AN AUSTRALIAN VISITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3031, 19 March 1917, Page 6

AN AUSTRALIAN VISITOR

SIR THOMAS EWING VIEWS POLITICAL AND GENERAL Sir Thomas Ewing, who was Defence Minister in Mr. Alfred Deakiu's Federal Government, is at present making, a tour of New Zealand, accompanied by Lady Ewing and their daughter. After visiting places of interest in the South Island, Sir Thomas Ewing and party arrived in Wellington from l'icton on Saturday night. They expect to spend about three weeks in this Island, visiting Rotorua, Lake Taupo, Wanganui, and New Plymouth, • and making the trip down the Wanganui Eiver beforo they return to Sydney.

Sir Thomas Ewing retired from politics before Mr. Deakiu did so, and for the same reason, a breakdown in health. From the breakdown ho recovered, after a period of rest, but ho was not tempted to woo again tho suffrages of the New South Wales electorate, which he had represented for the continuous period of twent.T-fiva years. While he was a- member of the Dcakin Cabinet he brought down the Compulsory Training Bill by which tho defence system of the Commonwealth was on land established, and with tho inauguration of the Australian naval policy he was scarcely less concerned. A long rest from politics makes Sir Thomas Ewing, probably, a younger man to all intents and purposes than he was before he left them. He till takes tho keenest interest in political and other affairs, and in conversation with a Dominion representative some interesting views were expressed by him.

While he regretted the verdict. Sir Thomas Ewing was not inclined to be unduly cast down because Australia voted against conscription at the recon t_ referendum. He pointed out that the issue was not a fair one to be submitted to a. general plebiscite, which gave the opportunity to every shirker to shirk in secret, and allowed all sorts of emotio'ftal arguments to come into play. The referendum was only resorted to because, though Mr. Hughes could probably have passed a Bill for compulsory service abroad through the House of Representatives, he had no chance of passing it through the Senate. The referendum was not even in part rejected because of any want of confidence felt in Mr. Hughes by his party before he proposed it. They had confidence in him, though he was not so personally popular with the Labour Party as wag Mr. Watson, the first Federal Prime Minister, who now also has been cast out of Caucus Labour. His abilities had always been admired, and the recognition given to thorn when he visited Great Britain was a cause of general pride to those identified with him in politics. The Labour prejudice against conscription was extremely strong, however, and when other circumstances of the referendum were considered it was not surprising that it failed. The hostile vote was specially strong in New South Wales, and that might be due in part to a special reason. All peoples went through phases of development, and a larfje section of the population of the oldest State were just now experiencing a. rather irresponsible stage. Thev would pass through it, however. Bagehot spoke of these political spasms" as "tho growing pains of society. There need be no fear for the future of Australia. A vast proportion of the people had sense; they had been only temporarily stampeded.

Questioned as to Mr. Hughes's prospects for getting a 6ecure majority for his War Government" as the result of the general election which has now been called for, Sir Thomas Ewing expressed the opinion that there should be no doubt as to the result, if the real issues were considered. "The alliance party consider that it is the duty of every man to defend his country." If it is good enough to live in it is good enough to defend. The Opposition maintain that the defence of our freedom is merely a minor question of 'go as you pleaso.' To succeed in social advancement or political aims, the Opposition ' maintain there should bo cast-iron control and absolute obedience to even temporary leaders. They advocate cohesion and no individual action. So that a blow can be struck if necessary with the whole weight of thoir power behind it, no individual opinion is permitted in the Labour Party. But with reference to national safety or existence, which makes progress or reform possible, they urge that it is not a national matter, but purely a question for independent decision ,and each individual in defence of his home may do as little or as much as suits himself. Ho has no duties to the land in which he lives, nor to tho nation of which he forms part. At least he has no duties which should be any trouble to _ perform.. Thero might be no great objection to defending their native bind under a scheme by which other men did the lifting and they did tho grunting —both, of course, being equally rewarded. Surely the question of tho defence, not only of our freedom and our lives, but of those institutions which have made our race tho freest on earth, is a matter of national importance, and should be protected by our wholo power. I need uot discuss tho preservation of the Empire, for a man would require to have le>s intelligence than an oxtinct inoa not to know that Australia and New Zealand have no future; they cannot live, but as part of the Empire. The most blatant domagogue knows that." Alliance Governments, Sir Thomas Ewing pointed out, were always subject to a disadvantage in giving to tho peonle. Normally they had the opponents of both parties against them, but this should not apply in the case of an alliance formed for war objects pure and simple—in defence of loyalty, honour, and national existence. New Zealand impressed Sir Thomas Ewing as a country on a very solid basis of prosperity, which was making its war effort, by means of compulsory service, in the best way. The thing that struck him most was the great progress made in the development of both town and country in the short space of tho Dominion's history. The Tourist Department was most helpful to visitors, and the. motor services which made it possible to travel all the way from Christclmrch to Picton by land were so satisfactory that' a man would be foolish to' bring a car from Australia to New Zealand. Objects of the future, as it seemed io him, should be to encourage in every way production, on which the wealth of the Dominion rested, and which irrigation would increase in many districts, and to develop the splendid sources of water-power which, in Norway and elsewhere, had been made an asset of the greatest value. With the_ scenic beauties of New Zealand, including those of tho Parnassus-Kaikoura-Picton road, which havo never been much "boomed," Sir Thomas Ewing and his party havo been altogether charmed. Two sons of Sir Thomas have been wounded at the war.