NATIONAL WAR MUSEUMS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 48, 25 August 1917, Page 6

NATIONAL WAR MUSEUMS

Should war museums be established in New Zealand? The question was first raised by The Post in April last, when, in discussing the action of the British War Office in setting up a, committee to allocate captured guns and trophies, we remarked: " What is being done with the war trophies captured by the New Zealanders? With the war now entering its final stages, this is a matter that could reasonably receive consideration, and some definite scheme should be mapped out on the broadest lines which will appeal to the nation for all time.

. . . . Our men at the front to-day are creating traditions which it is for us to preserve. We can help greatly in doing this by seeing that some of the war trophies which they have captured are duly honoured, and are handed down to posterity ac eloquent reminders of the great sacrifices made by the present-day soldiers in helping to safeguard the liberty of the people. Eepresentations, indeed, might very well be made to the War -Office Committee on the subject." A correspondent now writes to The Post from London, under date of 28th June, urging the establishment of a National War Mußeum in New Zealand on similar lines to that being organised in Great Britain, and he anggests that the New Zealand Government should try and secure at once some of the " duplicates " that are liable to be rejected by H.M. Office of Works. T^ie idea is an excellent one, which lends itself not only to securing the trophies captured by New Zealanders, but also to obtaining some of those captured by the British Army and the armies of the other overseas Dominions. New Zealand could reciprocate in exchanging gnn for gun, N and so throughout the Empire lasting memorials could be set up, which would never cease to speak of the epoch when each component part shared common dangers and truly maintained a brotherhood in arms. Should not such a time be symbolised for the generations to come? Can it be done more realistically than by the course proposed? We think not, and once more commend the matter to the consideration of the Government. We, of course, are not committed to urging that all the evidences of victory won by New Zealand's sons should be placed in one National Museum located in Welling-

ton. In the general interests the better course to pursue in this respect would probably be to distribute them proportionately among the four centres, thereby appealing to the successive generations of each military district.