Untitled

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15267, 1 May 1915, Page 8

The figures relating to recruiting and future needs, which the Hon. Mr Allen gave in his speech in Dunedin yesterday, ought to bring home to the public the magnitude of the efforts which are required of this country. When the war began, not many people can have supposed that, more than 10,000 men would be sent away, and even that figure was regarded as a high one. Already we have sent sibout 17,000 men on service abroad. Before December 12th 10..G00 more uieii will be wanted, and by this time next year nearly 10,000. That will mean that over 150,000 men will have been contributed by the Dominion to the Army of the Empire, or live times as many as wo sonfc- during two and a half years of the Boer AVar. % Om- young men must net themselves to realise that they must volunteer unless they have' ties which make it necessary for them to remain in New Zealand, and we arc confident that thn men will be fpund. Mr Allen's reference to the question of "willing" badges ought to bring home to our young men the seriousness of the position of those who can and should serve, but who are unwilling to do so.

By. a strange irony one of the men who have done most'to imbue Germans with tho conviction that they are tho salt of the earth, and inspire them witn ideals of world-conquest,-is the <son of v British Admiral. Houston Stewart Chamberlain is his name, and according to a cable message, to-day, the Kaiser has given him tho' Iron Cross. Hcrr Chamberlain was born at Sonthsea sixty years ago, and educated partly at Cheltenham College. He intended to enter the British Army, but was ■ prevented, by ill-health, and, going abroad, eventually settled in Germany and Vienna, and seven years ago married the daughter of Wagner, the great .composer. In 1899 ho published a book called "The Foundations of tho 19th Century," which.. has had a huge vogue in Germany, and has profoundly influenced, German .thought. Tho late Dr. Etnil Reich, the Au.«tro-Brilish publicist, who saw the German menace clearly, and warned* Britons about it, says the book is considered by most Germans to be "a. higher revelation of truth unfathomable. 1 " Rich men have distributed thousands of copies to libraries, the Kaiser has publicly approved of it, and the author became one of the most popular and influential writers in the country.

According to Herr Chamberlain, says Dr. Reich, all history snellsi "German," and all the developments of the futuro will be "made in Germany." The Germans are the elect. "True history," says Hcrr Chamberlain, "begins fronr the moment when the German, with mighty hand, seizes the. inheritance of antiquity.", It follows, therefore, that tho great men of tho past were really nothing but Germans. Dante, for instance, whose face was "characteristically Gorman," and Sb. Francis-of Assist and Pascal, "whom some people are still foolish enough to consider one of the greatest of Frenchmen."' This was well worth the Iron Cross.

It would be an interesting as well as a very patriotic X>ieee of work if someone would track down the inventor or inventors of some of the lying rumours that have been set afloat since it was known that the New Zealanders had been in action. The most circumstantial statements have been made as to the number of casualties said to have been suffered, the number varying from two hundred to a thousand. Wicked inventions of the same kind were set afloat, it will be remembered, when the first contingent went to Samoa, and it was then proved that they had not suffered any casualties at all. It is our conviction that these rumours aro deliberately invented and circulated by emissaries of the enemy as part of the German method of "frightfulness." Knowing what pain and anxiety these ■wild statements must inflict on New Zealand mothers who have sons at tho front, ire cannot believe that any New Zealander -would concoct such stories in sheer thoughtlessness or from a desire of appearing important as the possessor of information which has not yet been published in. the newspapers. To circulate such rumours is a punishable offence. Perhaps it would operate as a check if every loyalist made a point of handing over to the police every person caught circulating these concocted stories.

The delay in furnishing authentic details regarding the action in -which the New Zealanders distinguished themselves has undoubtedly caused a period of trying suspense. The public should remember, however, that to give details while important operations are in progress might imperil their success by giving useful information to the enemy. Those having relatives at tho front can always safely disregard any rumours that may be floating about. If his Excellency or tho Government receive any newg they communicate it at once to the newspapers, unless it is sent to them confidentially, in which case they are not likely to let it leak out to "tho man in the street." In case of casualties the relatives of those injured are very properly informed officially, before the news is communicated to the Press.

We heartily commend to our readers the appeal on behalf of the Red Cross Fund, which appears in another column. The least which those who are not able themselves to £o to the front

can do is to help to provide nursing and medical comforts for those who do the fighting, and fall wounded in the fray. Unfortunately, owing to the enormous forces engaged, and the very heavy percentage, or casualties, there it* ample need for every shilling—aye, even every penny—that can be scraped together for tiiis good work. An excellent suggestion has been made to hold a "copper' , week, so a≤ to enlist the help of children and those who can only atford very small sums. Even tho poorest would be glad to take some part in soothing the sufferings of the wounded, and it is well that the children should he taught to make eomo littlo sacrifice for such a cause.

Canterbury is certainly doing well for the Belgians. Tho Christchurch Carnival established a record for the Dominion in the matter of raising money for a philanthropic object by means of a nopular festival. Timaru had previously done splendidly, and now Asliburton has worthily followed with a reaily magnificent effort. It all shows that the people of Canterbury are not only liberal givers, but enthusiastic workers in any good cause where their hearts are moved.

There in, unfortunately, room for the unlimited exerciso of such virtues, so appalling is tho amount of misery caused .by the war. If anything is needed to reinforce our appeal on behalf of the people of Serbia, surely the cable, message we published yestorday is sufficient to show their extremity. Tho Rockefeller Commission reports that there are 300,000 people destitute, that ther 0 are already 30,000 cases of typhoid and the whol© nation is rapidly Incoming enveloped. It is easy to believe that these appalling conditions are wholly beyond the Government's control: tho Commission, indeed, goes so far as to say that they are "a nionaee t<i the health of the entire globe." One,, again we tirge our readers to do what they can to mitigate this appalling condition of affairs.

AW' fancy 'the cable correspondent is in error in stating that the Convocation of Canterbury has "resolved V> add King Charles T. \p th c Calendar of Saints." Charles, though a weak and obstinate king, was by. the consent of most impartial historians, sincere in his religion, and a pattern of the private virtues. Still, a proposal to canonise him as a saint would ba suro to excite vigorous controversy, and we hardly think Convocation, in the present day. would take upon itself such a responsibility. The probable interpretation of the message is that Convocation has resolved to include the King in the Calendar of the Church as one of tho Martyrs. There are already thre-e kings in tho list. These are (1) Edmund, King of East Anglia (Nov. 20), slain by the Danes, 870. A.D.; (2) Edward King of Wessex, son of Edgar. He was murdered by his stepmother. Elfrida, at Corfe Castle, 978 A.D. He is twice mentioned in the Calendar—his death on March 18, and the translation of his remains to Shaftesbury (June 20); (3) Edward the Confessor, the last of th 9 Saxon' Kings of England, 1041-1066 A.D. He founded Westminster Abbey, and is buried there.