THE CASE FOR UNITY
• Mi:. Massby and Sin Joseph Ward are both chary of explicitly committing themselves on the subject of after : war political organisation, but there arc suggestive indications that both leaders perceive the necessity of developing such an outlook as "befits the • times. The Pr.iiiE Minister has urged that a Government is needed which will set the interests of the. co.untry before party and every other consideration, and' Sin Joseph Ward yesterday spoke in such terms as would seem to indicate an appreciation of the conditions to he met. He said that
... it had been essential, if the country was to do its duly in the war, that I!ie old party politic? should be put aside. It would have been a monstrous thing if Ihe public men of the country, duriwr the time of stress and trial, hart been divided upon purely personal matters. To-day, Hie British world was in tho happy position Hint the war wan ended, but be wanted to say that to have supposed that such a war would cease without further trouble was wrong. The after-troubles of the war, lie had often predicted, would be as great as those of the war, though, fortunately, not with the loss of life.
This stands out as a just presentation of essential facts. It may he hoped that the after-troubles of the war will be less acute in New Zealand than in some countries less fortunately placed, but the hope, rests largely'upon the consideration that it ought to be a relatively simple matter in this country to secure an effective concentration upon essentials. Such concentration implies first and foremost the, avoidance-of party strife with all its pettiness and hampering futility. The Dominion will play its part hence forth and for years, to come in a world struggling with problems and troubles in some respects more obstinate and more difficult to remef.y than those which arose while the war was in progress, and it cannot plav that part effectively if saddled with such a handicap as party politics imposed upon it in easier days. As Sin Joseph Wai;d has said, _ it would have been a monstrous thing \ ; f the public men of this country had allowed personal and party considerations to impede the effectiveprosecution of: the war. .He has laid no more than just emphasis on the fact that now, though the war is over, it is more than ever necessary in the interests of the country to continue to subordinate such considerations.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 269, 9 August 1919, Page 6
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415THE CASE FOR UNITY Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 269, 9 August 1919, Page 6
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