BOOSTING NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1919, Page 4

BOOSTING NEW ZEALAND.

The war lias demons Ira ted that publicity paya in affairs of State as it doss in business. During the first yea:3 of the war Britain, following its conservative habit, kept grimly trudging along and saying nothing about the gigantic task oi. frhich it was engaged. American public men have confessed thrt had thoy and the rest of their people known before o+ the wonderful work that was being carried on by Britain and her "Allies, the formidabls nature of the C4erman menace (which was never really niada known until less than a year ago) and the nature of the issueo at istake, America would have been "into the war" at least a year earlier than she wa<j. Icrd Xorthcliffe, in giving up tho Ministry of Propaganda on the signing of the armistice, said: "Ours has been a Woodless campaign and a coatleas one. X wish that we had embarked upon it at an earlier stage of the war." New Zealand, always a long way behind Australia and Canada in the matter of advertising its superior natural resources, an>l its manifold advantages for tho investment of capital and aa a place for settlement, has, until recently, again allowed its fellow Dominions to gain a long start in advertising propaganda; but the Expeditionary Force, which is showing tho way to the civil authorities in this and maoy other respects, haa now commenced a publicity department of its own, and that it is doing effective work is shown by tho number and quality of tho articles and photo views appearing in the British press. This propaganda campaign must bear good fruit. Tho more that is known of New Zealand's matchless possibilities the better the chancs of building up its population, the country's greatest need at present. But the work must bo sustained and not discontinued when our forces return. Otherwise much of the benefit of the new departmert's operations will be lost. Advertising nrast be continuous to ba effective, and How Zealand has a 'splendid prop seition to put before, and keep before, tio British public. The department really should be a permanent one, and nyile a live and energetic branch of our High Commissioner's offico. There is no reason why the services of numbers of patriotic New Zealandew should not" bo utilised in helping this propaganda work. Every year there will be dozecsj of New Zcalandera in England who could spare a few weeks or months for, 'say, lecturing tours on behalf of New Zealand, whilst moving pictures showing scenes and life in this country could b : arranged for. New Zealand has many ablo writers who could also help in tho litorary field. The talent is available, the spirit to help and co-operate exists, and it only remains for the Government to make uaa of it. The advantages are so great that it is to be hoped something will b® done on those lines to push Nej? Zealand's interests in tho Homeland, which already has a tender spot for tho children of its fi'i'thect flung colony, and would undoubtedly respond to ft carefully planned and ably conducted propaganda campaign.