SHALL WE BE QUITTERS?

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1917, Page 6

SHALL WE BE QUITTERS?

, OUR PLEDGES TO BRITAIN. WE MUST KEEP THEM. By Wire. Parliamentary Correspondent. Wellington, July 12. '-ir Francis Bell, in tlie Council to-dav, made a very vigorous reply to the suggested reduction of reinforcements, and he said the protection of the industries of the Dominion had nothing to do with the state of the /ballot. Was it to be said that jhe single man was bound to fight for hi* country while the married man was not? Was the sacrifice made bv the wifcywlio sent her husband to the front so much greater than the sacrifice of the mother who sent her son ? He would like the members of the Council and the people of New Zealand to remember the terms of the pledges that had ibeen given not merely by the Government but by Parliament and the nation on August 5, 1915. (Parliament had assured the King in a cablegram that:—"Come good or ill New Zealand, in company with the other dominions and dependencies of the Crown, is prepared to make any sacrifices to maintain her heritage and her birthneht.'' On the first anniversary of the outbreak of war, and again on the second anniversary, the (Parliament of Xew Zealand and the people of New Zealand had placed on record their "Inflexible determination" to see the war through to a victorious conclusion. "Any sacrifices," and "inflexible determination" had ibeen the words of the pledges. The point had now arrived where Xew Zealand's convenience was touched, and alre»,d r It appeared as though the determination was becoming flexible. What had been happening in Wellington that day? Crowds of motor cars, and complaints about lack' of facilities for reaching the races, a saturnalia of enjoyment, and Parliament was asked to believe that New Zealand could not spare any more men. No interference with picture shows or races or public houses, ibut a Blackening of the 'boasted determination to see the war through. "If our solemn obligations are to be thrown to the wind, if the Government is to break the nation's pledge," said Sir Francis "then let someone else 'be the man and the men to break the word of New Zealand. That is not a task for a man horn in New Zealand, proud of New Zealand. happy in what lias been done. I don't ibelieve that we have 'become craven I will not believe it until the country has declared itscK craven, New Zealand was the first to enter upon German soil when our men took Sfcmoa. We have that to our credit. Shall we be the first to quit, and have that to our lasting dishonor? The third anniversary of the outbreak of war is approaching. Shall we sav again that our determination is inflexible, or shall we say that it is flexible, that the time has come to bend and that we have had enough? I think there is not much fear of that, I believe,' in New Zealand. How can the entry of America into the war make any difference to New Zealand? It is our soil that we are defending. Is it to be said of Englishmen that they will not fight their own battles? Are we to set up a rampart of Americans to protect us? The joining of America in the fight will make the end come sooner, but we cannot say that, the end must come without us because the Americans are there. This claim that we have reached the stage where we should cease to reinforce our division is nothing hut base and ignoble surrender. We will maintain our forces to the end, come Americans, come Russians, come any other nation, whatever may be the sacrifice short of the 'breaking point. Ido not believe there is the .smallest ground for the suggestion that this country will be brought to ruin by the enlistment of more of its men. It may Be brought to privation. It certainly should be brought to privation of many of the comforts and pleasures and luxuries we are enjoying Jo-day. I believe that day will come. I do not believe that the people of New Zealand are helpless to organise as England has organised and used the women and the boys, the maimed, aged and unlit, to take the places of the fighting men. tVc have not organised yet. There will be plenty of men left in New Zealand. The privation that will come will not be a jjreat misfortune. This is war, it is a vvhite man's war. The time has come to show that we mean what we said when we pledged ourselves to see the war through."