The Enemy Within Our Gates.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 223, 3 November 1916, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Enemy Within Our Gates.

AN JVUVS "PEACE" PAMPHLET AND ALL ITS FALLACIES. BY KOBEKT BLATCHFORI).

Three dangerous enemies m our midst are the unsaved German, the unashamed pro-German, and the 1111weaned pacifist. It is witn one of tlie latter 1 mean to deal this week. A reader has kindly sent me a copy of a pamphlet, "On the Bead to Peace," by the Hon. E. D. Denmau, M.P., published by tho National Labour Press. 1 have read this curious production with a chastened joy. and I am going to answer it, because its author all unconsciously gives tho whole pacifist case away . LIBELS UPON THEIR NATIVE COUNTRY. AVe will deal first with lhos3 libels upon their native country which make up the stock-in-trade of most pacifist defenders of the Huns.

Tho pamphlet opens with the usual weary old six-of-one and haP-a-dozon of tho other urge. '"The peoples ot tho United Kingdom and Germany are alike possessing of a thrilling conviction of tho justice of their causes." "Both know they are and always have been engaged on purely defensive operati'ons." "Both are champions of right against might." "In each ca.se war was necessary."

« « * It is a well-known pacifist trick. Both sides believe they are right, therefor* our side must be wrong. * * # A QUESTION. But when there is a quarrel and both sides claim to be right, sensible men appeal to the facts and weigh the evidence. The Germans clunn that they are engaged in "purely defensive operations," but our contemptble little army found them purely defending themselves in Luxemburg, and Belgium, and Franco.

What were the pure defenders ot , Germany doing m Bergium fl Belgium j was a neutral country. What reason ; had they to defend themselves against \ the Belgians, who threatened nobody, j or against the Frnccli who had not at- I tacked them, and did not w ; sli to tight, j sin dwerc not ready for war ? j IGNORANCE OK IMPUDENCE? ; But I have to aeal with the insinu- | ation that our own country has no hot- j ter reasou for war than the Germans j had, and is just as much to blame for ■ lighting the Huns as aiv the Huns for j tighting us. i "Are wo to attribute this insinuation . tt. ignorance, or to impudence, or to j both 'i

Germany was preparing for European war and world domination. German action had given the theory proof. What action? 'the aggressive wars upon Denmark, Austria, and France; tiu< making of the terrific and unprecedented German war machine; the building of the German fleet; the attempt to form a coalition ot the- Powers to attack Britain; the msult to liussia at the time of the annexation ot Bosnia; the insult to France through Monsieur Dolcasse; the great o() million war levy; tlu order to Holland to fortify Hushing; tne construction of strategy railways to the Belgian frontier; and the unceasing efforts of German diplomacy to stir up sedition or hostility in India, Persia, TurKey, Egypt, tin Balkans, Russia, fiance, and Ireland.

THE KAISER S SAYINGS. What evidence of the same kind on tlio pacifist produce against the Britis* '■■ .None. When .we were entangled : n the Boer War the Kn.iser said: "Germany s in bitter need of a strong fleet-.." Whar for? In the Kaiser said " t-'> trident, must be 111 our list"; in IS<N | u » said: "Our future lies on th ■ water.'' What did those words m>a!i? I'liee meant a de-ire to defeat Britain, 'a IS'N the Karsor said: ".May the Siiifae. and mnv the three hundred millions ..! Mohammedans throiiidiout the world h--assured thai at a. times the 00rm... Kmp Tor will lie their friend." What could the Ivuso--- mean 5 Britain and Russia are the great Mohammedan Powers. If is P ease of sis of one and half p million of the other' Who dares fn (MVMn-r- our p.-.jile wiih the IT:.ns? !« flier -ov i<moar -0:1 l-etwe- 11 our 1 ,1,,,-t u !'•-• held am! t'mT-'-' 1 tie-" .111 V e'Uilliari -on bei ,ve "1 err t-e :! !;ie:<t of neutrals and tho'r*? Is there nnv

A PACIFIST POINT

comparison between our treatment i.f prisoners a-»d theirs? OLE FOREIGN POLICY. Everyone in Britain knows that we were blindly and oosequiously friendly to Germany right up to the eve of war. But the author of this jerry-built, pamphlet thus describes the fcieign policy of Great Britain : We look around and discover thn rising Continental Power., We proceed to regard it a.s a rival, to distrust and to fear it, and finally, liko the practical business nation we are. wo seize the first good opportunity wo have for giving it a knock on tho head. ■Such flippant juggling with facts is unpardonable. It is as silly and inaccurate as anything yet perpetrated by Itornard Shaw. It is true that since the times of the Tudois the British have fought against and helped to defeat several attempts of ambt'tious Sovereigns to conquer or dominate Europe. It was for the liberty ol Europe, and especially for theliberty of Germany and Holland and Portugal and Spain, a.s well as for the security of England, that we helped to defeat King Ferdinand, and Louis XIV., and Napoleon. But we have never yet entered upon n European War for the sake of European conquest, as the Germans did in 1864, and 1866, and 1870, and 1914. What is the .nost popular song n Germany? 'Deutschland über Alios!' Germany over all. * * * WHEN WE WERE NEAR WAR. Equally reckless is Mr. Denman's asj >ertion that our relations with Ger- ' many were'improving in the period ju«f

prior to the war. In 1911 we nearly came to a rupture, and Germany would 1 have attacked had she been quite ' itady. In 1912 Lord Haldane went on his wild-goose chaso to Berlin, and on his return warned the Government that Germany meant mischief. He has told us so himself, and Mr. Winston (..'hurch'll has contained what ho said. It is true that Mr .Asquith and Lord Haldane, and Sir Edward Grey, and Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Winston Churchill deceived the country by saying what they knew to he false, but the fact remains that relations between Germany and Britain were very unsatisfactory, and that Mr. Asquith sent Mr. Churchill to the Admiralty with orders to have thoT-avy reedy for ms:ant action.

Mr. Denman stores a point when lie points out that we guaranteed the integrity of .He'.giuni without making sure of our power to defend it. JJut whose, fault was it that we were not n a positron to deft'id JJelgiumr It was the fault of the pacifists and the poace-at-any-prke party >w~io were always shouting for a curtailment of military expenditure and a reduction of the Army and "the Navy. The very men who prevented us from preparing accuse us ol being criminally unready. There is such a thing as honour, no had no formal aliame with Frame, but \\m had a tacit understanding. Had wo net cunc-ntrated our naval power m tiJji North Sea, and had not I'ratM.v concentrated hers in tuo Mediterranean 'i What did that imply ?

A SXKEB REBITTED. Our ingenious author poses as a champion of truth. He says the "plain man is led up with lies and demands Truth, and this is the kind of Truth «■ offers him : I low many of them have heard vindictive sermons on the subject ol Kheims Cathedral and the mutdated Belgian babies, and in how many casaa (after it was diown that tic babies wire mythical and the prims responsibility lor the damag" to Rh'eims Cathedral lay w'th th. 1 Kremh, who wore em ploy inn that building as an observation post froi.' which to direct their art-Mary fire) (id the preacher snb«equ< ntlv shcv.v even the • roiitlemniiiiti 'ss to admit he had unjustly maligned t!;e enemy 0 >:.--,' IT lli ■ anther wi'l eons.dt " hoot; ,:,!!,.,! "The Read In f,ie<re" h will find the cliarg.-s of iniendiari-.it>. pdlac\ outrage and murder proven, and the

names of the mythical children ami women given. He may also consult the Bryce report, and the lionch Belgian official reports. Hut he can find h"s sneer rebutted nearer home. The habits killed by tho Zeppelins and in the Scarborough and other bombardments are not mythical. The German use oi : poison gas an I liquid lire is not mythical. The wet's poisoned by the Huns in Africa are. not mythical. The sinking of the LiMitania is not mythical. The murders ot Nurse Cavoll and Captain Fryatt are not mythical. THE PACIFIST FLAW. Says Mr. Denman, .speaking 3t peace : "It must bo a peace based upon the mutual understanding of democracies." Alas! Germany is no more democratic than the Kaiser is Quakerish. It is no use lighting the Quaker beacon when we have to deal with a nation based upon "Blood and iron.''

And there is the pacifist flaw. After what has happened, after all the revelations of tlie bust two years, the great mass of our people recognise! that th-j Huns arc Huns, and that they had plotted and armed for tens of years with the object of taking us unawares and destroying us. But the pacifist has learnt nothing. In some inscrutable way which a normal mind cannot follow ho has contrived to stick fast to his belief in the innocence of the Huns and in the gulls of tire deceived and unsuspecting British people. The pacifists probably mean well; but because of their ignorance and because of thcr'r inability to recognise facts they are among tho most dan gerous of the enemies within our gates.

SHE WAITED. Old Moneybags, her papa, hal proved unfriendly and scornful, but Eva, his adored one, had promised to be true and wait till fame and fortuno had come young .Unison's way. Across the blue seas he had prospered. Returning to clam his bride, ho walked into a tea-shop. "Scone and cup of tea," ordered .limson, then he looked up a" tho fairhaired waitress with the cheek dimple "Eva!" ho cried. "George!" she gasped. "Why ?" "I promised to wait," she smile 1. "Poor pa went smash, you know." WASTED BRAIN-POW ER. The bar-parlour of the " I roth and Whiskers" was filled wth a goodly company, and inevitably the conversation veered round to the war. "I've got a conundrum for you all,' exclaimed Hogback, the. pig-dealer from the neighbouring village. "If one British soldier can lick ten Austria', soldiers, how many British soldiers can lick sixty-live Austrian soldiers?" At once everyone in the room as sumod a studous air, and there was a terrible amount of chewing of lead pencils and laborious figuring upon scraps of paper. Sudenly old B'udkins looked up from his task.

"Say, Hogback, he said, "did y<v sav Austrian soldiers?"

'" 'Course I did!" replied Hogback. "Darn it!" cried old Bludkins, "an' I've been reckoning Germans'"

IRRESISTIBLE. H was the war of 1990, and the Ann. zons were ranged in battle. The lady colonel was rallying her troops, among whom panic seemed likely to spread. "Women!" she cried, waving hei parasol, "will you give .way to mannish fears?' 1 For a moment they pulled themselves together, yet st ; ll hesitated to advance. Then their leader made one last effort: •' Women, listen! Are you going t.. show the white feather in a season when feathers are not being worn?" "Never!" cried the Amazons, as they dashed forward to meet the enemy. VERY CONSIDERATE. Village Matron (to neighbour) : "Tin going over to the town, shopping, this afternoon. Can 1 bmg you anything? "Yes you might bring me two rpinrv em loaves, and a dozen pounds of preserving sugar. I want several other thinir-C too—but never mind them, you are walking. It would make year bosket rather heavy!" POOR FELLOW.

One of the novelists, referring to his hero, says:— His countenance tell. His voice broke. Hi 3 heart sank. His hair rose. His eyes blazed. His words burned. His blood froze.

It appeal's, however, that lie was a bio to pull together and marry the, girl in the last chapter.

THEN JIMPBON OWNED UP. When Simpson was leaving his elm the other night he discovered thatsomebody liad taken his new umbrella ••-by mistake, of course —and had left an 'ancient gamp in its place. Next day lie met Jiuipscn on the street w'th it. "Say, old chap.." cried Simpson, pleasantly, "would you mind handing over rav umbrella}"' -It's not yours," replied .Tmpson, with a show of indignation. "I bought it only last week. '•Sorry if I made a mistake,'' sad Simpson" Then, in a more serious tone. r.ddcd, "Would you care to do me .1 .slifiht favour?" "What is it?" "Civ,- me that silver hand Imm round ti.o handle; it's got my name on it."

BREAKING fT (IKNTLY. Svmpathctic IMistross : " 1 was verv sorry to hear of your wile's (hath, \\\\- I nni. Being taken -•' suddenly as she :\.\:.. von iiiuct miss her U>ri'.h!y." \Vill ; nm : " Well, mum- not so much j.s you'd think, seem' as she was away for a fortnight's 'oliday \\i< afore 1"