THE GIFT BATTLESHIP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 7

THE GIFT BATTLESHIP.

Sir, —Sinco Sir Joseph .Ward, on bur behalf, made the promise that wo would supply a first-class battleship fori tho British Navy, sufficient time has elapsed to calm- our norves, and enablo us to roviow tho -positionwith reason and without' panic. Wo know that thero is no reason for panic, and yet tho position is a serious one, so serious as to demand great watchfulness and an enormous expenditure, if we arc to rotain tho command of tho sea. The continued existonce of Great Britain, as a great Power, must depend on her roth'inihg it, otlierwisoj she could at all times'lib, starved into submission. If this should" come- about, there! would also be an end of tho British Em-j pire, and what would bo our position when she was no longer ablb 'to throw her protecting wmgs about uaf -.We'should be at

tho mercy of any Power strong enough, nnd seeing inducoment enough, to attack us or | to dictate to us. In sucli cases nations aro not scrupulous. 1 am suro wo, in. New Zealand, aro not devoid of patriotio feeling towards tho laud of our birth, and aro prepared to mako a, sncrilico on hehnlf of tho Old Land, but oven if wo cast aside sentiment, and consider tho quostion from a purely selfish point of view, wo must strain every nervo to support tho naval power of Great Britain, and so hold together tho enormous Enipiro which nourishes under her beneficent caro. If this is so, then, I think wo can commend tho action of our Premier, as a farsighted one, in making tho offer which he did. I do so on tho ground that neithor individual nor nation's usually make great grounded on purely uninipaasioiicd reasoning. N Tho reasoning has but slight cflect, it carries no enthusiasm. But e crude play, such as has been, brought out in London lately, brings tho. question vividly beloro tho most unthinking; in the same way,. ? striking and generous gift such ea wo havo made, directs tho attention of both individuals and communities to tho subject, and having grasped tho importanco of it it incites thorn to join in tho general effort, borne may say, "Oh, there was no hurry," ' ' | it would havo been hotter to do this or that ' " from a purcy reasonable point of view, this may be so, but, sir, tho world is not roverned by reason only, and I think that wo cm already see that, by making our prompt mid spirited offer, wo havo drawn &o attention of other parts of the Empire to tho necessity of supporting tho Mother Country with something more than words, and so our ' gift will indirectly benefit tho cause in producing other battleships which no amount ot cold reason would havo done. We mav deplore but it is so.-I am, etc., 7 Marton, March 27, J ' BIRCH '. j: '■.