EYE-OPENERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1918, Page 2

EYE-OPENERS.

To the Editor. Sir,—"We are fighting for pur lives," was the remark made recently. "Not much in New Zealand, anyhow," I replied.. 'The only thing doing in that .line is that the shirkers and wasters,who swarmthe race courses arc fighting for the lives to get into the tote to put on money, most of which should go to the.: soldiers," and it will be well worth noting how much Taranaki raises for Red Triangle Day against Opunake races. But, Sir, we shall shortly be fighting not only for life, but for, existence. We ought not to be, for, according to the sis o'clockers, war should have been wor> now, and our sons sailing in with the band playing "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again." But from the way Russia "did. her bit" after vodka ■abolition any help from "six o'clock" is harmless. Therefore people must do ■whnt so many thinking. Frank Simmons, in that article you deservo thanks for publishing, hints that Germany, with her marvellous propaganda which robbed Italy in one night of half her army, stores, and arms, is not going to strike on the Western front, but he did not point out that she will nut ten million Russians into the firing line armed with artillery, etc., paid for }-.y British and French gold, and now that Odessa will give her command of the Black Sea it is only a question of time when Salonika becomes a German base, cutting off all shipping through the Suez Canal, while German-lc-d armies invade India and (Persia. Then what price New Zealand? If people would only think that Germany now commands the world's greatest source of supply of oil. corn and men, thPT will see whv the Kaiser is shaking hands with the God of Battles. Meanwhile. Sir. creeping paralysis is attacking this colony. I waß in Wellington election day anr< +he most pitiable person there was M-^ev—refused hearings all Tound and pelted with bananas. This is the fate of the weak man (no banana ' skins for Seddon!) Had he gone through the Colony telling the pro-Ger-mans; the shirkers, the malingerers and all the other swine that pollute the Colonv as that prand American, Senator Hamilton told the Germans in Chicago, "You will (Wht for England or, by God, vou will, with your back to a wall, die for Germany," triumphant success awaited him.—l am, etc., W. R. WRIGHT.