The Expeditionary Force.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15037, 4 August 1914, Page 8

The Expeditionary Force.

Even the bitterest anti-militarist must feel relieved in the present crisis at the thought that wo now have a defence force so far organised and efficient that it will bo quito sufficient to ensure the •safety of those islands against any hostile attack. More than that, it will enable us to make a really valuable contribution to the defence of the Empire. Wo can do now more than was ever possible at any previous stago of our history. In the South African war, by stupendous efforts, wo got together a number of small contingonts spread over a fairly long peiiod of time. The men were of the finest material, but for the most part undrilled and undisciplined. They had to be trained and licked into shape after their arrival in South Africa, and in the end, as we know, did magnificent work. The units, however, wore incomplete, and thero was no military organisation worthy of the name. One has only to read Sir lan Hamilton's roport to see that in our Territorials we now havo a well-organised and well-equipped force who only require a little polish to bo put on them to convert them into a first-rate fighting machine, capable of taking a worthy part besido tho professional troops of tho British Army. We have no doubt that should the services' of an expeditionary force be required, not only will there bo an abundance of volunteers of the best stamp, but it will be found possible to send away a force 'completely equipped and furnished ready to fit into tho British military system without the slightest difficulty. This is a magnificent result to havo achieved in so short a time. The present crisis, we may safely say, has silenced all doubters,'and the policy of our national defence force lias been fully justified.

Tho Hon. *Ir Fraser has corrected a material error in the Press Association's report of his speech at Dannovirke. He was represented as saying: " They could not'send men to tho front from here. That was nonsense." Although wo knew that what Mr Fraser actually said must have been very different from this, wo printed the report as received. Our morning contemporary evidently concluded that there was something amiss, and it made a not unhappy attempt to improve the report. What Mr Fraser did say was that it would bo nonsense to send men from here to Europo. At the same time there is scope for the employment of an expeditionary force in somo other part of tho world—lndia, for example Mr Eraser may bo incorrect in thinking that a New Zealand expeditionary force for Europe is out of the question; but it is just as well that tho fault in the report has boon repairod.

Any inclination towards panic ought to bo dissipated by the reassuring statements mado by Messrs Allen and Eraser and the chairman of tho Bank of Now Zealand. Mr Beauchamp is very emphatic upon the strong position of. tho banks and their ability to continue business in the ordinary" way. Prudence, of course, is necessary, as it requires nobody to tell us; but. calmness is not forbidden oven by tho prospect of a universal war. Mr Allen socs no causo for alarm, and Mr Fraser intends to proceed with his Public Works Estimates as if nothing bad happened, nor is there, for the present, to bo any materia! curtailment of public works expenditure. Tho public must make up its mind, however, that tho war will cost us- doar. Its effects will, in due courso, show themselves in tho national balance-sheet, but it will bo time enough then* to consider what moans tho Government shall adopt to inect a shrinkage of revenue. f

In the meantime nobody will quarrel with Mr Frasor's statement upon tho unwisdom of looking for money at famine rates. Money obtained at some abnormal price might appear to bo useful, and a good speculation, but in tho end it would ho bitterly regretted. Faco to face with an unprecedented calamity, and uncertain as to how long tho war may last or how it may end, it is not to borrowed money that the nation must look for nourishment, but to its own resources of prudence, thrift, and fortitude. It is the duty of everyone to do his sharo in practising theso virtues, and if everyono does his sharo, the strong position of this country, to which we have referred in one of our leading articles, will enable us to weather tho storm in very good condition. **"

In its latest issue, the official organ of tho no-licenso party takes a short wav with those who doubt tho wisdom of prohibition as a national policy. It dismisses them all, in effect, as rogues or fools, but it is not much disposed towards the more lenient of the two indictments. Because Messrs Myers, Glover, and Bradr.ey actually differ from the Alliance. Auckland is branded as having a "bad pre-eminence." The fact that Mr Herdman opposed the Bill is not regarded as evidence that Mr Herdman honestly believes in the 60 ncr cent, majority and honestly doubts tho efficacy

of prohibition. It is "a bad mark" against Wellington. As for the poople of Dunedin. they aro told that their city has "a black record." Xobody dreams of quarrelling with tho prohibitionist party when it expresses regret or pleasure in any seemly way. beemliness, however, would appear to our prohibition friends to bo a quito superfluous grace in controversy.

The truth of the matter is that the prohibitionnsts, even in their most sober moods, are fanatics to tho point of denying to their opponents humanity and honesty. Tho "Vanguard's" discussion of tho debate and division on the Licensing Bill postulates at every point that an honest ODinion unfavourable to prohibition is not an honest opinion, but a positive crime. This is, of course, tho spirit of tho persecuting bigot of all countries and aces In a specific reference to Mr Herdman, the prohibitionist journal say* that his speech was worthy of s. "hired hack of the liouor traffic." HLs candour is assailed quite frankly, and ho is treated as justifying tho characteristically intolerant Question: "When will men claiming to be intelligent, and aspiring to political leadership, do this liquor quest : on the common honesty of looking at it squarely in tho face?" The Drohibitionists cannot believo.that the hundreds of thousands of persons ODposed to them can nossiblv be anything but rogues. They are doubtlesss auite honest in their onimon, 6ut their opinion is none the less deplorable; and a onrtv with snch an outlook is plainly not a party to whoso care any community could at all safely commit its fortunes.