DOMINION AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2852, 17 August 1916, Page 6

DOMINION AND THE WAR

OBLIGATIONS FULFILLED

PATRIOTISM OF PEOPLE

PRIME MINISTER'S TRIBUTE

Many and varied references to tho War were made by the Prime Minister . in tho course of speeches delivered by him at Panmuro on Monday (says tlio Auckland "Herald"), at functions connected with the opening of tho now bridge 'over' tho' Taniaki Jliver. He speoially ■ comnionted upon what Now Zealand was doing to assist the .Empire in the task of winning the war, and his first reference was in connec- . " tion with the dispatch of the Expeditionary Force from .this country. Ho . eaid that it was impossible, in a coun- ; try like this,' to take 60,000 or 70,000 mem. from their ordinary callings witii- „ - out tho business of the country being v.. -; affected. In regard to finances most i!. of .the money in sight was required by ■ the . Dominion for war purposes. It - was not known how long the war would last, but, however long is might be, provision must be made for all eventualities. The public works of the country had received, a check. The. time < Had ... to bo provided for when 50,000 or : 60,000 of New Zealand's soldiers would - be returning from tho war. Room had . to be found for theni, and profitable employment, as oon as possible. It. was necessary to make productive land .which at present was not producing, and to ; make.land which .was now only producing a certain amount produce more. Moro still to bs Dons. . The people of New . Zealand had produced what was necessary to food and clothe a very large number Of the sol- ;. diers at the front, including those from tlio Dominion: During- the past'two : years the people of this country had ac- , complished a great deal, but more had / to be done. The men who had gone "'"' to the front-had needed no torcc to make them .go, -and ho thought it would be, the. same' to the end . : of the .chapter. . ' Many ; of ' those ■ ■ men would not come back; many would return incapacitated. There - were also many men in New: Zealand who had given 1 up businesses and were now.'-.in the sere and yollow leaf, who had had to take up their labours again, • and who now, for patriotic purposes, and because the Empire wanted the supplies they were producing, Were working harder than they had over ■ - worked before in their lives.' Mr. Massey paid a tribute to the war work which had been done by the women of " Now Zealand. , The war . had brought home to New Zealanders their duties as citizens. He e'mphasised the fact ■ that when the State called. upon its . manhood the latter must, respond. Ho . . said tho life and property of citizens . .belonged to. the State when tho Stato wanted tfiem. Mr.-Massey also referred to the manner' in; which the people ' of the country had responded to tho ' increased taxation without a murmur, and declared that the,war must go on • until the power of Germany was broken and the peace of the world restored. Mistakes Inseparable from War, "There is no question," he wont on, "that tho authorities in Great Britain have made mistakes; they have admitted them. But mistakes are insepar- ... aßlo from war. But there is no doubt that Britain did her duty in keeping . the Navy in a state of efficiency.. The Navy has lost a number of ships and '>!•; some thousands of men, but to-day it '- stands stronger than it did at the be-" : ginning of the war. Wo can say the'same of the Army. Tlio British Army • . is, I think, one of the wonders of the world. ;It is one of the strongest; it is ttlc tfcirt equipped, the most efficient, and : it_ can hold its own with an& Army in Europe." . ,