The Dominion. FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1916. THE RIGHT NOTE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2769, 12 May 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1916. THE RIGHT NOTE

The fact that the Address-in-Beply to the Speech delivered by His Excellency the Governor at the opening of Parliament on, Tuesday was moved last night by the two members who acted as Whips of the opposing parties before the formation of the National Government is an impressive reminder of. the cessation of the war of parties'.until the war of nations has been brought to a close. The tone of both' speeches was admirable. Both speakers insisted upon the duty of presenting a' united front, arid loyally supporting the' National Ministry in its,efforts to organise tho forces and resources of the country in order iSat New Zealand may fulfil its promise' to support Britain to the last man and the last shilling in this great fight in which the Empire is engaged. It •is to be a war session from beginning to end, and the attention of members should be concentrated upon the . business of making the Dominion's fighting machinery—both as regards man-power and —as efficient as possible. . There are bound to bo differences of opinion as regards'the means by which our help to tho Empire can be made most effectual, but there can be no excuse for anything in the shape of personal animosity or for methods of political controversy that tend to impair tho nation's . unity. There has been a disposition in certain quarters to throw discredit upon the work of tho Mjnistcr of Defence and his Department./ Some of the criticism directed against Mr. Allen's-administration has been most unfair. Mistakes have no doubt been made, and the Department has at times shown an irritating slowness to profit by experience.'' Eut there is another side to the picture. Tho great task which Mr. Allen and his Department have been called upon to undertake has on tho wholo been' well done. Mr. Guthrie's reference to the successful manner in which tho work 1 of training equipping our Expeditionary Eorccs lias been carried on was timely and convincing. Mk. Allen is entitled to claim to bo judged by the general results actually achieved, and not merely by occasional mistakes made.'* The men that New Zealand has sent to the front arc a credit both to themselves and to the system under which they have learned the art of war. In a cablegram which we publish in another column we are told that "tho consensus of opinion is that the Aus(tralasians are the finest troops ever seen on tho .West front. They are the best clothed and equipped men to bo found anywhere." Mr. Allen would be justified in .regarding this fine tribute as a testimony from men who can speak with authority to the efficiency pf the work of his Department. Fair-minded critics will judge his work as a whole, and as a whole it must be pronounced a succcss. Its delects and shortcomings—and we do not dispute that there have been shortcomings—are far outweighed by its merits and its substantial results. It is grossly unfair to magnify minor faults and refuse to recognise the outstanding fact that 50,000 men have been trained and equipped in a manner that has won tho highest praise of the most competent judges. Mr. Forbes, who seconded the Address-in-Keply, made a speech which rang true from sta,rt to finish. He strongly emphasised ? £hc duty of

members to assist the National Government in doing all that is neces-' sary to carry_ the war to a successful cud. Criticism, he said, was a good thing, but it ought to lie helpful. He deprecated the sort of controversy that would tend to discredit the men who are managing the country's affairs in this grave crisis. Tho opinions expressed by Mr. Forbes regarding national servico were very much to the point. He spoke with commendable plainness oil this important subject. He (like so ma'ny others) is satisfied that the voluntary'system jias outlived its usefulness, and that it should now be definitely abandoned. The national service system should be established right away. There is nothing to be gained, and a good deal to be lost, by allowing the voluntary method of recruiting to die a lingerl ing and painful death. Mr. Forbes took part in a personal canvass of his district, and is quite sure that the time has come for organising our man-power in a more complete and efficient manner. Wo are in honour bound to do this in order to fulfil our "last man and last shilling" pledge. These are undoubtedly the views of flie vast majority of the public. The country is tired of threadbare recruiting appeals, and of various other devices to induce or compel men to enlist. The unfairness and inadequacy of the voluntary system are becoming more and more obvious, and the country would heartily welcome the enforcement of national service. The country, said Mr. Forbes, is in a heroic mood, and ready for heroic measures. The people have been waiting for a stronger lead from the Government and Parliament, and there will be great disappointment if a bolder and move ccmragcous war policy is not decided upon during the present session. The references made in the debate to the unexampled prosperity of the Dominion emphasise the fact that it is our duty to shoulder a larger share of the financial burden which the war has placed on the Empire's shoulders. It is impossible to be proud of our attitude in this matter. Instead of making financial sacrifices, the country is actually profiting by the war. It is to «je hoped that' Mr. Forbes's plea that wo should do moTe than we are doing from tho money point of view will not fall on deaf ears. Let us hope that the Financial Statement will show that tho Government has at last been influenced by the "heroic mood" of the people.