The Press Wednesday, December 15, 1915. New Zealand and the War.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15462, 15 December 1915, Page 6

The Press Wednesday, December 15, 1915. New Zealand and the War.

To-day wc have cabled. to us some further extracts from the comments in " 'The Times' Histoi-y of the War'' on the part which Australasia has taken in tho fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The writer of the comments is a man of more discernment than most of those who writo at long range concerning Australasian feeling, but he makes one statement which is likely to mislead English reader*. In order to prevent the leakage of secrets, ho says, tho Dominions were -'kept in the dark" jenrerning the actual progress of events. "There was no attempt," it is added, '• to inform the Dominions' Press, which was allowed to flounder along with " two articles in its creed —ono of " faith in Great Britain, and the secolid ot faith in the unshakeable ecr- " taintv of victory." It is as well that the Australasian public should know that nothing was printed in Britain concerning the operations which «as not, sa i'ar as the substance of it is concerned, printed just as quickly here. \\V cannot see. moreover, *bat the Australasian newspapers couid nave said, or could have wished to say. different from what tlicy actually did say, even if tho operations had been regularly described in the darkest possible colours consistent with the facts. If die newspapers and peoplo of Australasia ''floundered along" with only two articles of faith —faith in Britain ar.d faith in victory—they floundered along with tho only creed really necessary. Wo know now that our men have sufici ed ci uel Ios>«»s in an enterprise of

unparalleled difficulty, and • one which may not be carried to success along tho lines we all hoped for when the operations were begun. But that knowledge has not. in the smallest degree weakened the determination of New Zealand to continue to send out her men :or disposal as the British Government may decide. It was not with any hope of winning glory that our first soldiers loft their native land, but only with the purpose of helping Britain and striking a blow for the Empire. The men who are going now know that the. business ahead of them lias little in it but peril and suffering, yet they are going with Hiene hearts and a sober resolution to <:« their best and to maintain the. honour which has already been won for their country.

Although, being in the inid.st of <? vents, and una bio to foresee the future, we cannot estimate the changes .rhich the war will bring in the character and constitution cf the Empire, yet we know already that New Zealand s place in the Empire, and in the world, is a new one. Before the war. although New Xoalaudcrs were very defcirous that their co:;utiy should be better Known, they had really made up their minds thist its insignificance and its geographical position had condemned it to a pciinnnent obscurity. The war has not trade New Zealand's name famous, hut it has brought our country out of the dnrkne.-s into the light—a humble place, no doubt, as befits its littleness but stili a place amongst tho other peoples. V e all feci that we sue no longer as far from tho sight and thoughts cf the older peoples as if we were living 111 another planet. In Britain, at any rate, and in Trance, men know now that there lias been growing up on the other sido of tho world from them u sturdy British race whose sons arc soldiers as brave, skillul, and resourceful a.-> any in the world. And while the grass grows on the graves in the Peninsula, New Zealand will remain in the mind of Kurope as a real country that played its part worthily in the great war. As for New Zealanders themselves, they can never again feel that tho life of the Kuit>pcan nations has no concern for them. How this new relation of our country to the older nations will affect- its development can only be guessed at, but that the effect* will be | profound is bevonu any doubt.