COMPULSORY TRAINING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1913, Page 11

COMPULSORY TRAINING

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Everywhere there seems to be war or rumours of war; 1913 .has been prophesied to be Germany's fateful year. All over tho British Empire the need for conscription has been boomed to a very great extent. Tho Society of Friends have come over here to investigate the matter on tho spot, _ tho while New Zealanders aro displaying a decided spirit against the system, .and diligent efforts are being ma.de to aroUse in them a patriotic spirit towards their native soil. In the midst of all this chaos a very pertinerit problem resolves itself. I* is this : Great Britain acquires a large tract of land by conquest. She establishes in it an independent government, subservient to tho interests "of tho Mother Country, and throws the crates of it wide o«en to, all-comers from the white races of Europe. Sons of all nationalities flock in, establish themHelves, intec-marry indiscriminately, and raise a new race, with keen commercial interests, who call themselves t colonials. Then, suppose from far away comes the news of a strife between two original races, each with a distinct nationality- of its .own. Say; Great 3ri^ain is, involved and a'ska her sons reared in the colonies to rally round her flag. What will ne their response? is the problem. Why should they respond to the call of Groat Britain- any ."more thatt to that 4 of, say, Germany? . Theyi are not British any more than German; they have no distinct racial instincts; they are colonials with just 'ojie ' common commercial mtqrest! British Government in the Colonies is ohly a • name. Any other Government would do jußt as well provided .it had at heart only the selfish internal commercial interest of the country. It is this consideration, I think, which the Society of Friends will need to take into account _ in connection with their investigation into the spirit of the colonial towards the oonscript system.— l am, etc., '• ■* ' A'PATSIOT. ' 23rd February, 1913.