For King and Empire.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 14 December 1901, Page 3

For King and Empire.

Shall we send an Eighth Contingent?

(Secial to “|3tah”)

Dunedin, December 13. The following replies were sent in answer to the Premier’s circular : “Mr James Allen, Bruce.—lf the Mother Country neeeds more men from us, we must send them ; but we ought to extend the Military Pension Act to embrace all that the Imperial Pension does. The Imperial Pension is much wider in scope than our Act, and provides for permanent injury by sickness or disease, and for some dependents our Act does nothing for. Either this, or ask the Mother Country to extend the operation of the Imperial pension to men sent from New Zealand.” “ The Hon. George Jones (Oamaru)» I believe that the mcral effect of sending more men to South Africa at this juncture would be to quench false hopes of the enemy, to discourage the opposition of sympathisers, who appear to be ignorant even now of the true sentiments and the oneness of the Empire, and to hasten the establishment of peace and to lessen the sacrifice of life, I am more than ever convinced that the solution of the situation lies in making a supremely vigorous demonstration with the object of dispelling all doubts throughout the world. As to Great Britain’s intentions and power, as under the existing circumstances, there are both comparative safety and efficiency in large numbers. In the cause of humanity, as well as for the sake of British interests and the general welfare, the more men that are sent the bettor for all concerned in such a critical and pitiful emergency. There is no room for temporising.” Mb H, G, Ell, (Christchurch)—Refusal on our part to the Imperial Government of having the assistance of more volunteers from New Zealand would at once be used by those who want to prolong the present sad state of affairs in South Africa. Sincerely trusting that the effort about to be made will end the struggle, I consent to the proposal, The Hon G. McLean,—l think we should show our hearty love of our nation by going in for the project more than ever, tinder present circumstances, I am quite in favor of the proposal and consider that we should set about it at once. We have a splendid position and ought to show that we are prepared to maintain it. If those who seem to be lukewarm about the interests of the Empire were to live for a while under some other flag, they would soon find the difference. We have some of our people at Home to thank for a continuance of the war. Those who are taking the part of the Boers. Whatever objections one may take to the Ministry, there should be united action on the part of everybody in respect to_ this War. Those who take any other position are, to my mind, almost guilty of the murder of men who are fighting for us. We should remember, too, how this pro-Boensm encourages jealous nations to agitate. I think that New Zealanders should look at the question also in the light of selfpreservation, putting themselves in the places of the colonists of Natal and Cape Colony. What chance would, those colonies have had of retaining their independence but for England being at their back ? and that nmy be our position any day. I hope that the Commonwealth will take up this question as heartily as I think New Zealand should. Although I may not agree with the Government in all their actions, I think that Mr Seddon is to be highly commended for the lead he has taken in this whole matter from the beginning. I may add a line on the same subject. A good many young fellows have applied to me to assist them with a passage back to South Africa. Of course our Company lave no steamers running on that line, but I hold that men should not be brought back against their wills. No one had a greater desire than I have to retain our young men, and I look upon those good enough to go to the war as being worth a struggle to keep still. If they wish to go to Africa I would not bring them back against their will, because that will cause us to have a number of i discontented men in the colony. It is just possible that if it had not been determined that they must come back for their discharge, they would have returned of their own accord, and then they would not have had a grievance,