LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2588, 9 October 1915, Page 14

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PAMPERING CERMANS. Sir,—May I, through your paper, extend my sincerest congratulations to Mr. Geo. Hunter, M.P., for his refreshingly honest speech in Parliament on Germans. After tho sickly attitude of some other members, saying -what they thought would sound well, regardless of the feelings of those Britishers who have suffered bitterly through Germans, Mr. Hunter's speech was most, welcome. Mr. Nosworthy and Dr. Newman have also done much good work' in this connection, and have earned the thanks of all. After the lotter written by Mr. von Zedlitz to a ,Minister of tho Crown, and read in the House by, Mr. Hindmarsh, tho Victoria Council, and all the lawyers thereabout, must be feeling rather sick. The letter was, defended in Parliament by another lawyer M.P., Mr. A. S. Malcolm, who sought to find excuses for some statement's mado there by Professor von Zedlitz about going back to Germany to help his country on the outbreak of war. Now, as tho deputation with all those lawyers'in it that- waited upon the Prime Minister does not near quite clear upon tho nationality of Professor von Zedlitz, I want to ask him one question: If he had gone to Germany when war broke out between Germany and; Russia and Franco, and while ho. was helping Germany, and Germans- declared- war on England, what would Professor von Zedlitz have done?—l am, etc., - : i VERY LIKE A WHALE. FL'ABBINESS AND TRIFLINC. Sir,—Extraordinary indeed are the workings of the minds of some politicians! ' Can you, or anyone, explain what' Mr. M'Callum, member for' Wairau, meant by. the remarkable utterances credited to him when the Alien Teachers 1 Bill was before the House ? 'He are'to fcel no more "bitterness" towards Germany when we have had a few victories! How many more victories must we have to constitute a few? And can any victory we may ever accomplish (and we assuredly will accomplish ultimately all we have -.undertaken) can anything under . God's heaven, wipe out the knowledge' and memory of the crimes of the German nation: against humanity? More, can any Gorman or any Turk, who has not opposed by-every means in ..his power tile-crimes of tyranny, oppression, and murder 'committed by his nation, can any such entirely escape responsibility for the actions of those to whom lie owes . allegiance? For, of course, lie owes allegiance if he. has never repudiated it j All Mr. T. AV. Hislop's logic cannot un-Germanisea German,- only ■ his own action can do that. So, Sir, after all this coining of-phrases by the legal gentleman in the House of Parliament, the. clear, decisive: expression' of Mr. Hunter, member.; for Waipawa,- is particularly. refreshing. There are many pf ; us who, like : him, have lost in : this -war'.thosci:Vory.;dea'r. to', usj and we, too, will not'forget in a day to what nation's .ruthless_aihbition, ? and frightfulness we owe, their death.;. ;Not oven, the - final, victory of all, wo can assure Mr. M'Callum, -will induce us to/fraternise with this .people, . . . . ,'May 1, .-in conclusion,, say that the spectacle of .tlie Parliament of tliis country piffling over this puerile Bill of Sir. Hornsoy at a time when the nation was faccd by a, very grave crisis, was anything but edifying, was, indeed, most humiliating, and one, longed for a statenian.-. who could have risen in ■lis might and have given these foolish triners the lesson they so badly need. As a striking contrast, I should like to express a deep feeling of gratitude t'o you for your strong-national outlook, your clear' facing of all. situations as they, arise, and your honest endeavour, when endeavour is badly needed, to stimulate recruiting. Thanking you in anticipation,—l am, etc;,. ; ; V. : ',-;D; ALIEN TEACHERS BILL. ■ Sir,—As proof thai; the "pomilar clarnour, is -not so general as some appear to imagine, in this regard, either or in other parts of the British Empire, allow .me id quote:—. From ' a country contemporary, from which, in a leading article on the affair of Professor von- Zedlitz, remarks: ''Wellington has apparently worked itself into a fury about him. ihe fact appears to he that • oven respectable people- and politicians are to Rome extent affected .by scme of the indiscriminate spirit of the larrikins who smashed German shops -a few months ago. They are not likely to hurl stones at windows, but many of them do not hesitate to inflict injustice upon individuals Jn other ways : with quite as little discrimination."

2.' From a letter , written hy a German professor's wife ill Australia showily, that people there were "level-liead!-ed;" and . that for this most part the German members of the teaching profession were left in'peace. ■ •; 3. From the English papers, telling us that the British Association has this present year elected a German professor as its president. _ Lastly,ingreatest contrast to: all the bitter things that have been said and written hero in the name of the falsest "patriotism" ever invented, let me give an extract from the address appointed to he read l in all churches on the great Day of Intercession on behalf of the Empire held on January 3 of this year: "We shall wish for our enemies, as for ourselves, that their eyes may. be opened! to know what is truej and we shall pray that the day may cpme, by the meroy of God, When., we may learn to understand and respect one another/and may be united as friends to pursue the common good. And above all, we shall pray that when the longed-for peace arrives we may. be filled with the determination to wipe out the bitter memory of our strifes and by setting ourselves afresh, as men of good- ' will, to the -supreme task of leading the peoples of the world) to the true knowledge and obedience of the only Deliverer and Master of us all."—I am; etc.,. - * L. E. BffiOH. THE IMPERIAL MARITIME LEACUE. Sjr',—The Imperial Maritime League from the very commencement of its recruiting campaign realised that working below the surface there was a strong pro-German and anti-British propaganda being carried on, and that sooner or later this would develop into an open organised, movement to stop the war in the interest of Germany. The league has, therefore, utilised its campaign to exert quietly and steadily a counteracting influence. The following resolution for signatures was drawn up and has been extensively signed:— "We, tho undersigned, desire to place on record our unswerving determination to use / all tho possible means at our disposal to support the Governments of the Allied peoples in carrying on the war until peace has been restored by tho unconditional surrender of the enemy, and thus for all time crush the arrogant military despotism of the German Empire, with which she is now seeking to dominate tho world." A resolution identical with this form lia'S also been put at over 2000 of tho league's meetings. This, has been passed practically unanimously, there having been so far. only three dissentients to tho resolution. ! 1 Now that the league's . forecast has proved correct it is anxious to have this phase. of its work more widely known, and we would ask. all patriotic people to sign the petition and to induco thcif frtemlVU> <to:90. All who have .fcjie time to a howa.to-house

canvass in their own neighbourhood would be doing a patriotic service. This >t.tor will bo scut to tho oversea Press in order that tho movement may liu an Empire and not merely a national 0110.

Forms call be obtained on application from the honorary secretary, Imperial Maritime League, 2 Westminster Palace Gardens, Victoria Street, London, S.W. —X am, etc., WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE, President. 2 Westminster Palace Gardons, Westminster, London, S.W. August 12, 1915. * \ ' THE PARLIAMENTARY SESSION. Sir,—The 1916 session of the New Zealand' Parliament draws towards its close. Members will soon hie homewards; the majority of t'hem well satisfied with themselves and their Legislative labours. How shows tlio record from a moral standpoint? To commence with, our representatives , refused to follow the lead of the King in regard to the use of alcoholic liquors, .and Bellamy's has flourished in war time as in peace. The petition, signed by of thousands of electors, praying that tho trading hours of hotel bars be reduced during war time was shelved. Raffling and art unions for patriotic purposes—that outrageous method by which money is raised for the relatives of our noble .wounded anil dead —liavc been legalised. After all this we are not _ surprised to learn that the sick soldiers and hosjiital staff now comfortably and conveniently housed in the Trentham racocourse buildings, have received notice to quit. All this in order that the day sacred to racing and its attendant fever of totalisator betting, may bo observed as usual;. Truly a gallant recordl v How. in harmony with ' tiho. anguish and testing ■ through which pur Empire is passing! Have our shrewd, up-to-date legislators, outgrown belief in God, and in judgment, and in tho great word of Scripture, which says "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people"?—l am, etc., • ■READER.