The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1916. ENEMY WITHIN THE GATE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 8 November 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1916. ENEMY WITHIN THE GATE.

(With Which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News).

WHAT is termed a sensational incident was cabled to New Zealand from Tasmania the other day, and from its nature it is somewhat alarming even at the distance it occurred. It is another distinct proof of the origin of that body of traitors known as the I.W.W. First, there are the prosecutions in Australia for sabotage of the most appalling character, and the bloodthirsty murder of a guardian of the peace, in addition to a traitorous, or perhaps we should say treacherous, for no true British subject could be guilty of such actions in engineering a great labour upheaval that is intended to stop the possibility of despatching additional reinforcements to the front. Now, it is cabled that in Tasmania bomb-throwing has been resorted to; a returned soldier was addressing a conscription meeting when a bomb was thrown which exploded and severely injured the legs of two people,! leaving them torn and bleeding. The brave 1.W.W., the production of Hun kultur, sneakingly climbed a fence till he could see over it, then hurled his ,pnoduct of German frightfulucss at the gathering. He didn’t wait for his change, but made off for a place of retreat leaving his bomb to do its deadly work. It exploded, severely maiming a constable and another man. What is most important is, “did wc hear that bomb explode here, in New Zealand ” Are we attaching that significance to it that a nation of sane people would be expected to do? If wc did hear it, and wc do attach the natural significance to it, what ore we going to do about it? Wc have the enemy in our midst, just as surely as Australia and Tasmania have; the I.W.W. has unmistakably disclosed its Teutonic origin, and we begin to wonder whether our internment of alien enemies has been carried out with that reasonable thorougliness which should rid the community of Its most dangerous alien elements. What guarantee have we that

v. ' r ■ ", "ilitaiy Service 'Act lias been put into operation that a campaign of

sabotage and murder will not begin in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and other centres? It is truly marvellous , that New Zealanders can smugly view the burnings, destructions, bombings and murders across the Tasmas Sea, and still think, that such a state of affairs can never obtain here. We see emblazoned wherever wc go and wherever we read, “Britain Prepare,” but do we prepare, or do we wait till possible extermination is upon ug before our indifference and diffidence melts, and we realise our danger It will be little comfort and satisfaction to punish the I.W.W. incendiarist when some of our finest buildings are destroyed, and it will conduce little to feelings of public safety to know- that one I.W.W. murderer has been hung. Now is the time to ferret out the I.W.W. Hun retreats, and to take such steps ag will not. only prevent burnings and murders, but also the leavening of the most susceptible portion of our people with revolutionary ideas. Britons have a characteristic aversion to anything in the nature of a scare; they give no encouragement to the cry of “Wolf! wolf! ” but that cry may be disregarded to a dangerous extreme. Had Britain prepared in counter to the preparations that were proceeding so feverishly and with such thoroughness in Germany for many years past there would have been no war now, millions of the best lives in the world would have been spared, and the Empire would not have been brought to the verge of financial ruin. If this I.W.W. menace is taken with half the seriousness that it warrants by the authorities, much mischief may yet be averted. It is chiefly amongst labour that the directors of Hun cultur have put their emissaries to work, but from present appearances they have only scored some measure of success with the least educated and least thinking; the main body of workers here are a fairly well educated and thinking class. They have sifted the I.W.W. doctrine and found it wanting, that is not at all constructive, that it leads to that chaos from whence springs revolution. Their leaders have realised that the one thing likely to cast labour back to conditions existing fifty years ago is to lend themselves to the I.W.W. methods, of burnings,- bombings and murder. Labour has the power to secure its legitimate rights, and .all it need do is to educate and organise that power.. We look back thirty years and sec what a mighty work labor has accomplished during that time without the help or the use of the I. W.W. methods. If labour has reached that stage in its emancipation that only I.W.W. treachery is left to it, then it is indeed in a parlous condition. Those who have taken a deep interest in helping on the evolution of present day conditions, still have confidence that labour will continue its constructive course, for any divergence therefrom is considered nothing less than the most dangerous and harmful speculation. Hun machinations have already brought mournings to every corner of this land; let us hesitate before we are involved in the meshes of a revolution in which our mothers, wives, sisters and children may fall victims to the Hun blood lust before our very eyes.