The Daily News. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1912. OUR DREADNOUGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 281, 24 May 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1912. OUR DREADNOUGHT.

The perennial war scare is, of course, always the signal for a more or less vigorous display of jingoism on the part of those who love to sool the army and navy on to war from the rear, and delight in coming out whooping in the vanguard in the event of success. But there is nothing to call for the extravagant eulogies being heaped upon the Dominion because the Government has cheerfully allowed the New Zealand to be diverted from the China station, and attached to the first line of defence in Home waters. The country did nothing more than its duty in acceding to the wish of the Admiralty in this respect. Despite the protests of an effete army of Little Engl&nders, New Zealand stepped in quietly when necessity arose, and presented the Imperial Government unconditionally 1 with a fully-equipped Dreadnought of the very latest type. At the time the moral lesson of the gift was worth more to the Empire than twice the money value of the battleship, and, despite prognostications to the contrary, our little country has not gone to Mr. Mantilini's "demnition bow-wows" as a result of its generosity, nor has it been compelled to file a petition in bankruptcy after paying for its presentation. The money has been found without causing inconvenience or discomfort to anybody, and there do not seem to be very many gaunt spectres of starvation and destitution and poverty stalking in the land because Tom, Dick and Harry hare had to go one beer short, or stay away from the theatre for a night, or abstain from backing a fancy in a hack race in order to provide the necessary dollars to pay for the New Zealand. There was no stipulation made when the Dreadnought was offered to the Home authori? ties that she should be attached to any particular squadron, and it was a matter j of pure courtesy and a pretty recognition of the value of the gift that prompted the Admiralty to select the China station, which guards our waters, as the permanent home of the vessel. But events move rapidly, and the recent activity in naval shipbuilding in Germany has necessitated the strengthening of the first line of defence at Home. Having given our orange, we cannot childishly ask for it back, and we should be proud rather than otherwise that our own particular warship Has been allotted so prominent a place in the defence of the Motherland and the Empire. The German menace is no idle one. Germany has already a navy that is ample to guard her limited littoral and protect her commerce at sea, and her extensive | building of warships of all classes can | only be taken as an indication of her I desire to wrest the supremacy of the ! sea from Great Britain. Where the big Continental nation leads, Great Britain is bound to follow, and her two-Power

standard, or a standard in that neighborhood, must be maintained if she is to hold her position firmly in the front rank of the nations. As a mother naturally looks to her sons for support when they have grown old enough to make th ir way for themselves in the world, so Great Britain, now that her dependen(i- s are growing rich in population arid in wealth, looks to them for some recognition of the manner in which she has watched over their safety while they were still toddlers among tke world's nations. The country does not want any hysterical back-scratching or effusive compliments for recognising that its mother's necessities are its own. If she wants ships and men and money, she must have what ships and what men and what money we can spare, even if we have to turn our last year's dresses and cut jam out of the family menu for a while.