MORE INANITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1916, Page 4

MORE INANITY.

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"Speaking frankly as an Englishman on a visit, I do not think that you are inclined to localise the war to an ex-tent which I very much ddubt is beneficial in the long' run to Australia or New Zealand, and which certainly tends to eliminate the great ideal for an absolutely united Empire that is fighting in a common cause, in which all sections of the Empire are playing equal roles. Since the Anzacs have arrived in France, the British Army has apparently entirely disappeared, although trie attual strength of the Anzacs is not 5 per cent, of the total number of men we have in the field. I am extremely glad to see that the superlative merits of your troops as fighting men were so quickly appreciated on the western front, but I also like to feel that the equally superlative merits of tJte British troops are also understood and appreciated in New Zealand and Australia as they are by their friends and relatives at Home, by the people of Canada, and more especially by our gallant allies, the French and the Russians."

')[ course, Mr. Bartlett is entirely astray in his judgment. The average New Zoalandor knows that the Anzacs are not the only soldiers who can do things, and is quite aware of the splendid work of the British soldier arid the Allies. The colonial's perspective is generally I', no, but that opinion would not be gained from a perusal of the rubbish that is cabled out to him. Mr. Bartlett goes on to say:

'■lf I might be allowed to express a little criticism of your cable services out.here, I should say they show a certain lack of appreciation on the part of the representatives of those services nt ■Home as to what t]ie people of Australia and New Zealand really want to hear about at the present time. I have found in my travels in the course of the last two or three weeks the same criticism pvevywher- • certain amount of disquiet™! - ' the prolonged panegyrics on the },„t.h.!h which are continually bein" cabled out here, and the absence of any reference to the other units which represent 95 per cent, of our Army in France. Among the ignorant this is apt to give rise to the feeling that we have never had a fighting force in France until the Anzacs reached the front. I have found also that there is a further feeling that as your troops have established such a splendid reputation for courage, endurance, and determination, even in the most adversp circumstances, there is no need to dwell continually on '- ! "«ir merits or to quote so freely what even the humblest private soldier arriving at Waterloo on furlough thinks of them. A legitimate pride in the deeds of the Anzacs must rise in the breast of every Australian and New Zealander, but, on the other hand, I think it would bo a fatal mistake to the interests of the Empire if the war is localised out here in their doings alone."

Mr. Bartlett is on surer ground here. The great body of intelligent opinion will be in accord with him regarding the quality of the cables and the effect the unblushing bragging and garish recitals may have on the ignorant and unthinking. That opinion detests these flippant, unreliable cables as much as Mr. Bartlet, and we trust it will so exert itself as to force the authorities concerned to place in charge of. the cables men with mare judgment and experience and with some sense of fitness of things.