 5/: Mr. V. J. Lamer, £5 5/: Mr. M. M. McCallum, £5 5/; Mr. W. I Coleman, £o 5/; Sympathiser, £5 5/: I Messrs. Smith and Caughey, £5; Mr. I IT. P. Barry, Waihi, £5; Mr. A. M. I Myers, £3 3/; Sympathiser, £3; Mr. IS. W. G. Eathbone. £2 2/; Dr. T. R. inglis, £2 2/; Mr. R. H. Abbott, £2 2/; Mr. l< , . J .Tagger, £2 2/; Messrs, S. Vaile and Sons, £2 2/; Mr. Arthur F. Annandale, Glenmurray, £2 2/; Mr. H. Buckleton. £1 1/; Major Whitney, £1 l/ ; Mr. Cecil A. j Whitney, £1 1/; Mr. E. Newman, Turakina, £1 ]/: Mr. A. leß. F. Struthers £1 1/; Mr. Jas. Hardie, £1 1/; Mr. J. W. Ellis, Hamilton. £1 I/; Mr. W. 11. Woollams, £1 l/ ; Mr. F. B. Clapcott, £1 1/; Mr. Alex. Reid. Opotiki, £1 1/; Mr. H. B. Morton, £1; Mr. Joseph Thornes, £1; L-iout.-Col. M. Noates, £t; Mr. J. B. Snelling, £1; Dr. R. H. Bakevell. M.D.. £1; "H," £1; Dr. JSie.ligan, Bishop of Auckland, £1 -. Mr. W. Pavitt, 10/6: Mr A. Hosking, 10/; Mr. Percy Holt, 10/; Mr. L. R. Phillips. 10/; Capt. C. J. Wilson, 0/; Dr. Giles. 5/; Mr. A. E. Wilkinson. Pukekohe, 4/; EA, 3/; Mr. A. Bell. Taumarunui, 2/6. Xew Zea landers captured the first and second prizes in Tattersall's sweep on the Caulfield Cup, the drawing being , as follows: —First, Poseidon, The Audax Syndicate, e/o A. E. Coulter, Traction ! Engines, Raetihi, New Zealand, £6000. ' Second. Simoda, G. Barnett, c/o ,7as. i I Wyman, Ripon-street, Lyttelton, New ! ! Zeiiland. £2000. ! Mr. R. \V. H. Bligh addressed a large meeting of boys over 14 years of age in the Royal Albert Hall last night. He speaks at Onehunga to-day in the . Public Hall, to women at 3 and. to young j men at S pjn.

A well known and respected resident of Northcote, in the person of Mr Philip Tarry, passed quietly away on Saturday night, after a very long illness, at the age of 69 years. Mr Tarry was for many years an officer in the Great Indian Peninsula, Kailway, Bombay, but had to resign on account of ill h-eajth, and returned to England. Finding the climate unsuitable, he decided to come out to New Zealand. Arriving in Auckland some twenty years ago, he took up his residence at Northcote, where he resided up to the time of his death, lie leaves a widow and two married daugh ters, Mrs E. H. Potter, of Mount Eden, and Mrs A. E. Benner, of Waikino. He will be greatly missed by a very large circle of friends. Mr Tarry was a, J. P. and took a great interest in all things pertaining to tlie welfare of the district. The interment will take place at Birkenhoad on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Martin Donagher.. who died in Sydney on Saturday, was formerly a resident of Auckland, where he carried out several large contracts for thp Government. He was an enthusiastic Home Ruler, and took a prominent part in the reception fo toe Irish delegates when they were here about 17 years ago. A reminder. Xmas numbers, Xmas cards, picture post-cards, view books, etc. English mail, for Christmas.—Spreekloy and Co. Right next Post Office. — (Ad.) Grand show of striped millinery ribbons, in all shades, including black and white and navy and white, at Smith and Caughey's, Ltd., selling for 1/2 yd.—Ad. To-day. All want to appear at their best, want to be cool and neatly dressed. Could you imagine a nicer article than a fancy vest from Geo. Fowlds'?— (Ad.) Direct from the Belfast mills. Ex s.s. Indradevi, a full assortment of linen goods, including damask cloths, eta, arriving at Smith and Caughey's, Ltd. Lowest cash prices.— (Ad.) You need the goods, we need the money. What better could we exchange than a nine Panama? The sort Geo. Fowlds has.— (Ad.) Boys' strong sebool boots to be had at Smith and Caughey's, sizes 10 to 13, 9/9 pair; 1 and 2, 10/9; 3 to 5, 11/9 pair.— (Ad.) An ostrich feather boa is a great set off to a pretty costume. iSmith and Caughey, Ltd., have a splendid assortment on view in their showroom, in white, grey, natural, and black, 8/11, 11/6, to 49/6.—(Ad.)