THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, THURSDAY, May 25, 1916 THE LUCKY AUSTRIANS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 May 1916, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, THURSDAY, May 25, 1916 THE LUCKY AUSTRIANS.

STOU; BRITISH THE FIGHT

WE LOOK AFTER YOUR LAND

AND THE GUM,

THE Austrian (or Slav) question in regard to the war is a large one, and we must say that the ECHO has no tickets on the Premier or Mr Coates, M.P., in glossing things over, as was done in the House last week ; not that we are entirely in accord with the ideas,and consistant by-play of Messrs Webb, Payne and others, who are such rabid Oppositionists (Labour Members principally) to anything the Government does, let.it be a National Government or a Massey-Ward Government.

The Member for Kaipara (Mr Coates) says the Dalmatian question is a difficult one to deal with. The ECHO knows it. Mr Coates says it is incorrect to class all Dalmatians as Slavs ; there was an Austran element certainly. At the same time it would be quite unreasonable to intern " all these people." Now, no one wishes to intern the lot! What the Britisher wants is that the Austrians should not be given the run of the whole country, to select land where they like, and dig all the gum out possible, and to even jibe at the Colonial going to the front, as has been the case up Mangonui way, by telling our boys" to go to the front and fight the Germans—"We will look after your country (Noo Zealand), and the gum too." Then Mr Coates is reported to have said he would trust his life with many of these men, while there were others that he would not go twopence on." Then why, we ask, does he not seek to get these " dangerous " men interned, or else deported from the land in which they are living in clover, and ousting the British worker out of his billet ? These are simple questions.

And Mr Isitt wants to know why a regiment of Dalmatians cannot be sent to Servia ? And the Prime Minister tells us that the British Government won't have them ! This is rich indeed. A scandalous shame that our own people should do all the fighting

in order to keep the Dalmatian (or Austrian) in this country to smile and jibe and scoop the pool. In many parts of the North those that are left to take care of home and hearth are up against the Government and all who support the wretched unfairness as meted out to the foreigners as against the British.

Again, it was asserted on the floor of the House that if many of these men (Austrians) went to the front they would have to leave their children behind. How sorrowful to be sure to the Britisher, and beautiful to the Austrian. We have sent the cream of our blood, the lads of the widow, the up-keep of old age, and the brothers and sweethearts of our girls to the front to fight for freedom and civilisation, while enemy subjects are pettedup and kept to mind that the best of the land and the valuable gum deposits do not run away. They concern themselves nothing over the war or its trials, and are therefore immune from service or liability.

The Austrian question was discussed at a large and representative public meeting held at Kaihu last night. It was unanimously resolved —That the Government be informed that Austrians are stepping into the places of men, who have gone to the front, and are reaping the benefits which should rightly belong to them when they return. That there are good grounds for believing that every alien is provided with fire-arms. That it is unjust to the women and children that their menfolk should be called to fighting line and the aliens be left behind as a menace to the unprotected. That the Government be asked to grant facilities to the subjects of Britain's allies to return to their native land.