The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1913. ' NATIONAL. DEFENCE AND ITS. ENEMIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1666, 5 February 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1913. ' NATIONAL. DEFENCE AND ITS. ENEMIES.

I Since it is now the settled policy of the principal organ of the Opposition, which is published in phristcl lurch,' to strive for an alliance between the remnants of the anti-Re-form party and the Federation of _ Labour, we are bound to assume that the Opposition now stands for hostility to our defence system. In other words, our . defence system w ouljd be in danger if there were any danger of the Federation becoming an effective political force, by alliance with" those "Spoils" politicians who arc ready to take Mp any attitude, that they think may embarrass the Government. This Was .made very clear at ii Labour "rally'' iiiChristchurch. on Sunday night, which is fully and enthusiastically reported by; the anti-Reform newspaper in; that town. Out of the mass of abusive nonsense we only intend to select for notice here some very significant statements by Mr. V/'. Mius." One of the resolutions , carried by the recent Conference of the Federation was strongly condem--1 natory of the defence system, and we now learn from Mr. Mills that this resolution is now a cardinal doctrine /of the, U.L.P. "The Wellington, blanch of the party," he said, "had confirmed,the-decisions of tho Conference; .. V . The last day of division had passed and the dawning of the day of triumph was at hand." This .is .the first intimation wo have had that4he local branch of the Ujj. P. as well as the other brandies ldiye declared/against the defence ■ system. We are sure that local trade unionists'and the local public >cncrally will be interested .in Mn. Mills's, dis.closuro that the omcial Labour party as a whole is committed to an equal hostility to national defence and political .reform. >';. These- gentlemen do not tell uo. v hat they are going to do with those tiade unionists who believe in; national defence. But Mr. Mills gave a bint as to what is goins to happen to Mr. Veitch, M.P. "In future," h" said, "representatives would.not sit in Parliament by special. pcrmisr iion ; of .tho masters to make, unatithoHscd statements on behalf of.Labour, statements- for .Mr. • James

Allen to '.quota on the other side of the earth, committing the Dominion and the party of things it had refused, to adopt," This, of course, is aimed at-Mn. Yeitch, wlin made a. wanly speech in. favour of national defence, last'cession as a national ' duty, which should have the support ' of ovary patriotic'worker/ Hence-' fpyth Mh. VniTCE'and everybody clsn who. favours our. defence, system will bo < dsemed ah enemy just as such itnti-Rsform politicians as.. Messrs. Lauren-son and Ism will be od' friends,! -.by: the; new Labour Federation .which the., antiEeform newspapera arc seeking to use as a force against the Government. ATn.: Massby will perhaps .be as pleased with' every fresh manifestation of this anti-Reform folly as the Christian Allies in the Balkans must be pleased with the desperate follies of the Ottoman Turk. For our own .part wc arc satisfied enough, because it all helps towards the "correct'do-

limitation of the political'territory. Wo wish only to know, and' want .everyone to be able to know, exactly where tho Labour party and the anti-Reformers stand. ' According to the Christcburch Press, ono of the speakers at the "Labour" demonstration to which wo Have referred made some reference to Mn.. James Allen's expression of the hope that our country could provide an expeditionarv force of 8000 men for the service of the Empire.. He said that before the crisis arose a. Labour Goyern'ment would be in, office and that the men would then never bo sent. : Like tho Press.- and, indeed, like every sane Nc\y Zealand citizen, we refuse to believe that the workmen of the country would ( permit such currishness and poltroonery m any Government. 'Our ; anti-Reform ' friends, however,, have put their money on Mr. Sejiple and Mn. Mills, and they must abide the consequences. One of tho consequences must be a reckoning with those Labour., men and those honest members of the old "Liberal" party who believe in national defence. Wc give to-day, for example, tho comments o'f Mn. A. M. Myers on Mr. Allen's rofcrence to the prospect'of a New Zealand expeditionary force; It did not occur to Mr. Myers to think it even possible that anybody should.be so foolish as to suggest that Mr. Allen was saying more than that there was a hope that our defence system would enable New Zealand to .count .'■ on finding, some day, 8000 volunteers'for foreign service. Wc do not know, but we can guess, with what feelings he will rend of tho extraordinarily foolish statements which Mr. Allen's stimulating words have produced in anti-Reform .quarters. Mr. Myers's own words arc worthy of special record for their own sake: ! "As to Mr. Allen's remarks conoerninp' the expeditionary force, in which enlistment would, of coursej bo entirely voluntary, I believe there would not bo the slightest difficulty, if danger threatened our .Fiinpire, in raising a thoroughlytrained and well-equipped force. The New Zealandor comes from a race that has always been able and willing to accept full responsibility in tho past, mid during tho South African war the men' of this country wero not slow to give practical expression to their patriotism. Bearing that in mind, one can easilv realise what it would mean to tho Imperial authorities if .we, and other parts of tho Emnire,' could place at their disposal a number of trained men relative to.our population, who, in combination, would secure the maximum of defence."

Although it is enormously to the political advantage-of the' Reform Ministry that tho wild men of the. Opposition and "Labour" parties are identifying the maintenance of tho Reform Government with the maintenance of our system of national defence, we are. truly sorry that by intriguing with Mi:. Semple's and Mil. Mills's party such Opposition organs as the Li/ttrltnn Times, for instance, should sink to an apostasy that will have to lie recanted and repented—unless, of course, the extreme anti-Reform press is coining out, in the day of adversity, under its true colours, and is triad at last to he frankly anti-social, anti-national, and anfci-patriotio.