The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1917. NEW ZEALAND AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3133, 11 July 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1917. NEW ZEALAND AND THE WAR

The extraordinary idea appears to exist in the minds of a certain section that New Zealand can act in this war as a disinterested onlooker, lhafc she can without incurring odmm or shame and without risk to her own future drop in or out of the war as she pleases; send men or not send men as the mood of the moment may determine; and leavo other people to do the fighting and bear the brunt of the struggle- on the successful issue of which the fate of the British Empire depends. The-folly of this attitude of. mind must bo obvious to- all thoughtful people, while the danger it .threatens if permitted to grow and extend is equally plain. To appreciate this it is only necessary to think of the joy it would bring to Germany to learn that her enemies were and beginning to discuss among themselves the advisability of continuing to participate in the struggle. If New Zealand thinks' she can drop out of the struggle, why should not England, and Scotland, and France, and Italy, and every other one of the Allies think the same thing of themselves? The pretext that because New Zealand is a young country it should not do all that lies within its power to assist to win the victory necessary to secure its own future safety is sheer humbug. At Pukckohc on Monday evening, the Prime Minister, we are jlad to note, spoke out plainly enough on the subject. Our duty. Mk. Massey declared, is to go right ahead; not to look behind, but to press forward until a decisive . victory has been won and permanent peace is assured. Sir James Aelen in the- House of Representatives last evening was even more emphatic and convincing as to the duty which lies ahead of the Dominion. It is to be hoped that these utterances represent the formal statement of a policy to which the. National Government will adhere unshrinkingly. The point would hardly have been worth raising but that remarks made by Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward to a recent deputation conveyed an impression that the. leading members of the National' Cabinet were prepared to consider a slackening in this country's war effort in the perhaps not distant future. A vast majority of the people of the Dominion will undoubtedly be glad to have this impression corrected. There is no possibility of doubt or uncertainty as to the vital necessity of following without flinching to the end the path wo have laid down for ourselves in this war. We must face the fact that to relax our efforts liefore victory has been won would be to exchange an honourable record for one of ignominy; and to adopt a policy at once shameful and suicidal. That what New Zealand does or leaves undone will not determine the issue of the war is absolutely immaterial and docs not in the slightest degree affect our binding obligation. The same might be said of any limited section of the Empire. And yet what would be the effect if all relaxed their efforts? We have at present an honoured place in the circle of nations and Dominions which is upholding and defending the cause of human liberty. Slackening in our war effort, we should at once forfeit that place, betray our soldiers in' the field, and dishonour the memory of those who have fallen. Our action will not determine the issue of the war, but it will go far to determine our own future. The idea that there is a point at which New Zealand may be held to have clone enough is possible only to those who fail to realise that in this war we are serving and defending first and foremost our own interests. The statement mado by Dr,. Newman in the House of Representatives yesterday that New Zealand has done far more than it ever promised to do discloses an amazing misconception of the real issues at stake. The only possible answer is that we are engaged in a fight for existence in concert with faithful Allies, and the principles of limited liability do not apply. Our participation.in tho war is in no sense disinterested, and neither our interest nor our responsibility is measured by any promise made to the Mother Country. The libertics of New Zealand arc as definitely menaced by German aggression as those of Britain or any European country, and wo could not dishonour the responsibilities of Entente partnership without at the same time resigning tho security and guarantee for the future which that partnership confers. It should he enough to silence any suggestion of limiting our war effort ihat if France or Britain adopted that policy the cause which the Knlcnic lias upheld at such terrible cost would be irretrievably lost. Nothing would be left but the glory of our' gallant dead and tho shame of thoso

who betrayed the cause their coun trymen died for.

_ Not long ago our representatives in London were proudly declaring that New Zealand was entitled to a voice in the determination of Imperial foreign policy, and would insist on obtaining it, while at the

same time retaining unimpaired her standing as an autonomous unit of the Empire. Does any s.choolboy need to be told that these claim's

would be turned into empty braggadocio if we failed to play our part ungrudgingly in the prosecution of the war and to pay in full whatever price fate may demand for tho preservation of our liberties'/ The facts upon which the Dominion must base its war policy now and in future arc not Cabinet secrets hidden from the public gaze. They are in plain sight. The cardinal fact is that we must continue our war effort without faltering or admit that we are inferior to those countries allied against Germany which count no sacrifice too great in the cause of liberty and justice. Our ability to provide reinforcements at tho present rate for a long time to come is ! not in question. We are threatened with a disturbance of industry and possibly with economic loss, though this may bo very greatly minimised by efficient organisation and by judicious measures of national economy upon which wo have as yet hardly made a beginning. But we are so well placed in comparison with other countries at war with Germany that wo should be amongst the last, and not amongst tho first, to suggest limiting our contribution to the common cause. The timo is near when the Dominion will call on married men to fill tho ranks, but j the married men of France and Bri-

tain and Italy have long been play>

ing their part. It has been suggested that it is more important that New Zealand should continue to export foodstuffs in full volume than that she should continue to send men to the front. There cannot be the slightest doubt that such a suggestion is utterly lacking in authoritative support. Moreover, there is not the least doubt that the volume of supplies of our principal products can be maintained at a high level while we at tho same time fulfil our obligations in the matter of supplying reinforcements to relieve the strain on our soldiers who have already been long in the fighting line. It is on all grounds—honour, duty, self-interest, jand future securityright and expedient that wo should maintain our forces in the field

until victory is won or wo have no longer men to send. In this way, and in no other way, we shall do justice to ourselves and to our Allies who stood in Germany's path in tho days when we were unprepared to act in our own defence. _ Our part is to maintain our quota in the British host which to-day sustains the failing energies of France and ensures that her heroic sacrifices shall not have been made in vain. In our degree we owe the same debt to France as Britain owes, and our future freedom, like that of all the Allies, depends absolutely upon the final and decisive defeat of the Central Empires. These are the essential facts upon which wo must shaae our war policy, and no amount of specious argument must be allowed to cloud tho issue and imperil our national honour.