The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1918. THE DOMINION'S DUTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1918. THE DOMINION'S DUTY.

ir there were any doubt entertained as to the urgent need of money for us to ca.ty on our part of the war, it should be dispelled by the statement made by the Minister for Tinance in the House of Representative on Thursday evening. Kot only is the present loan of nine and a half millions required at once, hut au-; thority for a further loan of twenty millions is asked for to see us through until the end of the present financial year. That is to say, it is costing us for war rposes alone at least twenty

millions a year, and all of the money has lo be found by ourselves. It is'a

stupendous sum, even for a comparatively wealthy country like New Zealand, and it is not going to be raised without difficulty and sacrifice. We have pledged the Old Country that we will assist her to carry the war to a successful issue to the last man and the last shilling. It is a phrase that, frequently is glibly uttered without regard to what it act? ally means. We are nearing the time when we will have given the last eligible man, and he will be wanted, as anyoae who runs can see from the statements recently made by the British Prime Minister and Mr Bonar Law. If our reinforcements are increased and their going accelerated, as proposed, it means that in from fifteen to eighteen months every fit man, married and single, will have gone or be in camp. New Zealand will have fulfilled her promise in respect of man power. It will mean a great sacrifice, for hundreds and thousands of homes will be broken up, businesses wrecked, farms left to be worked as best as can be, prospects blighted, family ties severed. One hardly likes to dwell upon the conditions that will result from calling up the family men: Yet the prospect has to be faced, if we are to do our duty by the Empire and humanity. We have to throw everything into the balance if the scales are to turn imour favor, and we can shrink from no sacrifice, especially when we see what thelOld Country is doing in calling up iboys. of eighteen and men of fifty and even, of fifty-five. Compared to these saoifcfices, the sacrifice —if you can* describe it by such a hallowed word — asked of the folk remaining at home in safety j and comparative luxury is as nothing. They are asked to find the i money, mot to give'it as the men who [go intotthe firing line are prepared to give life* itself, but to loan the money (o tho Government junder terms that of themselves • are very satisfactory. It should be aiprivilege for people to assist the Cause in this way. Some, perhaps, will say they haye«no surplus money to lend the Government or auyone else. This mayi be true.enougih, but it is also true that from an economic, or any other, poiat of view, iXew Zealand cannot affordito send to the front any more men, yet'they have to go. If they didn't Britain, failed to support her armies bj; obtainingviresh reinforcements by the extreme methods she i s now **>ntmfc,Trtuit would become of the pro-

pert.T, indeed of liberty itself, of the people of tliis and other British Dominions? Property would be confiscated by the Germans, and the lives of the people would lie for ever in bondage. Therefore everybody should do Ilia or her best to subscribe to the present loan, even if it entails inconvenience or hardship. fc>acri(iee is demanded of all of us in connection with the war, and tho financial sacrifice is, after all, the least of the sacrifices that are being asked of the Dominion. The fact has been made clear by the Minister for Finance that he must have the money, and if it is not subscribed voluntarily it will be taken compulsorily. We do not know if it would not be fairer to bring in the compulsory clauses of the Act whether the loan 13 subscribed or not, for whilst many are doing their duty financially, many well able to do so, even in Taranaki, are shirking that duty. Manifestly it is unfair that this condition should continue. Financial compulsion is the same in principle as military compulsion of manhood. But the person who gives 'his all financially gives nothing as compared with the man who lay s down his life for his country, as so many of our brave men have done, are doing at this very minute, and will continue "to do in ever increasing numbers before this ghastly war is over.