TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1915, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY

~*_ — i — On Wednesday of last week Tho Post's comment on the valour A Parade for of Ihe Canadians had the Brave. $iis passage: "They were a wonderful incarnation of Energy, a tremendous embodiment of Courage. There in a field of Flanders they traced in German blood a. lesson for the Kaiser on the quality of the service which the Dominions' sons can give, and that lesson on the resources of the British Empire will not be forgotten." On the following day it was our pleasant duty to give similar praise to the great exploit of Australians and New Zealanders on the fire-swept slopes and scarps of the Gallipoli Peninsula. During the past week the courage, dash, and efficiency of Britain's helpers from Overseas have won the^ admiration of the whole Empire, and it is the belief of competent observers that the fighting quality of the colonial troops must give some concern to the German General Staff by impressing upon it the strength of the widespread British family. ' Each fresh despatch gives New Zealanders further cause for pride in the ( worthiness of their sons to be classed with the best of Britain's aok diers. To-day details of casualties are arriving, -and the sympathy of the whole country 13 with parents and others who are anxious or distressed by the news from the front, but the bereaved will have some comfort in the memory of splendid self-sacrifice for the Empire. They have the knowledge that those brave men helped well to- gain very important ground for the Allies. It is a victory, at a cost of pain and grief, but it is a feat of arms which warrants a parade in honour of the men who faced death cheerfully. This has ever been the British way ; a victory has adequate recognition. Therefore the parade arranged for to-night would not be out of place, and would not imply that the authorities have not proper regard for the feelings of soldiers' relatives. These demonstrations, within bounds, are desirable for national reasons^ of which one of the most important, is the stimulus which they can give to recruiting. New Zealand has yet many young men who can be inspired to emulate the deeds of their young countrymen at the front. Mr. James All£n has repeated a previous Ministerial prediction Politics and that the first session Patriotism. of. the new Parliar merit will b© comparatively brief. The political position has changed much since last session, when members had a general election on their minds, and there was a certain amount of miscellaneous business which had to be done. This year j th© "state of parties" bodes some unrest among the rivals for office, but we anticipate that the early days of the session will prove that the Government has a safe tenure of the Treasury Benches. The Opposition's duty to the public, then, will be to recognise the inevitable, and to assist in the shaping of measures for the good of New Zealand and the Empire. If the prospect of another election is definitely shifted to the year 1917, the members will have their minds and hearts clear and free for the national work next session, with prompt despatch, but if the House seems to be constantly in the shadow of dissolution, the average member will not be able to resist the temptation 'to make fnll use of all electioneering opportunities — and they are numerous. New Zealanders can hope heartily to be saved from a House swaying arid tottering on a ridge between the parties. Much as the people would dislike the turmoil and nuisance of an election this year, many would prefer a "break-up" to a constant uncertainty, maintained bjr noconfidence motions. Such a condition of suspense would be very harmful to the country, and it would be more costly and vexatious eventually than a General Election. However, The Post's belief is that, though the. Opposition combine is strong enough to make the Government's position uncomfortable, the opponents of the Ministry will not resort to guerrilla methods, which may ultimately do more harm to the attackers than to the attacked, for in this time of national and Imperial stress the public will have no patience for petty political sniping. A decision by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to invite Trade of delegates of similar the Empire. bodies of other districts to a conference here has a worthy object — the further encouragement of British manufacturers. It is the wish of all New Zealanders to do all within their power a-nd means to help the Mother Country, but some of the preference proposals, as advocated by well-meaning enthusiasts, would not be easily practicable. Broadly speaking, when New Zealand sells produce to one country she takes that country's goods in exchange, either directly or indirectly. New Zealand hopes to sell increadng quantities of food and other material to the United States and Canada ; naturally these countries hope to benefit by exchanging manufactures and other articles for that, produce. New Zealand desires to giv© «. distinctly helpful preference to BriUin, .but the existing trads relation*

and the possibilities of development with some countries outside the Empire have io be considered as well. Local manufacturers have also put in a claim for the people's good-will. Altogether, as The Post explained in a recent article, this subject of future trader-involving domestic industrial policy (primary and secondary), tariff, and other matters — is one which requires this country's best statesmanship. The best course of conduct will not be marked out at one conference, nor at two or three conferences. At present there is some sectional thinking, but no impressive amount 'of disinterested comprehensive thinking, with due regard for unchangeable economic principles. Business men, whose activities are chiefly with actual dealings in one or another commodity, and in the documents and details of some special department of commerce, will need the aid of keen students in order to attain a full appreciation of all the factors which come into this problem of trade. Germany's war machine has been credited , with a cold, mathematiGermans' cal preciseness, but ocDesperation. casionally a bearing becomes hotj and one sees the smoke of burning oil. Some of the displays of "frightfulness" may havo a fitting place, from the Germans' viewpoint, in their scheme of warfare, but in the belief of other nations these tac-' tics spring from desperation and unreasoning hateand spite. An impressive example of this wildness of folly is seen in one of to-day's cable messages. It is reported that a_ movement to boycott American goods is spreading among sections of Germans, who hope thus to punish the United States for selling munitions to the Allies, but commercial men are opposing the agitation as "foolish and ruinous." They know well that such conduct by Germany could be fairly described by the old adage about "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face." With the whole British Empire already organising strongly against Germany, commercially and industrially, the Kaiser's people would be courting disaster by provoking America's hostility. In [ a battle by boycott, Gerntany could be [ hurt more than^.merica. The American view of such a situation is in a new drama, "Tlie Unseen Empire," giving a vision of possibilities in a remote future. The writer presents Germany in a mood to attack Britain, and at this stage the American Ambassador, Charming, thus addresses the German Chancellor : — "The j United States will not fight — with guns. It doesn't have to. But from the moment the first German gun is fired against England, Germany ceases to ['exist as far as the United States is con corned. You are no longer on our planet. Your postage stamps will not be recognised. A small matter, perhaps, Your money will.be refused in exchange. Your ships cannot either enter or leave our ports, ifour stocks and securities will not be dealt in. We ' will buy nothing from you. We will sell you nothing. Without our raw material your industries will be paralysed. Without our food your people will starve. Don't fire that first gun, your Grace. It isn't — wise. Let us arbitrate." Then follows this description of the effect on the German: — "The paper flutters from the Chancellor's hands to the floor, as he stands transfixed." They do arbitrate, and Germany does not fire the gun. The I present bogey of a threatened boycott makes only a phantasm of "frightfulness" for Americans; they will smile at the absurdity.