SNAPSHOTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4426, 19 June 1909, Page 2

SNAPSHOTS.

By Sharpshooter. Last Friday’s meeting may be called a first-rate fight for compulsory military training. The enemy was not merely beaten ; he was routed. And that is what is happening to him all over the Dominion. However, there are still some big battles to be fought, and a good deal of skirmishing to be done. Hence these snapshots. There are some such nice people who say there’s no need for us to arm ; they fondly believe that if we’ro good and mind our manners the Germans, or the Chinamen, or the Kalmucks will never be naughty enough to fight. If there were any misunderstanding we could resort to arbitration. And they’re so positive, these good people. Why ? Because i they don’t know. Ladies they are, some of them, and when a lady is most positive you may be sure she’s wrong. That’s one reason for loving Human nature is human nature ; it was so in the beginning it is now; and even if you don t say amen, it ever will be so. In the animal and vegetable Kingdom life is a struggle for existence. The fittest will survive. Great wars as a rule are not caused by the craziness of individuals. They are the result of the irresistible forces that are working out human destiny. Sooner or later, in tbe struggle for territory, markets, what not, races come into collision. The strong conquer ; the weak go down. -. Read history ; take a course in general science, you people who cry peace when there is not peace. Never yet in all the world did nation survive, free, whose sons were not strong to warArbitration, forsooth ! Our rivals will arbitrate disputes that don t matter, readily. And they’ll arbitrate questions of life and death perhaps —if we are strong. If we re weak they’ll play a bolder game. As a bank note passes current for its face value jqst as long as there s hard coin behind if, so arbitration stands good if there are Dreadnoughts, and guns, and men that can shoot at the hick of if-^otkerwise—bah ! Mr stead is probably the staunchest advocate of arbitration in England, Aid what is his war cry now ? “ Two keels to Germany’s one.” The British Empire stands to day on its reputation plus its navy. And, to revert to the figure just used, its reputation is not good for its face value To vary the figure—the Empire is a pyramid of loose stones standing op’its apex and propped vWs&>rs 1 ‘ Lobsen 4 few of the gborejs and I|o ! for a crash and a 'gipasli apd h smother. Lucky nobody is quite ready to lopsen them yet. liofc sqm e h o( |y hP. r P ac b r soon. Meanwhile we have time to build our foundatious a little more solidly. We are not all stark, staling mad, and it appears likely that we shall build. Let’s get fo work.