Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1915.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 105, 5 May 1915, Page 6

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1915.

LAST NIGHT'S DEMONSTRATION ♦ If the official congratulations -which arrived on Thursday last brought New Zealand a- vivid sense of the glory of war, she has also in the interval made a first-hand acquaintance with its sorrows. It was nothing but a. most honourable pride and gratitude that induced the Imperial Government to be so prompt in forwarding its congratnla.tions on " the splendid gallantry and magnificent achievement" of our troops at the Dardanelles. ,- But it is probable that the impression -would have been deeper. a& it certainly would have been freer from doubts and perplexities, if the congratulations had been delayed until ifc was .possible to accompany them with at least a, general indication of the nature of the operations to which they referred. The most painful of these doubts and perplexities are, however, in. separable from the nature of the case. The most glorious feat of amis is bought by the victors at a cruel price, and there must inevitably be a period of .suspense during which their relatives and friends are left to sorrowful speculation as to the apportionment of the price, in winch sonic natures at imy rate find the uncertainty a more grievous fctjain than the assurance of the worst. Wo have | already paid our tribute of admiration J

cheerfully mado the last and greatest of sacrifices at the Empire's call, and of sympathy {or those whom they have left forlorn. We have nothing to add now to the words that on such a subject seem so imperfect a vehicle of feeling. Our present concern is with last night's patriotic demonstration, and with the suggestion that it was unfortunately timed for the day on which New Zealand was made acquainted with some of the details of her first personal loss on a. large 6cale during the present war. Such a suggestion betrays a complete misconception as to the object of the demonstration, the meaning of patriotism, and the citizens' proper attitude to the realities of war. "Mafficking" is not patriotism, and " mafficking " is the very last thing that the promoters of yesterday's demonstration had in view. They had the serious and sober purposeof celebrating New Zealand's first and glorious appearance in the fighting line in Europe, and of using it as an argument to stimulate recruiting. The sombre | aspect which the first casualty lists had given to the glories of war only served to make the appeal more timely and to heighten its effectiveness. Nobody, surely, desires to entrap our I young men for the front on fake pretences. It is to no picnic or pleasure trip that they are called. ,War is a. serious business, and to endeavour to conceal its pains and dangers under the veil of glory is not fair argument. Fortunately, it is also not the kind of argument that proves most effective with young men of the British race. Every reverse that has befallen the British arms, every conspicuous exhibition of German "ffightfulnees," has merely served to quicken the flow of recruite in the Old Country. It seems to us that the joint effects of the policy of the censorship in exaggerating the importance of every small victory and in minimising the general gravity of the position have been exactly the opposite of what was desired. It is not an anodyne but a stimulus that the national selfcomplacency requires even now. In this respect New Zealand illustrates in a perhaps exaggerated form the weakness of its parent stock. It is hard for us to realise at this immense distance that the struggle for the Dardanelles is just as much our concern as though Cook Strait had been the scene of action instead. But the participation of our troops in the fight has helped ■us to realise it, their gallantry has fired many of their fellows who have remained behind with an ambition to imitate their example, and the toll that they have paid in death and suffering only serves to heighten in the heart of every young man who has the makings, of a. soldier in him a, sense of shame for not having failed to do the brave thing himself. Last night's parade and speeches should help to get \he> Defence Department what it sorely needs, but something less spasmodic is needed to drive the appeal, right home, and we hopo to see tho National Reserve taking the work in hand on permanent, organic lines.