DEFENCE "ARGUMENT."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1713, 2 April 1913, Page 5

DEFENCE "ARGUMENT."

. ' You did not manage to .find spaco . for ray last letter dealing''with conscrip- • r ,'? n ma^er appearing in your columns. I hat does not appeal to me as a grievance , so much as an argument,,and as an argu- ' meut it. lias weight and justification for ; reference. In this way: There is a well , understood conspiracy of silence on the I part of the press generally against the shedding of limelight on tho wrong side of the defentd scheme, and before' the public settle down to take that scheme imobstfuctively tho limelight will have to be evenly divided. It wii'l at all events have to be - conceded that letters taking up a practically negligible space anil answering matter in evidence should not be ignored. paper this morning Mr. Teitch is repoi'ted as follows:—"Mr. Yeitch, in reply, asked the mail what lie would do if a few Chinamen came up the river and carried off his wife or daughter." I wish to ask your readers whether Mr. Yeitch's "argument" appeals to them as logic or , puerility. In auy case logic cannot be worked out with-"if" for the sole proposition; ' Is it likely that "a few Chinamen on the Wanganui Kiver" would make work enough to necessitate mobilisation of the Dominion Territorial army? If tho, advocates of the present system want .the' car of the thinkers of Now' Zealand, they will'have to work less 011 the lines of fudge and raise the standard of their defence "argument."—l am, etc.. ' • HENRY BODIfiY. ■ March 25, 1913. [Mr. Bodley's assertion that the.re is a "conspiracy of silence'' 011 the part of (he press ot' ilie country is new.s to us. Apparently his, opinion is based on I lie rejection of a letter, or two frnni antj-mili-tarists/who miss no chance to deluge the press, with their view of tho defence scheme. As a matter of. far' they receive a great deal more. space in the press.Uiaj I he merit of many, of iho'iV effusions waiv rants.]