"THE ROUND TABLE"

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 May 1915, Page 3

"THE ROUND TABLE"

THE New Zealand agency of the " Round Table " has published a selection of passages from that review dealing with urgent problems of Empire. NEW ZEALAND'S SHARE IN THE WAR The object of the' publication is explained in the preface, which is as follows : — (p. I) ' Those who are unable to undertake military duties during the war can yet render a great service to the Empire by facing and thinking out certain practical questions relating to Defence and Foreign Policy.

It will be found that many of these questions are covered or raised by the single question, ' What share are we in New Zealand to bear of the general burden of the war ?'

We undoubtedly desire to bear our fair share of the cost, however large that share may be. The problem is to find a sound, practical means of settling how the cost is to be shared.

A basis of agreement will have to be found with the other selfgoverning parts of the Empire as to what parts of the respective war expenditures of these Dominions are to be treated as general expenses of the Empire. It will then be necessary to decide upon the relative ability of the different parts to bear a share.

The question of sharing with the othor Dominions and with the United Kingdom in the cost of the1 war will inevitably raise the question of our sharing with them the future cost of Defence and Foreign Policy. That, in its turn, will naturally raise tho question of our sharing with tberu the responsibility for all decisions involving peace or war, that is to say, the general responsibility of maintaining the existence of the Empire as a whole.

New Zealand's immediate;, desire is to contribute to the war her fair share. Precisely the same questions as are mentioned above arise, however, upon any attempt to find a sound, practical means of settling how the numbers — required now and hereafter — are to be apportioned between New Zealand and the other self-governing parts o? the Empire, In considering these problems, :t is essential always to remember that the existence of the Empire gives *' peace and the opportunity of selfdevelopment to one-yuartpr of the human race." The " stupendous responsibility" for this at present rests solely upon our fellow-citizens in the British Isles. We have to decide whether we aro or are not to continue to stand aside from sharing the burden of this noblest part of our heritage, which includes the trusteeship of those races who have not yet achieved self-goverq?nent.

No doubt all these questions involve great difficulties, but it will only be by consideration and discussion that we can ascertain exactly what are the difficulties, and what are the issues actually involved.

As a contribution to the consideration and discussion of the pressing problems of Empire, it has been decided to reprint from the "Round

Table " a number of passages dealing with such problems.

Our self-respect will spur us to great effort when we recall the fact that we in New Zealand, before the war, were paying about 11/ per head for defence, while the British taxpayer was paying over four times as much.

With the interest on the debt incurred in building up the Empire (which the Dominions do not share in any way) he is indeed, paying more than £2 per head' of the population ; and his country, long weighted with this burden, stands in greater need than Bny dominion of liberal expenditure on social reform.

The truth is that the safety of the imperial system cannot be maintained much longer by the arrange-, inents which exist at present.