A Pokeno Address.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 228, 8 September 1914, Page 2

A Pokeno Address.

| THE PROPER CHURL) STRUCK. A valuud correjponrlent 6enda us the following report:— In the cojrae of an address delivered at a meeting of Pokeno and j Maungatawhiri Valley aetHeri", convened to promote a local Patriotic | Futid, Mr George Lippiatt in refcrj ring to tha growth of the German Empire said: —"Fifty years ago the German Empire, as we know it today, did not exist. Then it consisted of a number of small principalities, i the largest being the Prussian, and it was almost entirely due to the iron ! will and unscrupulous mind of ene man, I'rincj Bismarck, 'the man of blord and iron,' these small states were weldeJ into what is now known as the German Empire. After securing tne union of (he smaller states he made war upon Denmark and I wrested from her Schleswich and Holstein, then from France the ; states of Alsace and Lorraine, and from Austria a portion of her territory. The success of these latter wars was almost entirely due to that vastly superior arm, th 3 destructive needlegun, in t v c lands of the Germans. Tha acquisition of

this territory Irom her neighbours I placed uermany supreme in Central J Europe. Later on, when displaced from oflice by the present Kaiser, 1 Bismarck remarked with evident ' satisfaction that "but for 1112 at least three great wars would never have happened." The unscrupulous j methods adapted by Bismarck have j been continued in connection with , their later acquisition of colonies. To acquire Samca they promoted j strife between the native chiefs and then stepped in, collared the islands and stuck to them in spite of mild J remonstrance from Britain and the I United States of America. Kaiu- | Chau was acquired as compensation for the murder of two German missionaries, and to-day wi see how ; they respect their treaty obligatiois I with little Belgium. Numerous | instances could be given tf German i duplicity and the methods of carry ! ing ojt their ambitious desire to dominate the world, and the present 1 struggle - the greatest since the | time of Napoleon, jj at about a , century ago—was inspired by the I desire to wrest further cohnies | from I heir neighbours. Now, do not | let us under-estimate their strength. I With a population of twice the British Islands and the most highlytrained army in Europe, Germany I is a formidable enemy for the allied , forces to contend against. So far j they have b:en merely skirmishing. The great battles are to come and |we must remember that until one , or the other is completely overcome j peace cannot fce even hoped for. I Former groat wars have been con- | turned fr.r sears. Napoleon's, tor instance, for 22 Vfars, chiefly because his limit powerful enemy, the British, was a naval power, and the same conditions obtain today in the struggle with Germany. Could t v e British 1 avy only get at the German in a fait light the result would not be long in doubt, but whit is ihe prsitiun —(Mr Lippiatt here referred to a eketch map showing fie relative positions of the British fleet in the North Sea and the German in the Baltic I and Kiel Canal). Continuing, he said, should the British fleet divide and half enter the Baltic and by mischance—- ! through running on mines, for example—be defeated, then the German fleet might slip out from the canal and possibly get through the British fleet and out to sea and play havoc with the British over-sea commerce. This might j entail ar, ignominious surrender on S the part of England with the loss lof her colonies and a huge war l indemnity. Fie did not say this to [ unnecessarily alarm, but to emphasise the grjvity of the situation and I to spur us 011 to put forth all our | exertions to bring the war to a successful termination as quickly !as possible. Although at present Austria and Germany w c re surrounded by enemies, still some of the nations engaged might turn round and help Germany. This has happened before, and history might be repeated. Therefore our duty was to help to the utmost. Men and money were required to help to keep the Old Flag flying—the Flag that had always stood lor liberty wherever it had been unfurled, and surely as Britishers we should respond heartily to the Empire's call. Britain had always stood by her children, and in that respect we stand on historical ground. Not far away the Orpheus was wrecked on ! the Manukau Bar when coming to | assist the early settlers in their I war against the Maoris, while almost at the door stood the Queen's Redoubt where British regiments were stationed to keep back the natives. Further away on the South Road in the little cemetery stands a monument to the brave men who fell during the conflict, while across the hill j to tha Thames Gulf the ramparts of the Surrey, Esk and Miranda rpdoubts stand out prominently—silent witnesses of England's solicitude lor her children's welfare. Now we have our opportunity to show oui' gratitude in a practical manner by contributing to the Patriotic Fund and he trusted all would do so freely'