Militant Anti-Militarism.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 22, 4 August 1911, Page 10

Militant Anti-Militarism.

As there is a determination among New Zealand "pressmen" and "politicians" to foist a system of militarism upon the NeAV Zealand democracy, the time is opportune for all lovers of NeAV Zealand '(who love New Zealand none the less because they look, beyond the bounds of New Zealand to the coming international Social Democracy), to proclaim the.solidarity of the working classes of all countries, the necessity - for peace in. order to bring about Socialism, and the fact, ever more clearly being seen by the workers of the world, "that the see pies are brothers, and the tyrants are the enemies."

The exploiting classes \rfsh to use the working classes for the purpose of getting a firmer hold of power, and of crushing the movements of ».he workers toAvards Socialism; hence they train large numbers of the' workers in the "gentle art of murder," give them Aveapons made to kill Avith,- and teach them—or,rather, compel them—to obey the commands of the capitalist class; As Europe to-d,ay is a great armed camp, and every nation is groaning under the enormous burden of militarism—Avhich is, as Lord Rosebery has said, "rapidly rattling into barbarism" as the' result of this huge burden—so it, will be in Noav Zealand, if New Zealand alloAvs itself-to be saddled with the stupendous weight of militarism. Moreover, once they get the people armed, the next thing will come the desire for quarrels, and if they cannot find them out of New Zealand, they will go in for internal d-issentions. The military will be used for labor disputes, and for all lands of needless and oppressive measures; and experience goes to show that the military are ever the Avatch-dogs of the capitalist classes to be used at their bidding to crush the working classes. It is an old dodge to divert the worker from his home troubles by telling him that the enemy is' Japan, or China, or some other nation. THE TRUE ENEMY OF THE WORKERS THE WORLD OVER IS THE EXPLOITER AND THE OPPRESSOR IN, ONE'S OWN COUNTRY". Therefore, if our land would be free, she must devote her Avbole energy to solving the Social problem. Let us organise to drive out the advocates of militarism, or let them fight their oavii battles, and kill themselves off, thus leaving the world a ple-asanter place for those who do not wish to murder one another at the behest of the capitalist class. " -. _ The time is here for a vigorous anti-militarist agitation in Noav Zealand. What has been done legislatively may be undone by the march of events plus agitation, agitation, agitation !