The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1911. "LITTLE NEW ZEALANDERS."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 122, 14 November 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1911. "LITTLE NEW ZEALANDERS."

The Premier has repeated the ''Yellow Peril" warning. He repeated it as an argument for the acceptance by a few ''Little New Zealandcrs" of the system inaugurated in New Zealand to make the "Yellow Peril" less perilous. Tn fact, the Premier rather apologetically asks a peculiarly brainless minority to permit him to go on defending the country. The Lit.tle New ZcaUuider (and there are quite a number of him) is not concerned with the future. What nonsense to discuss the possibility of being swept oft" the earth by alien hordes when the President of the Hob-nailers' Association can be heard publicly on the danger to the community of working for t!ic villainous capitalist! What an absurdity to talk about preparations for assuring that we do not share \ the fate of Tripoli when one can go and hear an imported speaker deliver i an oration on the "rum traffic"! Many of us have become so used to the discussion of trifles which are exaggerated into matters of terrific moment that world politics, the crash of armies, the death of monarchies, civil revolt, the institution of republics, are, in comparison to an Auckland tramway strike or the refusal of some men to continue drain-making, of no account. Sir Joseph Ward, in his speech, intimated that the withdrawal of the British Navy as an aid to New Zealand would mean national death to us. Would it? Surely not! The Anti-Conscription League or the Hobnailers' Union or the Amalgamated Doorknob Makers would protest. New Zealand has perhaps a larger share of cranks than most countries. It has people who because they are well protected and never had any real trouble are in a constant state of perspirin" protest. One can almost find it in' one's

heart to wish that the boasted freedom of the British' people was not quite so free and that the folk who howl at every useful institution were robbed of all the institutions that they so wildly discountenance. Most alleged reformers believe that the greater the noise the greater the usefulness. If the noisy ones who are getting too good a hearing at the present time were faced with the fact of a Chinese inva-

sion, do you think they won'*' about the humiliation *■' ■■" wlk

country or *>•' ' '" servin S * eir „,— ...; neroism of the uncanny

~ gangsters who are causing trouble now? No one alive can certify that New Zealand is safe from assault. No one alive knows when Britain and her navy will be engaged in t]ie greatest struggle in all history. No one can foresee whether or not the British Navy, or a portion of it, will be available to keep the invader from New Zealand. Little New Zealanders believe it is heroic to scout such possibilities, courageous to remain unprepared, clever to sneer at established order and discipline, and smart to counsel disobedience, and a sort of spineless apology for anarchy. This unseeing littleness is useful in making the reasonable strong in their antagonism to it, but it has the effect of calling to the standard of "funk" many who show by their attitude that country, home and the Empire are meaningless words to them. As we have so often said, and shall as occasion demands say again, the first | real trouble (for New Zealand has no big trouble) will effectually quell the Little New Zealander. When our statesmen discuss the possibility of eastern aggression, we have to consider that the Little New Zealander who refuses to do his part becomes a burden on that normal New Zealander who desires to do his duty. It will be a sad day for the Little New Zealander should be yell forth his funny little beliefs in the face of the enemy. There is no earthly reason why Neiv Zealand should be allowed to eternally bask in undisturbed possession of a practically empty land. There is no earthly reason why Asiatic hordes should not want to leave the crowding and starvation for elbow room and plenty. The Little New Zealander says, "Let 'em all come—we don't care!" simply because they are incapable of realising the possibility of anything more stirring in the way of an event than the peaceful visit of an American fleet or the vivid utterances of a Labor leader or,the revolt of a few workers I a S ains t "capital." The possibility of hated "capital" being in the hands of the yellow man is a matter for laughter —*o let us laugh!