Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, MAY 28 1917 THE WAR’S AWAKENING.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, MAY 28 1917 THE WAR’S AWAKENING.

The speech delivered by Sir Edward Carson in London on Friday when he spoke as the guest of the British Producers’ Organisation, was repuarkabls for the manner in which he summarised the effect of the war on the British Empire. He held that the war had demonstrated fonr fundamental facts; first, what the country’s resources were ; seoond, by organisation the Empire conld be made self-supporting ; third, that blood was thicker than water, meaning thereby tbs rallying of the Empire (all colors and creeds) at the ca ? l of danger ; and fourth, the fopi’s paradise in which we hi*d lived prior to the war in allowing the Empire’s resources to bo used in. strengthening enemies who had been enabled to forge weapons to fight against ns. This summary might well be taken as the foundation on which the future of Great Britain and her dependencies will be fonnded, ilins. trating as it does the potency of the ohanges to be brought about within the Empire as a resale of the great war. Statesmen and writers tell m over and over again, that there are going to be great changes after the war } and that the world cannot be the same again. Tliis is a truism now in the light of the devastation [wrought and the sapping of man power and financial resources. Some of the lesser countries will have snffered more than a decimation, they will be almost wiped out. Serbia seams to be in that awful plight, and Belgium will be able to gather together after

thn'.vrar only a remnant of her population. The eoormous depletion of population in European States, together with the broken and spent nature of many of the lives whioh are left will enforce on the countries no seriously affeoted very great changes in the life and custom of the remnant people. The recuperative powers of the nations will be discounted enormously by reason of the shortage in population, and this factor will affect all arteries of trade and commerce, which in turn will delay the financial recovery of the Stales. Sir Edward is disposed to take a more hopeful view of Britain’s plight when the period of peace arrives again, but in any oase it will be a great business repatriating the vast British Army spread over the face of Europe and into Asia and Africa. Still, the war has revealed Britain’s strength such as was undreamt of. Indeed it was never contemplated that so great a trial would have been put upon the nation as did this great war which opened nearly two years and ten months ago. The essential fact whioh that dire event brought out was that blood was thicker than water,” and that the nation rose to the great occasion in a manner whioh it is clear has surprised even such students of the Empire as Sir Edward CarsoD, who if fundcnentally pro-Britain. The war’s awakening will carry great

changes in its train, acd the vest British EmpireAb a result of its dire experiences, aud its as a result of the exigencies of the war, should be in the position to meet the changed conditions with rematkabla buoyancy no less wondeifnl than that with which she has been equal to the sudden emergencies of the war itself.