CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3117, 17 February 1909, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor). Sir,—The Navy League recently stnrtFcl in Masterton by a few public spirited men is a refreshing move in the direction of getting ready to defend the Dominion with something solid enough to give the possible invader at least a little inconvenience. The glorious unpreparedness of New Zealand in this direction up to the present is not a satisfactory position. A few frantic citizens waving the Arbitration Act in the face of the little Japs, or even the Mayor brandishing the Borough overdraft would possibly not make the enemy "shy" to any great extent. Should the invaders, however, advance via Home Bush it is quite possible that a whiff or two of •the septic tank would stay their march long enough to allow the householder to get the fire shovel or the garden rake to put up a fight with. In the meantime it might be well to remember tnat New Zealand is one of tne outposts of the British nation, and that up to now it is depending for its defence mostly on a few chaps with nice gold braid on their clothes and the tail feathers of a rooster adorning their three cornered hat. Also, that the Empire of which this Dominion is j an outpost consists of something li<e 300,000,000 brawn and black and piebald subjects who may possibly object in the near future to be ruled by some 09,000,000 white people scattered over Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the British Isles, by far the greater number of these are in the Britisii Isles ai.d they are becoming yearly less fitted, thraugn hard work, long hours, little wages and ) scan .y food, to fight for the Empire j should the occasion arise, and just I as long as the British Isles are > largely ' deer parks, and partridge i drivts, and. oneasant reserves, ar,d ' mansions, ana slums and castles, it J is folly to depend ori assistance irorn that quarter. That is why New Zealand wants a ship or two, and Sume rifLs and men to shoot straight with them. But the New Zealand Government is so busy appointing , rabbit inspectors and factory inspectors, dairy av,d noxious weed regulators and other inflictions to harass the producer that it has no lime to devote to getting ready to defend itself. Should Kaiser Bill send along 3 little regiment (not on a friendly visit) our defence would possibly consist of Sir Joseph Ward in frock coat ai d top ht.t leading a regiment of inspectors ar.d flourishing a pap-r flag—the surplus—wit-, the average citizen waving a i thesprop. Ana should Japan st. *•- out on a little jaunt we would most likely be hoeing • onions for those gentry in a very short time. It is pleasing then to know tnat some people at leajst have a due regard for the danger of the position and nave made a start with a Navy League in Masterton.—l am, etc., "PADDY MURPHY." j ] ! j