LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2673, 20 January 1916, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

RECRUITING IN RANCITIKEI. Sir, —In your issue of-yesterday' there appears a letter over the iioia do plume "Scotus." The letter -could well be lel't to speak, as it does eloquently, of the feelings of the writer without furtlier comment from men. Only in its dreadful scurrility and moan-spirited depreciation of a man whose slioes "Scotus" is unworthy to tie is tlie letter worth replying to. Tho recruiting officer mentioned in his letter is one of tho most patriotic men in Rangitikei. He lias the only son who is of ago to go already at the front. Ho lias subscribed most liberally both in Bulls and Hunterville to all patriotic efforts. Ho is in touch, owing to his business, with many of the most eligible and likely recruits. He lias been tho means of sending many recruits from _ this district who were clients of his as boarders ajid as frequenters of his premises, by which means he has cut his own trade down considerably. When "Scotus," whom wo imagine is a very near neighbour of the patriot lie impeaches, can show a record such as tbis, and can come in the open and discuss the matter without hiding under the cover of a miserable nom do plume, which is an insult to any Scotchman, then perhaps we will consider this correspondence.—l am etc., . J. E. WALKER, Chairman, Bulls Patriotic Society. . Bulls, January 15. \ [The letter which Mr. Walker condemns so strongly advocated tho introduction of the "no-treating law" in Isew Zealand. Incidentally, the writer stated that he understood that a K-angi-tikei hotelkeepar was one of tho recruiting officers for the district, and expressed the opinion that duties of such a nature should not be undertaken by those actively- engaged in the liquor trade. There was nothing scurrilous in tho letter. It was the principle, not any particular individual, to which exception was taken.] THE DISTRIBUTION OF WAR RELIEF FUNDS. Sir, -I notice that subscriptions in aid of Belgian refugees is still amongst tho lists of those benevolent funds which have drawn money from the sympathetic hearts of people here—from some who have no doubt denied themselves something in order to be able to do so. It is hard, therefore, if these funds should prove to have been a curse rather than a blessing to those whom it was intended to benefit.

If any reliance can be placed in an article which appeared in the October number of the "Nineteenth Century," signed by Edith Sellers (who, I understand, is employed in the interests of the refugees), that would appear to be t-lio case, for by our _ wrong-headed charity we have demoralised large numbers of these refugees and turned them into loafers. She says the time has come to make a clean sweep of this state of; things; let help be given generously to the old and feeble, but put a stop, once for all, to help being given to the refugees who are able to work, ajid therefore gain a living. If any further funds are remitted to England for Belgian refugees, .it would be advisable that some inquiries should be made as to the administration of this fund.

In pointing this out, I do not wish to damp the generous feelings which prompt to the relief of distress, but, in all such matters, our hearts should not run away with our heads, otherwise charitable intentions may result in more harm than good being done. May I direct the attention of the charitable public to a fund for the Russian prisoners of war in Germany, which our good Allies are unable sufficiently to help in consequenco of the hundreds of thousands of their own people who are driven out of their own tliomes by the devastation of their country.—l am, etc., W. J. BIRCH. January 8, 1916. [The great bulk of the money sent from New Zealand for the Belgians is not for the assistance of the Belgian refugees in England. The Belgian Relief Fund which is subsidised by the New Zealand Government, and which has been so liberally subscribed to through The Doirociou, is for the relief of Belgians in Belgium. The Government remits the monthly donations and the subsidy to the High Commissioner for New Zealand, to be handed to the Belgian Minister in London, who in turn Teniits it to the Commission which has been set up for dealing with the relief of Belgians in Belgium. This is the only relief fund supported by the Government with a subsidy, but the Government, through the Department of Internal Affairs, will remit moneys for any other relief fund. Amounts, subscribed or collected sporadically, are occasionally sent for the relief of destitute Belgian refugees in Britain, but the remittances are always comparatively small.] HELIGOLAND.

Sir, —With- a view of giving toricus" tho information, ho asks for, have searched. for some notes which I onco had oil the subject. But I regret to say that I cannot lay my hands upon them. Wandering about the world is not healthy for such things. Under these circumstances, I shall have to re-create them. This 1 cannot at present do, for I am a wages man, and am thus debarred from tho use of the Parliamentary Library, except' during my holidays, which are not due for some months yet. I regret this delay, btntit is unavoidable.

I pass by tho half-challenge of "Historicus" to descend into parti' politics. Such interest as I take in them remains entirely suspended during the war. The point that my letter raised is purely an Imperial one, and has no concern with party politics, save in. bo far as a section of one of the two great parties has regrettably, as I think, associated itself with "Little England" views. On reflection, Mr. H. Scott may perhaps see .that his outburst against the "true English Tory" (I, in my innoccnco, had thought that the last of thorn died forty years ago), may carry him rather far. I for one must protest against one' fair inference from his remarks, which is that the "Tories" have a monopoly of Imperialism. I cannot, call to mind sounder Liberals in the best sense of the word than tho late Ihike of Devonshire (Lord Hartington) and the late Mr. Chamberlain. Nor sounder Imperialists. Most AngloAfi'icans, indeed, bracket the latter with tlioso great Imperialists Mr. Cecil Rhodes aud Lord ililner—and the . latter, by-tlie-by, was also a Liberal. His one attempt on tho House of Commons was as Liberal candidate for the Harrow Division. And ho learnt much of bis Imperialism'from two older Liberals, tho lato Lord Goschon and Lord Cromer. No, Mr/ Scott, I must admit that the "Iferics" have been solidly Imperial at least from tho days of the Great Commoner and his great son, and we can never bo sufficiently grateful to them for it. But still, as I have suggested, it is very possible for a man to bo a very good Liberal, and yet to be as strong all opponent of tho foreign and colonial policy of the late Mr. Gladstone as tho most abandoned "Tory." —I am, etc., ENGLISHMAN.

ALL MEN SHOULD SERVE. Sir, —In Mr. Masscy's stirring speech of tho 16th, I notico lie savs "all men." I have long felt tho injustice of those whose opinion it is that only single men should 20. Did Beljnum send single men only? Does .France? I say, shoulder to shoulder, man to wan—for thek mothers and si%.

ters; married, for their wives and children; -and all for their King and country. Wo have heard about tho shirker. Who is he? Not the single man only.- Let woman got off her pedestal and turn to. You don't know what you can do till you have got to. Many a woman with small children has had to.face £reat odds in life, when God s hand has visited her. This strangle is more than your life; it is your children's life. When some day they ask you why they havo no uncles, or why uncle is a cripple, or why aunty is still an old maid, will you tell them one of the cxcuses we commonly hear is that so many aro wanted to feed this great army ? And if commerce does suffer for a time, what of it? Men; go, help our youth. "Tliey need you badly, and in helping 'nc-in, you help yourselves, your wives-una children ; and you keep your honour, which is more. Women, do your part, send your, men to buckle to. It is for your country. Help our boys that are thero. I have sent three. I have no more, or I would still send. But I say: "God help a country that won't send her men, so long as thero is a man to send."—l am, etc., MASTTCRTON. EDUCATIONAL REFORM. SHALL WE GERMANISE OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM? Sir,—ln concluding this series of letters, kindly allow me to summarise lie position (so far as the university is concerned). Germanising our university system' means: (1) Securing complete control of university examinations by the teachers. (2) Complete subordination of ' university work to a soulless specialism. (3) Complete subordination of the interests'of the students to those of; the teachers. (4) The discrediting, and, if possible, abolition of the exemijted student system. Now, let mo submit the followinj: interesting citations from "Memories and Impressions," . by tho Hon. George Charles Brodrick, Warden of Morton College, Oxford. They bear directly on , the chief issues involved: "London students, unable or unwilling to avail themselves of Oxford or Cambridge, have long had excellent lectures and tuition provided for them at University and King's Colleges, not to speak, of others. Those who aspired to degrees could obtain them at the London University after examinations, which had the great merit of being conducted by inde))endent examiners, and which, so far as I know, satisfied both the students and the public. The grievance, in short, was not so much a student's grievance as a professorial grievance, and though it may be well to bring lectures and examinations into closer harmony with each other, I shall regard it a-s a retrograde step if lecturers are to dominate over examiners. The only good reason why college tutors are so often appointed to examine, is that it is very diffioult, especially at Oxford, to find equally capablo outsiders who havo kept ?ace with the progress_ of knowledge. in all subjects of examination. But it is a weakness, if a necessary weakness, of the Oxford system, that so many tutors should have a voice in what Lord Derby called 'branding their own herrings.' : It is partly corrected by an occasional infusion of examiners from Cambridge; and it is creditable to Oxford that it seldom involves any. gross abuses." (pp. 173-4.)

Again: ."The broad general treatment of subjects which used to be a distinctive feature of Oxford education had given way, in many directions, to specialism an offspring of the demand for "Endowment of Research." and specialism continues to hold the field. It is curious that Goethe, in his "Dichturig and Wahreit," ccnsures a like tendency among tho younger German professors of his own day, attributing it to a somewhat different cause. He says that "when these professors teach only that they may learn, -and moreover, if they have talent, anticipate their age, they acquire their own cultivation altogether at the cost of their hearers, since these are not instructed in what shey really need, but in what the professor finds it necessary to elaborate for himself." Now, I willingly allow that, in my own time, there .was an anti-specialistic tendency sometimes earned to extremes. It was then rather the fashion to exalt intellectual grasp and insight above the mastery of facts, as if mere power, could be of value without knowledge—as if subtlety of analysis or brilliancy of statement were the crown of intelleotual greatness, and accuracy of information a . secondary accomplishment. Nevertheless, I contend that, under the old system, the supreme worth of comprehensive and well-proportioned views was more justly appreciated, and the all-important work of intellectual generalship more thoroughly cultivated." (pp. 363-4.) —I am, etc., FESTINA LENTO.

CONSCRIPTION AND NATIONAL' SERVICE. , Sir, —There seems U> be some confusion of thought in ibe objections ta conscription (or rather national service) put forward by its opponents. (1) They say that England or Not Zealand would lie ''Prussianised" if conscription were introduced. Havo they considered that Franco, Russia, Italy, and Belgium, our four Allies! all lmve conscription, and are fighting aa keenly as wo are to put down pTub. sianism ? Can they not sec. that if one nation keeps its whole population constantly ready for war, as Prussia has done in tho past, other nations must either do the same or bo prepared ta' go under and bo crushed? That haa beenthe injury of Prussianism. When she instituted tluit system and placed the military caste over all others, thcra was only ono path of safety for othel nations. Thoy were compelled to hava conscription or perish. The only way to slay "Prussianism" is to conquer Prussia. If that can be done by voluntary enlistment, well' and good.; but if not, then tho only path to peace lies through conscription. When the archj bully of Europe has been beaten, there -should bo a century of peace, and further conscription unnecessary. Till then we shall bo foolish to continue to With one arm in a sling. (2) They say that if the young men are called out, the property of older men should bo conscripted .as the equivalent to the young man's life which ha risks. It sounds all right,- till it is further investigated. What are a young man's obligations to his country ? Has he any? When he is bom into the world does he arrive full of rights and free of obligations? Does be not owe something to the State which- protected his parents; to tho free institutions which are the result of the blood, and sweat and tears of his lib-erty-loving ancestors; to the thousand and one conveniences of civilisation which tho taxpayers have provided for him? Does he start fresh and free on 1 the day of his birth with no (kbit to his account? How about the board and lodging due to his mother for the previous nine weary months? Has he repaid her for that and for all she went through for 'him? Has be repaid his debt to his father and tho State for food and clothing, for tha benefits and protection of civilisation, and for free education? The real truth is that he is born with a veritable millstone of debt about his neck, which becomes weightier and weightier till ■ ho reachos maturity. Up to then ho has been unable to repay anything by social service or saorifice. Some young men seem quite ignorant of this debt, and apparently conceive that tho State owes them an obligation for their presence in the community. What a mistake! If a youth is patriotic and tries to pay his debt, he is a priceless glory, to his country, and can cancel the debt by this one great'sacrifice of military service. But if he repudiates hi debt, and deuies that it is his duty to protect his country, his mother and his sisters; and.turns to live Lazily at home -while braver men do his job for him, then the' sooner the country is rid of his presence tho better. • He should not enjoy benefits, for which others lay down their lives.

(3) They say that if manhood ba conscripted, so also wealth. That is right, or almost right. It errs, however, by presuming that wealth ia not already conscripted. Surely it ia conscripted by tho income tax, which can be increased to any extenis If all capital were taken, industry would cease, the money for carrying on the war would fail, and disaster woold be near. It errs also in supposing that the obligation to sacrifice is equal in the cases of the youth who owes everything to tho State and has paid back noUiing, and of the older man who iaa more or loss paid back hie debt by lifeIcng service, or by storing up wealth, as a bee stores up honey, ready to be used in the day of trouble. This argu. inent is used, I fear, chiefly as an excuse for shirking, but also partly because the users are so much in the habit of attributing to capital every evil, whether it be an earthouake, a' famine, or a thunderstorm. Tho real truth is that wealth has been conscript, ed long ago, and the safety of the State demands tho eoual conscription of manhood. If wo will this war, conscription will be unnecessary; if we losa it we shall be Prussianised to a cerI tainty, and our free country will cease. to be.—l am, etc., : G.E.A. ■