A ’XMAS MESSAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3577, 18 December 1926, Page 4

A ’XMAS MESSAGE.

PEACE AFTER AVAR. THE NEW OUTLOOK. This year lias boon one ol' "real irial for the British Empire, Enemies within Ihe "ales and without have been very active in stirring' up !rouble and insidiously attempting in undermine the 'great Commonwealth of Nations to which we are proud to belong. The great old Motherland has had more than its share of burdens to carry. One pleasing feature of this time of

stress am! worry is the fact of the .‘■hiding loyalty of Britain’s sons mid daughters overseas. The enemies of Great Britain are our enemies and it is well to find that the Dominions never forget this truth. This year Britain has been almost constantly engaged in warfare which has been thrust upon her. At times it has seemed, what with industrial, political, Imperial and International nnresL that the strain must prove too great for even a giant Nation forbear up against. Tn approaching ’Xmas, the sea-

son of peace and goodwill, we are able to rejoice over the fact that ilie dear Old*Land has again proved stout and strong enough to surmount many of the great difficulties i! has to meet. “Land of hope and Glory. Mother of the free” is no \ ain description of the Homeland which gave birth to the virile Nations of Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and other progressive States.

Among the attacks our Empire lias had to meet this year none have been more bitter, treacherous and deadly than the onslaughts of the Red bolshevik forces under various guises and disguises. The chief efforts have been directed against Britain’s Trade and Commerce. No doubt, with the view that to injure her industries, trade and commerce was to deal a death blow at the Empire. So bold are the communists in this regard that they do not hesitate to affirm that their object is to cripple and ultimately destroy if they can, the Empire which stands in the way of their vile schemes for world revolution.

INDUSTRIAL WjAR AND PEACE. This year has been full of industrial conflict, whilst some of this has arisen from the interplay of economic forces there can be no doubt that he major stoppages of industry were purposely designed by the Red opponents of the British Empire. The 11011-Union strike of British seamen was an effort to injure the British Sailors and Firemen’s Union and to block Britain’s Mercantile Marine to the advantage of foreign shipping. It was a blow aimed at our sea power, a blow which failed owing to the general loyalty to the Empire of British Seamen. AVhat it meant is best described in the language of Mr Havelock Wilson, President of the British Seamen’s Unon thus; — “Sea power is world power, more so to Great Britain than to any na-

lion in the world. The moment we see an island lose grip of the sea, the moment our mercantile marine decays, the moment our naval power is so decadent that we are not able to protect the main arteries of the British Empire, then the British Empire no longer will exist.” Then there was the General Strike at Home. Adrianlonfef adjv.oeated and worked for by-the Reds in Britain and in Moscow. The attack was frustrated by the loyalty of the British people though Soviet Russia poured out money in tryng to make it succeed. There have been strikes in Australia and other parts of the Empire all having a distinctly red colouring. Yet, we have weathered these storms because our people in general are loyal and the real workers, apart from political agitators, want peace and not war.

Amidst all the conflict a strong spirit has grown up in favour of industrial peace. Men like .1. Havelock Wilson, AVill Appleton J. Edynes, J. IT. Thomas, J. Ramsay MacDonald and others are all preaching peace in England to-day. The most outstanding figure is this campaign for peace is Mr Wilson, the Seamen’s champion. He is engaged in raising half a million pounds to organise a great movement of industrial peace for the Empire and from present indications seems likely to succeed.

The class war madness lias been tried and found wanting. Men and women of British stock are turning to the old gospel, which is ever new, “peace on earth and goodwill to all men.” It is a Happy ’Xmas message. God bless those who are helping. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).