"LEST WE FORGET!"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 53, 26 November 1919, Page 8

"LEST WE FORGET!"

SOME HOME LESSONS OF THE WAR. , WHERE WAS THE LABOUR PASTY? (Published by arrangement for tho Ner Zealand Welfare League.) [An Open. Letter to the Returned Soldiers, their Delations and Friends.] ■ Who stanilß upon the ground that "might is right," Loosens the bonds of kinship 'twist man- '' kind; And opens up the gateß of hellißh liato To flood the. world with bitterness and Btrifc? In the alwvp verso is summarised the chief icsson of tlio war for all. The Huns denied the moral law, maintained that "might is right," held that the power to do anything (however bestial or hellish) justified them in doing it, aiid werd broken on the wheel of God. As an aftermath of this ghastly war, which- they instituted, wo learn, that many-thousands of their women and children have died of disease and starvation; we pity these unfortunate victims of Germany's insane propaganda of hate. As a home lessop of the war, think! What would it have meant for our own women and children if Germany had won the war? In that case our Empire would havo been shattered, this Dominion bceomo a German. dependency, and in the aftermath thousands of' our women anJ children would have died of want, disease/and bitter suffering. To you men of our N.Z.E.F., who have returned, wo tender our heartfelt thanks for your noble fight for freedom, and we hold in reverence the memory of our sacred dead who made their glorious sacrifice for liberty. Women and War Work. When you men were away what were the, peopl'j at home doing? Well, many woro working and some were shirking. During Iho war there wero those who looked upon it .as a time to mako more wealth, and on the other hand there were many men of- means .and others who gave most lavishly. in money, time, or serviees"for the boys." Thowomen of our country in general rose to the occasion, and to their everlasting credit worked, tended, and sacrificed for the boys "over there"; as if each- man was their own son. Men of- the returned.forces never forget these wero they who "kept tho homo iires burning," and you may feel proud to have been in tho fight for suck women as those of your own little New Zealand;

In all- parts of the country—tho Bed Cross societies, .Y.M.C.A.,- patriotio Bocioties, Church societies (Catholic and Protestant), tho Commercial Travellers, soldiers' hostel committees, tho war relief: .societies, and . numbers of other bodies were engaged constantly in re» lieving war distress, helping soldiers' defendants, sending to the front hospital supplies, money, extra comforts, smokes, special parcels, and everything they could "for the boys." labour people say tho. "Government should have done all that." One of the lessons of tho war to us is that tho State machine is often 6low, and cumbersome, and the.people, through their network of voluntary organisations, with thousands working without pay because it was "for the boys,",probably did tho work quicker and mora sympathetically than any State Department could. , National Government. Ono important lesson of the war is that in time of special trial the laying aside of putty.and forming.a National Government proved Highly beneficial. From tho time that tho National' Government was formed right on till its dissolution, tho pay, pensions, and benefits for tho soldiers and .their dependants were steadily improved. All sorts of bodies urged the Government to mako these improvements.. It is ridiculous for tho Labour Party to pnso as ff it alono had done it. The * Government might have moved quicker in.some of these directions, but in fairness you have to remember that the Government did not know how long tho war would last, and, therefore, had to move with caution. - . "A Citizen Army and Peace. By this war New.Zealan'd learned'that' it can raise 'a '■" citizen , army. Tho :N.Z.E;F. was such:- lii the camp, and on .the field, all sorts of citizens mixed and mated; men of means, and men without, employers and employed, workel's" and capitalists, all could be found in our New Zealand Army. Not means but merit counted, and meu of humble origin gained; high honours, and held high rank. No wonder your returned men are proud of the N.Z.E.F. If we, as a people, can create this unity in time of war, why should wo have division in timo of peace?. Did you'men who bore the. brunt of the war,' and did tho 16,000 who have, laid down their lives in Gallipoli, in France, Belgium, Egypt, and elsewhero, ■ serve your country that you should come homo to find men fomentin s ' class war in Now Zealand, and stirrinj up strife which may end in civil war? Aro you not entitled to peace now? Where was the Labour Party?

The present political Labour Party is very, anxious to-show its sympathy with you returned men now. At Mitekeltown. Mr. Frnser spoke feelingly "of the high ideals for 'which the men had fought," and yet the Labour Party, Mr. Eraser included, puts Mr. Paddy W,ebb up on a pedestal as a hero, because ho would not fight. The Labour Party, with an election looming-, is strong, for your gratuity, but up till .recently your association fought tho matter alone.' "Beware of gifts from the Greeks,' which being "interpreted means, beware of, those who come with gifts that they mav use you to their own-ends. > At the present timo tho Labour Party would support 10s. per day as a gra- - tuity, if you asked for -it, as it is out to buy support with support, and tho gift would cost it, as a party, just no- ' thing. -. Mr Hiram Hunter, of Christ- , church, as an officer of the Labour Party or Federation of Labour—they are Siamese twins—defined their position in Te- . spect to- the war as one of "dignified neutrality" Think of it! You returned soldiers, whilst yon were at the front, fighting and suffering for theso men, thev stood in a position of "dignified neu- . trality" between Britain and Germany! If there had been a sufficient numbor • of fools like these of the New Zealand." Labour Party in tho British Empire, you > would! never havo seen home again, for the German Junkers would have walked over your dead and mutilated bodies t" easy victory. That is where the men' of'the Official Labour Party were when ■ you were at the war. ■ "Dignified neutrality," pah! You should give them a Hste of it now. Where was the Labour Party when von wero nt the front? Answer. Spending most of its,time shielding the shirk- i ers You cannot fight battles with' roso water and kid gloves. This is the timo for plain, blunt speech. During the war the. .Labour Party said it believed in "a citizen army, on a voluntary basis." ■ It did practically nothing to ■' support :voliinteoring, -and thereby helped- to bring in- conscription. Whilst the voluntary system was in force, Mr. Simple, at a public meeting in Wellington, said: "Let Mr. Massey get amongst ■ the rich squatters, and ask them to send their-sons to the front," and tho Labour Party opposed the Military Service Act, which <lid- the very thing Mr. Semplo , asked to be done—it "sent the rich squatter's 60n," the samo as everybody else's sons.- -When tho Red .Cross societies and kindred bodies wero helping the sick and wounded soldiers, and caring' for their dependants,' -where was tho Labour Party? , With very few excep- ■ tions its members were mainly conspicuous by their absence. The time you know your friends is when you are in trouble. You havo your own returned soldiers' associations, and Colonel (Mitchell was right when ho said; "You want no favours from: those who would have let you . down in tho war." If the lead which was given by the New Zealand Labour Parly had been adopted by all, then you men l would have been let down- properly; indeed, voir would have been trampled dowa under the Jack-hoots'of the brutal Huns. Nothing could have saved you from it. -That is the home lesson of the war, for you ami for us all.