MILLS, MARKETS AND INVASION.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 25, 25 August 1911, Page 16

MILLS, MARKETS AND INVASION.

Dear Sir, —In your issue of August 4 you have an article in which Professor Mills makes an appeal to workers to comply with the Defence Act because the great liatioms in tfoerir search for markets- are attempting to steal these from one another. Well, whatever our Defence Act defends for us, it is not our markets. To say that a country should struggle so much for markets is pure and simply one of our modern illusions. Economically, our buying is just as important as our selling, and we no more need to protect the place we sell in any ii.o-r© than wo need to protect the place that we buy in. Professor Mills says that Germany is in search of markets, and is going to do this by the a.ssi'Sta.noe of her •army and navy. The Professor should heed Norman Anigell oai this matter. I think Angoll clearly points out in his "Great Illusion" that naval and military power is absolutely helpless to compel people to buy in a certain market. The great have all failed in the attempt to make subject territory take its goods in preference to others. North America, for instance. Trade-follows cheapness every time, and heeds not for one moment Dreadnoughts and the big battalions. "A country," says Norman Angell, "might conquer the world and not sell one penknife more on that account." We all know that the small countries of Europe do better in trade than their more powerful neighbours. Beyond our shores New Zeala.nders have' nothing which they should specially protect. Within our shores our work is not in danger by invasion; our private property is absolutley free from grave danger even if we wereconquered, a.nd our public property would be just the burden on our invaders it is to us. No • country has anything to gain by co.nqueri.ng N.Z., so' v."o have little to protect—certainly nothing worth thrusting compulsory military training on these islands for.

And if workers willingly pay for it and submit to it, just for the few reasons given for it by its authors, then they need not hope of doing much for themselves for many years to come. Anyone not believing my statements in this letter I refer to "The Great Illusion." —I am, etc., Dune-din. JOSEPH STEPHENS.