NEW ZEALAND AND THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2309, 17 November 1914, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND AND THE EMPIRE.

Sir, —No national event of great and paramount importance to our worldwide Empire could, in my opinion, have proved • so. complete a justification of New Zealand's admirable military cadetship system, established several years ago, and working with great and growing success, notwithstanding .• the factious and virulent hostility shown and acted upon by a small minority of selfstyled anti-militarists, than the circumstance of the present great and'terrible war, dating from upwards of two months ago, which was equally unsought and unexpected by Great Britain, but has burst upon her like a colossal thunderbolt, setting Europe and the British' Empire ablaze, and working untold mischief upon the commerce, interests, and general welfare of the civilised world. • '

Moreover, the eminently • patriotic and -unselfishly loyal'spirit dictating the adoption by New Zealand and Australia of such measures of public defence as those referred to, whereby they secure for themselves the nucleus, at least in regard to personnel, of a standing army and navy, must have been a potent factor in rendering possible and as au fait accompli, the conquest uider arms of German New Guinea, and the annexation .by expeditionary forces, without resistance, of Samoa, on the one hand, and of Marshall Island, in the 'Bismarck Archipelago, on the other; the.absence of hostilities having in both cases been ensured by the presence of adequate military and naval forces, on e P art o f .Nβ"' Zealand at Samoa, and or tile Commonwealth at' Marshall Island. ......

.May I conclude by quoting some stirring and encouraging words on the war "Pm A, letter recently? addressed by the Archbishop of York to members, of. tho u.JI/.M.5., a body very well represented in New Zealand? . "Tho first duty'of our Christian manhood is, where it can, to offor itself for active service at the scene of war, ,or for the defence of our laud and, Empire. Some of our comrades—members of our Army branches —are already in the thick of the fight " eta. . . ' :.-.■'

After an appreciative reference' to the valuable help given by the Y.M.C.A. iu providing tents for men under training at. camps in England,' Dr. Lang ends his letter with the. words, td.be used as a watchword or motto, for the war: "Watch/ye;, stand fast in the faithquit you like men; be strong."—l am etc., ' ; ' i '. -. . '

C STRICKLAND MACKIE. The Croft, Rye, Sussex, England, October 8, 1914. . . .