TEST OF LOYALTY

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1918, Page 6

TEST OF LOYALTY

The contrast the great ©vents that are proceeding in Europe and Asia and the atruggle with which the electors of Wellington Central are particularly concerned is strange and striking. In comparison with the campaigns in France and Flanders, in Macedonia and Palestine, which are likely to shape the destinies of the whole world for centuries to come, the issues of a by-election on the other side of the world may well appear paltry, insignificant, and even sordid. Yet no greater mistake could be made than to surrender to the sophistry, which suggests that because it is: not open to the Wellington Central electors to win or lose the war, the conduct of the war is no concern of theirs, and they can afford to disregard it. Properly regarded, the by-election will be seen to derive its chief significance from the colossal struggle which is fallaciously represented as of no concern to the electors in their present task.;. Is New Zealand to pull out of the war and inscribe " Bolshevik " on her banner instead of; "Anzac '"! Is New Zealand to declare that all the sacrinces.which the.bravest of her.sons have made are to be in vain; and that those ( who regarded their gallantry and their devotion with coldness, oi* even aversion,

lave better claims to .her confidence ? Is

New Zealand, with the goal of her four years' endeavour at last .in sight,, to abandon the only method that can estab-

lish a lasting, peace; and to declare for a peace by negotiation, which means a peace by surrender—an armistice which will enable. Germany to prepare for a greater and more terrible war, with better chances of success? Disguise it as tie may, the Wellington Central elector, though his power at the ballot-box, as anywhere else, is but that of one man, takes the full responsibility of answering these, questions in the affirmative if he votes' for the Bolshevist candidate. To suppose that the recent change in the fortunes of the war has/in any way weakened this responsibility or altered the issue is the flimsiest possible delusion. It has been recognised from tlie first by all the responsible leaders of the Allies that, great as is Germany's military power, the power of her peace offensive^ would be more dangerous, because more insidious.' That.power has now

become a greater danger than ever, be-

cause the time has at last come for her to talk peace in earnest. Bulgaria is out

of the war, but if our Bolsheviks had had their way she would have been still in it.: Germany is still in the war, but if

these good friends of Germany have their way she will be able to get out on terms that will renew her tarnished prestige, preserve her military machine intact, and enable her, after destroying any inconvenient scraps of paper in the old familiar "way, to plunge the world once more in blood. The Vorwaerts frankly tells the German Government that it " must do, its utmost to ■ come to the conference table at the speediest

moment." The Kaiser will assuredly

need no pushing in that direction, and the New Zealand Bolsheviks would open

the door for him if they had the power. The appalling results of the help which the Russian Bolsheviks have given the Kaiser in this way have not deterred their admirers in New Zealand from advocating the same . tactics 'and . glorying. in the same name. They opposed New Zealand's participation in the war. They opposed the Military Service Act, without which New Zealand could not havo continued to play her part in the war. They still advocate its repeal, in order that New Zealand may now become the shirker and the poltroon which they would have liked to see her from the first, and in the same breath they tell us that the war really presents no issue to the Wellington Central electors. The wild talk to which Mr. Fraser's meeting last night was treated is satis-

factory proof that he and his supporters are'not satisfied that the electors will be fooled by such sophistry, and that they duly appreciate our own efforts in expos-

ing it. Mr. Fraser himself quoted some of our criticism of the National Govern-

mentort other grounds, but not a word to suggest that we have'not consistently put the Government's fidelity to the due prosecution of the war above every other issue. Mr. Semple spoke disparagingly about the loyalty of other people, but had little to say about his own or the candidate's. Can he mention a single

act or utterance of the candidate or the

party during the past four years that

breathes any kind of loyalty, calculated

to help the Empire in its great fight for

life, any expression even of general--sym-pathy with the work it. had in " hand?

Kwnvtiw flttt <taj«"of ty Empire's ncsd tß : ,th6 p;««nt moment-w« can^t. recall

that' the monotony of their consisteiS opposition to the national cause was varied by help or sympathy of any kind. The sufferings of little Belgium did not induce them to lend a hand. The glory of Anza<! left them cold. The noble example, of the British Labour Party in promoting voluntary recruiting did not induce them to follow suit. The still higher patriotism displayed by their British brethren's acceptance of conscription was replaced by a bitter antagonism. From first to last the party's attitude has been such as to command the entire confidence of the Kaiser and his General Staff, yet they solemnly assure the Wellington Central electors that the war has nothing to do with the election. .Their, estimate of the intelligence of the electors is certainly not flattering.