WIN THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1738, 17 July 1917, Page 2

WIN THE WAR.

MR. W. 11. FIELD, M.P. for This constituency, recently asked Mr. Massey to suggest to the Imperial Government that, while still “unswervingly resolved” to carry out our undertaking with regard to reinforcements “if necessary,” we might perhaps be better employed in producing food. The Post congratulates the Prime Minister upon the thorough-going manner in which he clinched the admirable speeches of the Minister of Defence and the Leader of the Legislative Council on the subject of recruiting, and continues: “We are glad to say that Mr Massey’s reply to this pusillanimous suggestion cleared up entirely any doubt that remained as to his own attitude to a matter about which two of his colleagues had so littingly expressed the patriotism of the country. . He had been very definitely told by representatives of the imperial Government that they wanted men more than produce, and it is clear that the aggravation of the shipping shortage since Mr Massey was in England can only have intensilied that preference. To reduce our reinforcements would, said’the Prime Minister in language closely resembling that of Sir James Alien, be a breach of faith both to the Imperial Government and to the men at the front, a breach of faith to which, as a member of the Government, he would never agree. “The Jirst thing we have to do,’ said Mr Massey, ‘is to win the war,’ We all recognised that paramount duty until a week or two ago, but now r a few of those whose patriotism has hitherto been above suspicion arc suggesting in various ways that we have done enough lighting, and that we .should leave that to the other belligerents and coniine ourselves to the production and export of mutton and cheese. Production is perhaps as important as ever, but it would be a craven backsliding to make it a pretext for retiring from the light. It is gratifying to know that the Government is as solid as the country against such a betrayal of the Imperial cause.”