Maori Talks on Making of Warriors

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 730, 1 August 1929, Page 7

Maori Talks on Making of Warriors

CHIEF OR SLAVE? VIRTUE OF SPEAR THRUST flUf SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter) PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Wednes. Speaking in abrupt, jerky sentences, and going from this year of grace back to the days of the Old Testament, when Joshua commanded the hosts of the Lord, in a single, startling, sudden breath, Mr. T. Makitanara (Southern Maori) made an impassioned defence of the military system in the House of Representatives this evening. Maori and English colloquialisms and Biblical language were used ■with equal facility, and he was subjected to au enfilading fire of interjections from both Opposition and Labour benches. Ho started off by saying that arguments for the Compulsory Military Service Repeal Bill had not impressed him. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Napier): I thought you were a man of peace. Mr. Makitanara: It’s all right. I’m coming to peace! I'm going to quote the Man of Peace, the King of Peace. He went on to strike a note of loyalty to the Motherland, and stressed the fact that war would not worry New Zealand, but would be fought away from these shores. New Zealand was dependent on the Motherland.

“It it weren't for the Motherland,” he said, “we would not be members of Parliament.” (Laughter.) “Too light!” he added.

Viewing the question from the Maori point of view, he quoted the Maori proverb which he rendered in Maori, and translated as “He who dies with a spear thrust dies the death of a chief: he who dies at the door dies the death of a slave.” There was dissent here, and applause. He continued that under that proverb the Maori had been able to give the pakeha a good fight when 119 landed on these shores. He had a system of training. A Member: Have you a system of training ? I Mr. Makitanara: Too right! llej went on to say that in the Maori training, which began at the age of. It, an expert spear-thrower stood off, and fired his spear at the young main in training for the battlefield. A Labour Member: Back to Uie Dark Ages.

Mr. Makitanara: You'd he bfack in the Dark Ages if you stopped a spear thrust here. Mr. Makitanara was subjected to a vigorous interjection, so that portions of his speech could only just be heard. Mr. Speaker reminded honourable members that the hon. member (should be permitted to make his speecii without interruption. He trusted that he would not have to warn tha House again. (Hear, hear.)

Next. Mr. Makitanara del\»ed into Old Testament history, and spoke of the time after the death of Moses. A Voice: Not Samuel? (^Laughter.)

Mr. Makitanara quoted the commandment of Jehovah to Joshua to slaughter the Amalekiteso and his causing the sun to stand, still above Mount Gideon for that purpose. That was Biblical authority for war. He next quoted Christ's words of there being “wars and rumouns of wars forever.”