The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1911. THE MENACE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 139, 8 December 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1911. THE MENACE.

; While we in a remote and sparsely peopled country have Seen discussing as matters of tremendous moment the possible defeat or victory of a political party and the first attempt to make a worldwide appetite incapable of satisfaction, the people of the Old World have been dealing with a much greater matter. Very curiously our small affairs in our own estimation quite overshadowed the great question that' 5s agitating all Europe—the probability of a most violent, most sanguinary and protracted war. We say we are very proud to belong to the British Empire and we sometimes wave flags and exclaim that "ble6d is thicker than water," and talk abou£ the ''silken thread of kinship" and «U the rest of it, but the gravest warnings from the other side of the world leave us absolutely unaffected. To-day you shall travel anywhere in New Zealand, on any public conveyance or road, and you shall hear no word about the Imperial outlook, for the people of New Zealand dp not yet appreciate the responsibilities or the consequences of being part of an Empire that may soon be embroiled in a destructive war. It will be different, of course, when the war has begun—when British troops are leaving England for France, when the Briish fleets sail under sealed orders, when the plaifi straightforward fact js drummed into every ear that the destruction is about to begin. The reason why New Zealand people take no apparent interest in the probability of war with Ormanv within a year's time, is perhaps because the average New Zealander, being far from the theatre of armed activities, feels that the actual conflict cannot affect him personally. He possibly believes that he will be at liberty to go on 1 magnifying his comparatively trifling af- , fairs into events far more important ■ than a murderous warfare on European frontiers and destruction on the .high seas. The moment Britain is definitely engaged on a great campaign is the moment that the "independent" (the now rendering of the common word ''dependent") dominions must cease to be considered if the Home Country deems it necessary to defend the heart of the Empire at the expense of its outposts. The war that is prophesied by men who are watching the unquestioned preparations for it will cost many million pounds per day—and the days that Dreadnoughts are sunk, the bill will be inconceivable. A war such as the ono in probable contemplation will carry untold consternation into every countinghouse in Europe and into every business in all British dominions. It will at once reduce in the most terrible manner the flower of the male population of the countries engaged. It will create pov-

! erty, destitution and unutterable woe, I the wails of the fatherless and the l' widows will be heard in Britain and on the Continent, and the whole system of J international credits will be dislocated. The civilian, his rights, privileges and food will become secondary to the rights, privileges and rations of the man who is fighting for him, and the non-combatant who is unfortunate enough to reside in any area in which operations are taking place will be in constant danger. Also he will probably be forced to desist from carrying on his ordinary occupations, the area under crops will diminish, and the countryside be laid waste. We are possibly secure from actual participation in the great conflict, but we shall indirectly bear our share in the ultimate disaster. We have some very foolish folk in New Zealand who believe that by shrieking "We will not light!" that war will cease. These people might well be transplanted to the frontiers of France in order to decide them that armed self-protection in such cases is the same "first" law as self-preservation. It is unfortunately only too true that most people living in countries where wars are not common do not understand their terrible nature. We read with horror of an engineer and six lascars being scalded to death by the bursting of a steam pipe. This would be one of dozens of such incidents in a day's naval warfare, and in trying to realise the horrors of a sinking warship one naturally compares the screaming "hands-uppers" with the men who are making the hearts of the I great ships beat—the engineers who so frequently go below to be boiled alive with escaping steam, torn to pieces by flying steel, or drowned like rats in a hole. A few men-of-war stokers could 1 toll the "hands-uppers" a few things about themselves. The people to realise the tremendous importance of a great European conflict must be scared—there is no other way. They must not "by frantic boast and foolish word" pretend that what Britain has done before she can do again. They must realise that j a European war may have the effect of ] a redistribution of land—of territory, j countries, colonies, dominions. They j must realise that a victorious nation, | even though beggared by war, demands ii compensation, that a nation whose greatest need is new territory may unI der some circumstances become administrators of even this Dominion of New Zealand, and that the prized institutions i of it may disappear like hail before the midday sun. We have been told by i responsible people that at this moment i 150,000 British troops are ready for instant embarkation, that there are ur- : gent enquiries in respect to war risks j within a year, and that German would 4 J'to to be friendly with Britain, In these particularly grave circumstances it behoves the people of New Zealand, not only to be prepared for every comjmercial eventuality, but to be as ready J as is the Old Country to do its part, should it be necessary. The chief thing necessary as far as this Dominion is concerned is to convince the people that they have not an inalienable right or a perpetual lease of this country. Sooner or later this right of occupation may be challenged, and Britain may be too busy elsewhere to do the rough work for them. In that day fiery resolutions and thunderous pamphlets will be poor ammunition.