The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1914. ARE WE DOING SUFFICIENT?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 156, 8 December 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1914. ARE WE DOING SUFFICIENT?

Tho Prime Minister of Canada states, according to the cables, that Canada had an unflinching determination to see the war through to the end by the side of tho Motherland. "Canada was prepared to despatch 300,000 more men if necessary. He did not expect the war would end until Germany was exhausted.' The Empire's existence depended on the outcome. Canada was unflinchingly determined ■to fight te the last man." These are the words of a far seeing, imaginative statesman, a credit alike to himself and the great Dominion of which he is the first citizen. He strikes the true Imperial note; he sees the situation as it really is. He is doing for the Empire what Richard Seddon did for the Empire at the time of the Boer war. By his patriotic, stirring words that were at once translated into deeds, the late Mr. Seddon gave a lead to the rest of the Dominions, encouragement to the Old Country, and afforded a lesson to the whole of the world. Had he been at the head of affairs in New Zealand today, there would be no talk of our hav-

ing sent as many men as we promised the Motherland. He would have seen, like Mr. Borden, that the existence of the Empire is at stake, and that we Bhould put in the field every available man, and not consider the cost or inconvenience- entailed. New Zealand would not be hesitating to do its duty; it would be rushing to do it, and the call would be heard by its sons, and there would be no trouble about recruits, as, unfortunately, there appears to bo at tlie present time. How critical the situation is, how vital success in this titanic struggle is to us, are not appreciated by the great bulk of the people of this favored land. They need to be told In clarion tones 'by men like Mr, Borden. Canadians recognise their duty; they know their own fate depends upon the issue of the war; and they are prepared

accordingly to fight to the last man. Already they have sent over 30,000 men; 70,000 more are in training; and, if need be, another 300,000 will be sent. Four hundred thousand men out of a

population of seven or eight millions. We have sent about SOOO out of a population of over a million, whilst we have between one or two thousand men undergoing training in camp. We should at once oiler another 10,000 men, and appeal to the manhood of the country to rally to the flag. We do not realise our danger, because we are able to pursue the even tenor of our way. We can go on producing and trading, as if there I was no such thing in progress as the greatest war of the ages. !Why? Because of the Britisli Navy, and because of the brave little nation, the Belgians, •who kept the invading Germans in check for a sufficient time to enable the Britisli to send its army across the Channel, and the French to repair and strengthen its weak line and make good its initial mistakes on the right wing. It was a touch and go. Britain's "luck" was again in evidence. Had the Belgians not got in the patli of the ruthless, barbaric invading hordes, nothing in the world would have prevented them from occupying Calais and the other French towns on the. Channel. Tho Belgians, poor people, have paid the price for their opposition—but the price has saved France and Britain, and made it possible for us in New Zealand to go on | in our usual way, without serious thought of the terrible consequences of the war, without a due recognition of the duty wo owe to the Motherland, or of our deep obligation to the brave Belgians. A picture of the desolation wrought by the Germans in Belgium i: given us in a late cable by a Mr. Waters, an American pressman. It should be impressed upon the minds of all colonials:—"He saw over a thousand poorlyclad women in Antwerp, many snugglin" babies to their breasts, waiting in the ■snow and slush for doles of food under the shadow of tho big hotel where Ger man soldiers were making merry. Between Antwerp and Brussels the road was full of refugees, tramping home- ( wards to their ruined villages. It was like journeying through a huge cemetery. There wero graves everywhere. Always between the ruined houses graves | were marked by bayonets, caps, and hel-1 mets. On one was a -child's shoe. There was desolation all round. Trees were felled, crops ruined, and seed rotting. Women were grubbing in the ruins of their former homes. There was only two weeks' food in Brussels."

Let us remember that these brave people resisted not only in defence <v their own integrity, but to save the Allies, and then see what we can do to help them in money, and also the Allies' cause with men. Let us follow the example of Canada, and give more freely than we have been, and show the iiothevland that we are not insensible of our duty and responsibility.