BELGIUM.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2633, 2 December 1915, Page 6

BELGIUM.

Sir,—ln your issue of November 30, you have a paragraph relating to Belgium wherein Mr. Paul Burns, of the "Potash and Purlmutter" Company is made to say, "Do you know that .... Belgian people would have starved, to death in che first eight months of the war Lad it not been lor regular American supplies bought and paid for by the donations of tho charitable." Without wishing to discount the worthy actions of tho Americans, it ie only lair to remind Mr. Burns that long before his countrymen realised tho cruel position of the Belgians, the British Government offered the' hospitality of our nation to tens of thoueands of Belgians who flocked to Eiiglaud in September and October, 1914. Not only did they house, feed, and clothe these unrortunato people, but they also advanced forty million pounds sterling to Belgium.—l am, ot-c., CHAS. EWEN. December 1. "IS THERE A WAR ON?" Sir, Under the above heading iu this morning's Dominion, there appears a report of an interview with a Wellington citizen who has recently returned from Australia which, to say tho least, is bristling with that want of charity and good feeling which most certainly just now should be shown between the various branches of tho Empire to which wo are so proud to belong. He says that here in New Zealand young men and nuddle-aged men, everywhere you meet them, say, "We may all have to go yet, and we will go if they waut us." 1 ask how many of your readers havo heard the expression ? I have npfc, and I travel tho Dominion pretty freely. lie says he was "surprised to see such a good typo of men, for they' are equal to our. Now Zealand drafts," a sweet piece of vanity and unconscious humour —just as if there could be the slightest oifference between , tho populace of the two /countries.

He says that during the two weeks —evidently tho Cup season—tho rate' of recruiting was 41 and 47 per day. How dees that compare with 12 for Wellington yesterday ? ■ The same page of your paper,, under "Short of Men," deals with .the same subject. Ho says,, "everywhere all is gaiety, etc., etc.," and groans about the amount of money spoilt, etc. Might I ask what it cost him to go from AVellington to Melbourne and back to see that greatest of all Australian festivals, the Melbourne Cup? I am sure the money would have been better spent in providing for tho fut'uro wants of some of our wounded soldiers. Ho says that "Never has thero been so much betting as there was at the Melbourne Cup," an utterly prejudiced and exaggerated statement. He must havo lost heavily. "Nowhere will you hear anj'one talking about the war." AVhy, the subject" is the one theme of all the newspapers there, and must bo the general subject of discussion in- train or tram, and so on, a diatribe of ingratitude for tho many aots of hospitality ho must have received at tho hands of the many people with whom he came in contact. Now, sir, is this the time for us in New Zealand to feed this 'feeling of. littles empirisni and .small-mindedness which unhappily has existed for somo time, utterly without reason or good to either, side. If he found no report of New Zealand affairs , in the papers, surely that is better than your readers being treated to the gross exaggerations which he has made with his everywhere, nowhere, nobody, and everybody expressions, wrong on the face, and with that lack of hrothorlv love and unity which might reasonably be expected of him under the circumstances. I protest to be as good a New;Zealander and member of the British Empire as anyone-in the community, and trust you .-will lot your, readers know that the opinions expressed by our friend are not generally felt, by a very' large number of .our people who, thankful of tho prosperity they enjoy here, are ablo_ to tako annual trips to the "other side" and enjoy the world-wide admitted hospitality Australians, in common with New Zealanders, show towards thoir visitors.

I appeal to your informant to modify his wholesale denunciation of our kinsmen ecross the Tnsman and acknowledge somo of the pleasant things lie saw and enjoyed, while on his visit to the Melbourne Cup festivities.—l am, etc'.j W. L. EDMANSON. December 1.