TERRITORIALS, STRIKERS AND FADDISTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 5 February 1912, Page 6

TERRITORIALS, STRIKERS AND FADDISTS.

j To the Editor. Sir,—Will you please do me the favor Ito insert the following. I notice from I certain Jeading articles of yours that ! you take pleasure in stigmatising the anti-militarists as faddists. Well, as I I happen to he an anti-militarist myself, I I thought it was time to say something j in defence of that much-abused party, j You say .that they are a small' minority, i but possibly the minority is not as small as you think it is. If all Christian people were true representatives of their Master that minority would be considerably enlarged. After reading your article the other day, I turned to the dictionary to make sure of what a faddist is. I did not find the words "fad" or "faddist," but "faddle," and this is the signification: "To trifle, to toy, to play the fool." Now, Sir, how does this definition comport with the anti-mili-tarists? It does not comport at all; their purpose and character are in the opposite direction. No person can be a faddist without practising a fad—having a playful hobby. Minority does not confttitute them faddists. I will name a few faddists for your consideration: The periodical celebration of the Battle of Waireka is a fad; the striking practice for the love of it is a fad; toying at being soldiers with church parades is a fad, and church parade is even worse: it's an abomination;, the smoking habit is J a fad; and those who take pleasure in fads are faddists. The main ground of objection to militarism is that it's an anti-Christian movement; that the great object of life, the development of Christian character is being evaded thereby; that it is an implication of infidelity, and that man's evil propensities are fostered by the sensational and showy clap-trap which militarism affords. Whether th« territorials should ever be needed to suppress strikes or not, there is another contingency which, apparently, has not been thought of, namely, mutiny. If railwaymen who are in the Government's employ can strike for more pay and more privilege, is it not quite feasible that the territorials may do the same thing and if they should make any demand which might not be granted, then the probability would be that they would become terror-torials. If Christian in-1 fluenee does not leaven the communitv.it is hard to say what may not eventuate. It , x pollcy to tfd °P t anti-Christian methods for the gratification of man's selfish ambitions. There is a moral Governor of the universe Who is being i<rnored, and His message to mankind is being set at nought, and man's purpose is to spend his life in sport.—l am etc JAMES FORTUNE "'

[We appreciate Mr. Fortune's point of view, his assumption being that it is wicked to fight. Christ fought the money-lenders in the Temple with a scourge and upset their tables. New Zealand or any other country must fight the intruder or go under. There would have been no British Empire for Mr. Fortune if Britain had always "turned the other cheek." The weak nation must go to the wall. A "strong man armed keepeth his castle." It is not absolutely necessary for him to fight because he is armed, but it is necessary for him to know how and to have the weapons to do it with. The ideal of universal peace may be attainable, but in the meantime while human nature remains as it is we may both "trust God" and "keep our powder dry."—Ed.]