THE WILFUL BLIND.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16221, 25 May 1918, Page 9

THE WILFUL BLIND.

MR L. M. ISITT, M.P., ON THE WAR. Somo trenchant remarks concerning peace advocates and other faint hearts wero made by Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., at tho Empire Day demonstration by the Overseas Club last night.

Mr Isitt said that however war-weary we might be, no matter how our minds might revolt from the carnage, we could never tjirn from our efforts to crush the Prussian eagle until there was a conclusive peace. (Hear, hear.) The resolution of our 'souls must be war, war, no peace. Our enemies liad never left us in any doubt as to what their intentions were. "We had in the past been foolish but that was the sin of ignorance. If to-day there was a man ignorant of Prussia's crime and intent it was a crime on his part. It was only an ignorance because thoso who held it shut their eyes and would, not see. It was not the ignorance l of the blind and uninformed, it was tho ignorance of the weakling, the coward, and the traitor. It was not the proper attitude to find fault with the Government and the military. The blunders had not all been on our side. What a contrast there was between the work of our men at tho front and tho rotten things one often saw in Jsew Zealand. The man who sat upon his tail yapping about the mistakes of other men was not a patriot; he was a cur. (Applause.) There seemed to bo many in our midst to-day who thoiight that enlv those who prated of conscience and ! cried for peace were the only ones who i had any right perception of things. We had the assumption from these people that all those nerving themselves to part from husband, son, or brother wera seeking vain glory. Such an assumption was an outrage. We knew that before us lay the Calvary, but we knew that before it could be reached the road must be travelled by many dripping feet. We must rid the world of the brutal Hun and the unspeakable Turk. Wo must bv God's help travel on and pile sacrifice on sacrifice and effort on effort until God gave us our reward. (Applause.)