THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1909 NEW ZEALAND'S LOYALTY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 142, 25 March 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1909 NEW ZEALAND'S LOYALTY.

THE offer of a battleship—more if necessary—by the New Zealand Government to the Motherland, must be regarded as a splendid example of practical patriotism on the part of Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues, and the manner in which the action has been received by public and press throughout the Dominion, is a significant indication of the temper and loyalty of the people in this remote corner of the Empire. Parties and factions may exist within our own little circle, but in the face of the Empire's need it is gratifying to realise that our public men arc capable of sinking the smaller issues and rising in company to the dignified heights of patriotism. The offer has now been subjected to widespread criticism and review, both at Home and abroad. Regarded from all standpoints the most that has been said in condemnation of the action by our own people is that Parliament should have been called together before such a liability was undertaken by the Executive. As the same crtiics all agree that Parliamentary sanction in respect to the action was a foregone conclusion, it is hard to understand their attitude. In a commercial sense the offer is warranted, and the fact that New Zealand recognises its responsibility in the matter of contributing to the Empire's vast naval expenditure merely indicates that we are alive to our own commercial interests. Only with the British Navy dominating the seas, and safeguarding our channels of commerce, we in New Zealand, tog«ther with our sister colonies, may look to reasonable progress, and the opportunity to work out our destiny. British naval supremacy has existed for so long that we have come to regard it as a matter of course, and secure in the knowledge that upon such supremacy d?pends not only the integrity of the Empire, but the very existence of the Mother Country itself, we confidently base our actions and policy upon the continuance of such unchallenged supremacy. The primal instinct of self preservation would alone be sufficient to stir the outposts of the Empire to action upon the slightest appearance of danger, and when extraordinary occasion arises there is no need to search for justification, either in the

realms of sentiment or commerce, for ! I an action calculated to assist in pre- ! serving the national safety. We, 1 nevertheless, prefer to believe that the action was dictated by the highest motives of patriotism and loyalty. Great deeds are born of true sentiment, which inspires man to iorget self in the interests of the nation. Our public men have set a standard, and the reminder that the Empire's safety may be challenged should prove the means of inspiring us to determine our real strength, or weakness, and act accordingly. In this connection the remarks of Sir William Russell are well worth quoting: "New Zealand frequently boasts that it sets England an example. Now, it has an opportunity of setting a great example to the whole Empire by universal compulsory training of all her men. I feel that the failure of the two Power standard is not an unmixed evil, as possibly universal training will be determined upon, and the fears of invasion will be long past history."