THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1907. NEW ZEALAND PATRIOTISM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 17, 15 February 1907, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1907. NEW ZEALAND PATRIOTISM.

Just now the colony has been stirred by a wave of sympathy for Ireland in its endeavour to obtain Home Rule, and a section of the community has felt moved to the extent of several thousands of pounds. Such is the power of sentiment over a patriotic people, even when that patriotism must remain merely a sentiment and without advantage to the people who so freely lend their assistance to a cause which is powerless to affect them in a material' sense. However, they have given of their best, and presumably the gift was a freewill offering, and included alike, the widow's mite, and the workman's hard won wage. In the sense that it betokened the possession of one of the highest and most necessary national virtues, the action was commendable. In the sense that it displayed a lamentable ignorance of the necessity of directing all our patriotic efforts towards the fitting of our own colony to uphold it's own position, it was deplorable. For the knowledge that before many years have passed, New Zealand will be called upon to defend itself from Asiatic attack is daily becoming more widespread. To anyone who thinks of the happenings in the Eastern world ; of the unrest in India, in Africa, and in China ; of the feverish activity of Japan in the world of commerce and of diplomacy, these things mean much, and the riddle is not hard to read. The European, and the Britisher in particular, has been so long imbued with the idea of his immense superiority, that he is hard to convince of danger. That races he has been taught to regard as barbaric, or semi-barbaric, can affect him, or his, seriously, can hardly enter his head. Russia lived on for years in the sublime, and placid content of self-deception, until she stirred up the Eastern ogre, and found that it was not a mere bogey. Now that the ogre has awakened, there are ample signs that it means to do all the stirring up that is necessary for its welfare. Japan has done wonders within the last few years. Its watchword is progress and expansion, and it has proved its power to work out its destiny among nations, and set its hand against the strongest. Japan has an enormous population for the size of the country, a recent estimate placing it at about 48,000,000, or nearly 5,000,000 more than that of the United Kingdom. The nation must progress to hold its position, and in order to do this must find room for its surplus population and its commerce. In the Pacific are the newest and least exploited countries, and in seeking for new, and near fields, the first places the Japanese eye must see, and the Japanese heart covet, are New Zealand and Australia. When the time is ripe, and we have seen that Japanese intention matures quickly to action, there will be no lack of cause for a quarrel. Our laws restricting Asiatic immigration are sufficiently irksome to a strenuous and warlike people, to make quite a good enough reason without going further. Than that this will happen there is nothing surer, and we shall be faced with the alternative of throwing our doors open to the swarm of Asiatics, or defending our shores against them. To the patriot there is no choice, for who would wish to mix blood with a race, possessing a lower standard of living than our own ; one that is devoid of morals as we understand them, and one that has only the thin veneer of a recent civilisation covering, and only half hiding the cruel and degrading instincts of a ruthless Orientalism. The Western nature is antagonistic to the Eastern. There are fundamental differences that no conditions can bridge, or compromises can cement, and underlying all diplomatic measures and courtesies, there is a fierce

and undying race hatred, which one day will lead to a Homeric struggle for dominance. j;ln the meantime, within the next few years, the first act in the great drama will be enacted in the Pacific, and all our patriotism will be called upon to preserve our race purity and all that we hold sacred from the contaminating influence of a lower living people than ourselves. There is no need to enquire if we arc prepared. It is questionable if we could defend one of our ports against a single foreign warship. We are depending on the Home Country, and if European complications arose when the time came, what would we do to help Yourselves ? I Vigilant eyes are watching, and thinking minds are planning, while we are totally unprepared. A movement has been started in the colony for the purpose of making it compulsory for everybody _ to undergo a simple course of training in order to fit our men to bear arms, if necessary. This movement is one of the first signs of a practical patriotism which New Zealand has called up, and it should be encouraged. Every man and woman (history records that patriotism is not confined to males) in the colony should give a ready hand to assist such a movement. We must get prepared, and that quickly. There is only one way of doing it, and that is by making the movement national. Make our representatives in Parliament take the necessary steps, and the matter will go forward and develop, Ifor the will of the people will be behind it. There is talk of forming a Mounted Rifle Corps in the King Country, and it is to be hoped the efforts to do so will be successful. Anything that gives our young men the neceassary training and dicipline to take part in the defence of the country should be warmly encouraged. Rifle clubs are being formed in verious centres, and are also desirable, but the only thing which can make for thoroughly organized and systematic training for all, is for Parliament to take the matter in hand, and make it a compulsory duty for every New Zealander to fit himself to efficiently defend his country when occasion arises. The cadet movement in public schools is sowing the seed, and an hour or two a week of everybody's time would not be felt, while the object is surely worthy. If New Zealand is not worth this, by all means neglect it; if New Zealand is worth it, it is our obvious duty to see that it is done.