LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2623, 19 November 1915, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CAN WE DO ANYTHING 7 Sir,—ln Monday's Dominion "Vindex" has hit the nail on tho head in. regard to pensions. Have many of your readers really thought what this awful monster war is ? Do any of them ever imagine such an ending as this: Peace declared — France secures Alsace-Lorraine, Russia, Constantinople, Italy tho Trentino, England her captured German colonies; and stricken Belgium and Serbia huge indemnities, all of us having heavy war taxes to pay, and the world to go on as it used ,to? All of Europe is under arms, and ■}t is only a question, of time when owedeii, Hollandj Greece ; etc., will be hard at itj to say nothing about disturbances in such places as Persia, 'Africa, and America. Every nation has this war fever. Can even the deepest thinkor ever imagine tho result P Millions. of men that were producers are / mow in the firing line—millions of others. , tire manufacturing ammunition and kuns. These menTiave all to be fed and slothed. The world has never produced 100 much to eat. and with less labour Jo. work her. fields and manufactories there must be a shortage of foodstuffs. {Thousands were starving before tho war parted, and tens of thousand's are starving now. Amusements still flourish — are "we always'going to be so callous? [\ro we ever going to realise our responsibilities to, our fellow men? People ' with the means to give must he prepared ■tor large sacrifices. The writing on tho .ivall says: "Tho man with £10,000 will (bo not a whit better off. than the one ■ivith a £1 note." A diamond' ring may inost £100, but the owner would rather Tiave a good meal than anothor such ring. Pomeranian dogs may hayo originally been bought for £50; see if anyone i wifi: give ss. for them when there is .. peace. ';" :\ v ■ Even with the awful, loss of life to date, the casualties reported are not half the number of deaths in the Indian iamine. Wo Britishers axe in this, .war ■of attrition to see it to, a finality, and everyone of us able to hold a gun will ■probably have to: Let our children have records to look.back upon. Above all they : must be! looked after) brought up well aiid 1 robust. Wo want, to: see the ones we leave behind aro cared for. Therefore increase the pensions, double the income tax if necessary. We are •up against a fighting'machine,'and tho quicker the war ends the less life it will cost. We don't want to talk about money.now; it is lives that we are bargaining: Can we!do anything? Make everyone .who is ; 'riot a-'producer become one. If he can't ! "carry'a' rifle' he. must make' munitions,' plant potatoes, or make clotfting.\ What a. lot of professions wc hav'6 that-are not assisting us—lawyers, land r agants; ; stock brokers; 'etc. ' Protect our industries: We; helped to build up Germany, how- we'. are' doing' - the; same' to Japan and'the United States. Foreign goods'me'aii good cash , going out- of the •country to be 'distributed amongst foreign capitalists, labourers, and sea- ' men.

Oiici word as to shirkers. I notice. Captain' Siriison called' a .racecourse gathering a lot of "rotters" at Riccarton, : and it is' referred xo by you as Btraight talk. I'm riot going to shield any that Captain Simson's remarks -were addressed to,; still don't designate every man who, does not enlist' a "shirker. There are hundreds'/staying behind ivho, 'deserve' medals, as much as, any 6oldier to Gallipoli—men -who are struggling to keep . a home together, who would only be too glad to offer !their services if their dependents were settled. I am one, of these shirkers. I've got a mortgage sitting on my chest like an unexploded, "Jack Johnson,'.' arid should'l leave in the reinforcementa and the interest get behind something will happen. - Still' lam to;let it: happen after Christmas,''as I have .this war. fever' on me, and the outlook ia as bright to me. in the firing line as at home if our dependents are provided for.—l am, etc., •|' . ■ ! 1 _VESPER.