MIDSUMMER MADNESS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8344, 3 February 1913, Page 6

MIDSUMMER MADNESS

It seems that the “ Reform ” Government has a naval policy after all, and if the press cablegrams can be relied upon, it is an aggressive and truculent one. Tho Hon. James Allen has taken it to tho Old Country with him, possibly to assist him in his loanraising operations, but most probably to scare Kaiser William into more amiable relations with Britain. There are two sections to the “Reform” naval policy. The first part, which is modelled on the lines of Sir Joseph Ward’s speech at the Imperial Conference, is fairly safe. It is to tho effect that tho full burden of a Pacific fleet should bo home by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The Hon. James Allen does not appear to •have any definite plan how this could be accomplished, but Sir Joseph had, and therein lies tho difference between the politician and tho statesman. It is tho second part of the Hon. James Alloa’s “Reform” naval policy that is hair-raising. At the first sight of an interviewer, and before his feet were firmly on the London pavements, tho Honourable James, swelling under a magnificent sense of his own consequence, blabbed an offer of an expeditionary force of 8000 men who are to be placed at tho disposal of the Mother Country for service in any part of tho Empire. So this is tho naval defence policy of self-styled Reform, is it? Or can it be that it is something that tho Hon. James Allen has evolved from his own inner consciousness since he parted from his colleagues and began to realise what a great man ho was in the Empire. It is difficult to believe that this startling offer could have emanated from any sane political party in a democratic colony, but there it stands, and the press of London has lost do time in accepting it as another instance of Now Zealand’s patriotism. It may bo that, or it may bo an example of New Zealand’s insanity in officially authorising such a blazing indiscretion. Tho greatest obloquy was heaped on Sir Joseph Ward from the “Reform ” platform at the last election because ho offered a Dreadnought without consulting Parliament. But the Hon. James Allen appears to have done infinitely more than this. Ignoring Parliament also, he has offered the lives of 8000 of our young men who are submitting to compulsory military training on the grave assurance that they will bo called on only for the defence of their own country. This is a situation that New Zealand will not tolerate. It is a situation that, unless it is relieved by an official assurance that the Hon. James Allen has spoken without authority, will deal a death-blow to our compulsory training system from which such good results were expected to accrue. We would suggest that Mr Massey should obtain the sanction of tho “ We ” of the squatters’ organ to communicate with the Hon. James Allen at once.