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Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1917, Page 4

BRINGING THE WAR HOME TO US. The calling up of the first sections of the Second Division brings the war closer than ever to New Zealand. Pew thought at the beginning of the struggle that it would be necessary for this Dominion to send forth all her fit men, single and married. From the present outlook that would seem inevitable. By the end of this year there will be in camp and at the front nearly one hundred thousand men; by tho end of 1918 the number will be increased to nearly 120,000, and, if the war is not finished then, the remainder of our manhood, the men of the 0 and E classes, those with three and more children, will be called up. These classes will only last for four or five months, so that by the middle of 1919 Ave will be about exhausted so far as militarily fit men are concerned. It is sincerely to be hoped the war will be finished long .before then, but there is nothing to justify us to expect it will be. The war no doubt could be over next, month, if we chose to accept Germany's peace terms, which arc daily becoming more liberal. But a cessation of war at present would be equal to a victory for Germany, and would not prevent the world from being plunged into bloodshed again when the Huns recuperated themselves and the way was dear to deal witft 'her present adversaries singly. We are doing more than fighting Germany; we are making war on war. We are fighting to slay once and for all the war monster and all it stands for; we are seeking to show to the militarily ridden Tuetons that war of itself does not pay and will never be countenanced again by civilisation. The price has been heavy; it will be heavier still before complete success attends our arms, but the price must be paid, otherwise the fearful loss of life and the tremendous expenditure will have been thrown away. There is, fortunately, no relaxation in effort on the part of the principal Allies, Britain, France, and the United States, to whom will fall'in the future more than in the past the heaviest part in crushing Tuetohie militarism. . Colonel fiepington says Britain must equal the sacrifices Germany is making if we are to win, and calls on the nation to double its efforts. He says that sixty more divisions would have broken the German front in the west. Sixty divisions is about a million and a quarter men. But how could the additional number be employed on a front that is already restricted? We have as it is two or three millions in reserve in France and England, ready to make up the losses. We have been driving ahead continuously, but.it is clear the pace could not have been accelerated simply because of the, hopeless condition of the ground, making movement almost impossible. No doubt \v e will have to put in the field, more men, but the military and political authorities are desirous of .bringing war to an early close and are doing anything possible to that end. The war is only to be won, as we said yesterday, by killing off the Germans, and this is a long process when j the frontalattaek has principally to .be relied upon. Britain is conscious of the immensity of the task ahead, and no doubt will take all possible measures accordingly, and we in .New Zealand will continue to second her efforts. The Second Division can be relied upon to do their duty as the First Division have done. They will accept service in the same patriotic hard as their going may be for their wives and children it would be still harder for us, for them, and the world, generally if by relaxation of effort on the pari of the British as a nation Germany were able to go unpunished for her barbaric cruelty, hideous murders, calculated ferocity and contemptuous disregard of the rights and laws of man and God.