LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2604, 28 October 1915, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE FICHTING SPIRIT. ' j Sir,—Excuse pencil, I can't hold a pen in bed. I would like to say I think it is wrong to stop auyono that wants to go to iight 1 for his country. What matter if lie is sft. or 6ft., if lie weighs 6st. or lGst., so long as no can shoot; or if lie's only got one lung, as long as lie's half a man? I reckon half a Britisher is as good as a germhuu anyday. What does it matter about teeth or a vein in tho leg, or training, so long as we can shoot? .fust give us rides and a sheath-knife, and send a shipload of us out to Serbia. Put us right in the front, so that we can have a go. That is all wo want. Thoy needn't bother about us after that. Tho women and boys out there get no training, and thoy may as well die with their fathers and husbands as get murdered, and worse, after. Why, a lot of us would pay to go, and find our own tools, just to have one shot at them. I know some men of sixty hotter than some at thirty. All are just as good to stop a _germ-hun as- the best, don't you think, Sir?—l am, etc., GRADE BRITISHER.' Waikanae. CARING FOR OUR WOUNDED. Sir, —Will you kindly allow me to suggost, instead of marrying invalid soldiers, ' that- parties of eight or ten men, from one neighbourhood (probably friends), should bo allotted, say, about one hundred acres of land, with a large whare and bunks all round it, and room for a locker each under them. They- could be given two cows for milk and butter, a fow sheep, and fowls, for meat and eggs, and they could make a garden each, thus havnig a few daily duties to perform, as they felt' able. These duties could be changed about at intervals, 'at their discretion. They would be happier than doing nothing, and be nearly self-supporting, too, and would also have their pensions. If they sold two calves at four months old that would fetch £5 for tlieir tobacco; and as hobbies they could breed canaries, bees, fowls,' or ducks, all realising more money for them. Then with periodicals, games, i.e., draughts, chess, etc., their lives should be happy enough. Those who might bo crippled could do useful work knitting, mending, etc. for their mates. The men's sympathies would naturally go out to each other, who needed nursing and extra, attention. ,Of course, my suggestions are meant for the British colonies, in all of which land is available. Leaving this subject for an abler, pen,— I am, eto., SILVER PEN, MR. HILL ASKS SOME QUESTIONS.

Sir,—-Do you know, Mr, Editor, I was quite upset when I opened your paper and read the heading of a letter, "IVo Mr. H. G. Hills—or Three." I have been convinced up to the present moment there is only one Mr. H. G. Hill, but possibly I may be mistaken. Some years ago when I was much younger than I am now I was constantly being taken for my younger brother. I understood the fair ses were of the opinion that bo was fairly good looking, and I suppose it flattered mj youthful vanity to such an extent that I did not hesitate to accept the homage due to my brother. One day, however, all this was altered. I felt a hand on my shoulder and a remark something to this effect: "I say, old man, when are you going to square that account of mine?" Explanations followed, and it turned out that my brother and this gentleman had a dispute over an account which was still unsettled, and I decided from that moment to "paddle my own canoe," and bo just plain EL. G. Hill. As the position is now, serious complications may ariso, unless it is proved' that Mr. A. R. Atkinson's conclusions are incorrect. To this end I will esteem it a favour if you will grant me a littlo space in your valuable columns. In the second paragraph of Mr. Atkinson's reply he refers to my "muddled logic." Now, do you know, sir, I am really pleased that Mr. Atkinson has used those wordo, because it shows how keen a dissector he is. 1 quite admit my logic was muddled. I think I said almost as much in the concluding portion of my lejfcter How could it be otherwise when one had to "reason" on the "muddled" actions of Victoria College Mr. Atkinson and the recruiting Mr. Atkinson? However, to got to serious business. Mr. Atkinson issues "a simple statement" in which he says, inter alia, "It is, on the contrary, in tho interest of the Empire that wo should use thoso services just as freely as the national safety permits, etc., etc." Might I ask Mr. Atkinson, if he is sincere in this statement, why he did not protest months ago when the Government decided to remove all enemy subjects from the Civil Service? Also why he did not raise his voice against the un-British action of dismissing German waterside workers, especially that man who had been a resident of Wellington for well over 20 years? Also, why it was that those seamen who were enemy subjects, but had no 0119 to fight their battles, should not have found in Mr. Atkinson a champion of this precious British sentiment which he has just published in your columns? Why is it that Mr. Atkinson does not seek for other subjects on which to bestow his beneficence, besides Professor von Zedlitz? Does Mr. Atkinson not know that there is in a town of Now Zealand a German with a wife and children whose actions are such that he has not been interned, but because of his nationality bis wife and childTeu. are existing on tho charity of friends? This man has pleaded to bo interned or for the State to pro-; vide for his family, but neither is done, with the results I have just given. Why does not Mr. Atkinson take a tour of New Zealand in the interests of German subjects, and preach to them what I may call the "Von Zedlitz doctrine"? If Mr. Atkinson will only come down from his intellectual perch, at which altitude he theorises as to what should and should not bo dons, to the common level of mankind, and realise that there arc a few common souse facts winch are understood by the ordinary, common garden variety of mankind, such as myself, then wc could 1 arrive at some basis of argument, but I am absolutely confident of this, that tho small coterie of gentlemen who havo been such prominent ambassadors for the German professor will never look tiiis matter squarely in. tlio face or from any otber view point than that of Professor von Zedlitz as an individual. No amount of mental gymnastics or high 6ounding intellectual phrases will alter facts, a few of which follow: _ Mr. Atkinson's ideas about treating an enemy might be very woll if 110 was an honourable enemy, but the perpetrators of such crimes as the demolition of Reims, the burning and sacking of Louvain, the sinking of the hiisitama with helpless men and women on board, tho outrage on women and children, anfl last of all tho ghastly murder of Miss Cavell, mako it impossible, to my idea, for any man worthy of tho name of a Britisher to stand up for any individual member of that nation. He might bo porfcctly innocent, and doubtless is of tho crimes that have been committed, and he may be suffering as an innocent man in consequence, lint what is that suffering compared v.'it.i the suffering of the Belgian peasants whose homes were ruined, families scattered or slaughtered and all hecauso of the Kaiser's lovo of'world conquest ? Suppose for. a minute wo reverse tho position, and we wero in Germany, and Mr. Atkinson and a feT others were espousing the causo of a British professor in a German university., what .would

happen? I am afraid Mr. A. R. Atkinson would be merely a name to be remembered. 11l tho concluding portion of Mr. Atkinson's letter lie makes two statements. One is that "a Mr. Hill, who a few months ago informed the Aliens' Board that he was daily receiving complaints, etc.," and that no public apology had been made, nor had the Patriotic Society disavowed it. My comment oil this portion of Mr. Atkinson's epistl6 is, "Publish your proofs, Mr. Atkinson." —I am, etc,, ' H. G. HILL. MR. HISLOP AND HERR VON ZEDLITZ. 1 "O. 1 , c °mplain about th# length of Mr. His lop's letter on Herr yon Zedlitz. I only compared his 1647 my small forca of 600. Neither did I attempt to 'contuse tiio meaning of voluntary resi-> deuco and enforced residence; but I held that permanent, residenco did not constitute or entitle to citizenship any unnaturalised person like Herr von Zedlitz. _ If permanent residence constituted citizenship, as Mr. Hislop argues, then ho could as reasonably argue that Napoleon, because of his being a permanent resident of St. Helena, was entitled to British citizenship. The question here was not voluntary or enforced residence, hut what could issue from permanent residency. Herr von Zedlitz had, or was, forced to become a permanent resident of New Zealand, in order to do his work and 1 earn his money. In 60 far, then, was his residency enforced, but such enforced residence, although voluntary and even per-< mancnt, could not constitute or entitfe him to citizenship; and during fourteen years of such compulsory residence Herr von Zedlitz failed to take the initial step to become a, British subject. As good old Webster is dead, it was necessary, perhaps, for me to prevent your readers believing that Mr. Hislop had a- monopoly of the use of the deceased gentleman's lexicon and; it is not to ho supposed that Mr. Hislop is alone acquainted with Dr. Johnson. I remember poor Boswell onco ventured tho opinion that Feilding was a most brilliant wit and clever wr:ter. The Doctor remarked, "Sir, he was a liar, a blockhead, and a fool." Yet- how many of us would like to bo Feildings, and receive praise from poor Boswell at tho cost of condemnation from tho sour,' crusty, and disgruntled who could bear no rival near his litenry throne. Howover, as Mr. Hislop has retired to his corner and thrown in the Von Zedlitz towel, so to speak, it would bj unfair, sir, to further pillory my op ponent in this argument.—l am, sir,' J. D. SIEVWRIGHT.