The Dominion. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1911. THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1911. THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE.

When the Defence Act Amendment Bill was before Parliament last session a very proper spirit was shown by members on both sides of the House of Representatives. There was not tho slightest suggestion of party feeling amongst the leadersall realised that on a great national question such as defence, and especially in view of the far-reaching importance of the changes involved under the Government's proposals, there must be unity of effort if the proposals were to be brought to a successful issue. Sir Joseph Ward himself, in rebuking one of his own followers, said:

Duimg tho discussion on the Defence Hi I, and from its very inception, I have indicated that I thought i was highly importan that wo should keep clear of party politics. I have said so in the country and from the start of the proposal up to now I have endeavoured to keep tho question free of politics. Mr James Allen, the strongest critic on defence matters on the Opposition side of the House, though differing on points of detail with the Government's proposals, sacrificed his opinions in order to avoid any risk of imperilling the Bill, with the general principles of which tie was in entire accord. Mr. MasSEY adopted a similar attitude on tho question, .and quoted Lord •Kitchener's condemnation of political predilections being permitted to exercise any influence in connection with defence matters. We repeat here that portion of tho great Field-Marshal's opinion:

The citizen, Lord Kitchener said, should be brought up from boyhood to look forward to the day when he will be enrolled as nt to defend his country; and he should be accustomed .to practise those habits of self-denial, of devotion to and emulation in the execution of his duty, of reticence and of prompt obedienco to lawful authority, which aro essential to the formation of patriotic and efficient citizen soldiers. These considerations show how completely a citizen Torcc should bo kept outside party politics,

In tho face of the professions of the Prime Minister, and despite the clearly-expressed, views 'of Lord Kitchener, the Government has now taken the first step that indicates that if it has its way party politics are to play a part in defence as well as in other nlatters of public policy. We have said very little about the boycott of The Dominion by the Government in the matter of State advertisements for some time past, not becauso the' situation has in any way changed, bub for the reason that we have made the public sufficiently familiar with the facts for the time being. The wrong which Ministers have perpetrated by this abuse of their trust is aggravated by their latest action' in carrying their political antagonism to the paper to the length of depriving the whole of its readers of the official announcements which are necessary to bring into operation the new system of compulsory military training. The Dominion, at a low estimate, has at least fifty thousand readers daily, and because the paper dares to criticise Ministerial acts of administration and Ministerial policy tho whole of its readers are to be kept in ignorance—if the Government has its way—of the new and vitally important steps that arc being taken by the State, affecting the daily routine of their lives and demanding of them material sacrifices the full extent of which they have yet to realise. The announcements which have been published in other papers and refused to The Dominion contain a great deal of necessary information regarding the different areas in this province, and there is 'also a notification dealing with the important question of exemptions from service. But for the deplorable misconception of their duty which the action of Ministers discloses— the dangerous possibilities underlying this introduction of political party feeling into a national issue so vitally affecting the whole country—but for these and other serious aspects, the Government's latest display of antagonism to The Dominion might provoke only the ridicule and contempt which.such mean and petty aet3 deserve.

Apart, however, from the question of the right of our readers, and the right of everyone else affected, to the fullest information on this important now departure in our system of defence, there is still another consideration to be weighed. AYe have made inquiries and found, as we expected, that tho Defence Department is not in any way responsible for the unwise and improper discrimination shown. Tho Headquarters Staff prepared the necessary information for the proclamations required to put the machinery of the new Defence Act into operation, and the advertisements, in the form of district orders, were then forwarded to the Advertising Department for insertion in the various newspapers. This is the Department, which has ventured to permit its political predilections tb creep in to the detriment of the public interest, even on such an occasion as the introduction of a new and compulsory defence system, the success of which depends so largely, as Lord Kitchener pointed out, on the elimination of party politics, and the creation of a national pride in serving the State. This is the Department, now under the control of the Hon. T. Mackenzie, that has taken the first step—has introduced the thin end of the wedge of political interference into our remodelled defence system. The Prime Minister has pledged himself that there shall be no such interference; Lord Kitchener insisted that freedom from party polities was essential to the complete success of his scheme; and General Godley is now faced with this danger: the most insidious that confronts him in the great task which he has undertaken. His predecessors have met it, and either succumbed to it or retired from tho field in disfiUßt. They t however,.

wore not backed by an aroused pubtic feeling—by the public pledges of Ministers. If the Commandant of tlw Forces recognises the danger which confronts him and those associated with him, we have no doubt as to the course he will pursue.