THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1909. A PATRIOTIC PREMIER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3145, 24 March 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1909. A PATRIOTIC PREMIER.

The action of Cabinet, at the suggestion of Sir J. G. Ward, in offering to the Home Government to defray the cost of a first-class line of battleship, presumably of the Dreadnought type, and to provide a second battleship if necessary, certainly came with a crash of surprise lo the people of the Dominion. The gift, or the offer of the gift, is undoubtedly a very large order indeed, and to find the Premier taking such a bold stand must have impressed many with the belief that he is a statesman of a very much stronger mould than has been generally thought. The late Mr Seddon, through one action and another, forced himself into the foremost pi toe among Australasian statesmen, and Sir Joseph Ward, who has certainly for many years past been a foremost figure among Australasian statesmen, has now apparently attained the highest pinnacle of fame in our political affairs by the tremendously patriotic offer thathe has made on behalf of the people of this country. There is no use in doing things by halves, and the Premier is evidently determined that it shall never be said that New Zealand did not shine in performing her duty by the Empire. The cost involved in the Government's proposal is really very large. It required an expenditure of something over three millions to construct and equip the Dreadnought. Therefore, if the proposal is duly carried out it will be admitted that New Zealand is making substantial sacrifices in the cause of patriotism. "British fleet—British fate'*—no truer epigram was ever uttered. The British Navy must be maintained whatever the cost may be, and England's Army must be developed. Tne suicidal policy of relying entirely upon the Navy must be exposed. Great Britain never occupied a stronger position in her history than when her Navy could be used for offensive as well as defensive purposes; than when her navies swept the seas in ail directions in search of the enemy. War with Germany has tor several years past appeared inevitable, and if the present situation is that Germany is feverishly straining every nerve to get into a condition of strength, which she considers will enable her to defeat Great Britain, then the sooner Great Britain smashes the German Power the better it will be for the Empire as a whole. It has been pointed out aeain and aeain that the only objective Germany can have is the breaking of the power of Great Britain, and since this is so, in the name of every power, could the situation be more serious than it is from the British point of view? We mo;t Heartily congratulate the Premier upon his very evident -determination to impress deeply upon the people of this Dominion the importance of the British Navy to their existence, and the great and stern duty that devolves upon them to assist with every means in their power to maintain the honour, integrity and solidarity of the Empire.