The Evening Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1915.

Evening Star, Issue 15908, 14 September 1915, Page 4

The Evening Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1915.

This is Mr Lloyd George's pithy way of expressing and emphasis- " Slouching ing .the possibilities of the into international situation, as Disaster." it is at .the present day. As usual, the Minister is trying, nob for the first nor .the twentieth time, to rouse his countrymen to a realisation of the peril in which they stand. We do not propose to say that he will not succeed, but wo content ourselves with the remark—and we make it not without shame and humiliation, for the responsibility and cdium, relatively, pertain as much to a section of the people of New Zealand as they do to sections in the Mother Land—that Mr George seemingly has. a long and a hard row to hoe. We do not wonder that even so dauntless and tireless a fighter as Mr George should get sick afc heart when he surveys the dense mass of apathy, ignorance, and self-indul-gence with which he has to deal. Can. nothing, not even the thunders of the Huns at their doors, awaken employers anoSworkers and social idlers to so much as a glimmer of apprehension of the danger in which—to drag the greatness of the issue to the lowest depths of all—their own persons and possessions are placed? Are the men and women of the Mother Land in very truth "slouching to disaster"? It would, in far too many instances, seem so, and if there is one thing that is at times apt to make us forget ourselves and to say that we as an Empire do not deserve to win* - through in this' great conflict against the powers of darkness and evil, it is the presence among us of so many representatives of that self-com-placent, soulless ignorance which dares to make answer : " Don't worry, we shall win through all right."

"There are/' said Mt George in the course of one of those stirring speechesoosf s his, that have now been republished in book form, and that, we are afraid, -will not be read by those for whom they are intended, "those among you " (he was speaking to the owners, employers, and workers in the mining industry) "who demand business as usual, "enjoyment as usual, fashions, lock-outs, " strikes, ca' canny, sprees—all as.' usual. " Wages rcnsi go up, profits must also improve-; but prices must at all costs, be " kept down. No man must be called upon "to serve the State unless he. wants to; "even then he has only to be called upon "to do exactly -what he would like to do "—not what he is fit for, not what he "is chosen for, but what he.himself would "would like to do. A man who could "render more service by turning out "munitions must be allowed to go to the " front if he prefers to, and theman who "would be better at the front must be "allowed to stay at home if he feels more "comfortable there. Freedom after- all " implies the right to shirk. Freedom im- " plies the right for you to enjoy and for "others t-o defend. Js that freedom?" Mr George, "as usual," hits the nail on the head. His definition of freedom is just what many people in New Zealand think it is and insist that it shall be. Freedom with these is to do as one likes, whether it be to strike, to shirk, or to shuffle out of a subscription, and to tell such t ones that the foundation, essence, and guarantee of the permanence of that Freedom for which they have done nothing, either to attain or retain, is willing self-sacrifice, is to speak to them in a language they do not understand. They have yet to begin toJearn its alphabet. "We need only cross over to France to find there a contrast and an object lesson that should force to his knees every degenerate Briton who insists on everything as usual. "General," wrote the workmen at Le Creusot, in answer to his appeal to them to do their best, "yes, we are " working without a break day and night, "Sundays and holidays, well aware what "services we have to render our brave " brothers in arms who are fighting at the " fronij. They can rely upon us as we'do "on them and admire their great bravery. "Many,of us have had the honor to "serve under you. We could appreciate "no encouragement greater than .that of " our old commander. Thanks with all "our heart, general, for your touching " words. You may rest assured that we " shall employ all our efforts to give you "a worthy reply, for are you not in the " front rank of those who are leading'our '' armies to victory ?'' The British answer to their Minister's "touching words" came later. It was, as all the world knows, a second and even more serious threat to strike'with a few others thrown in by way of make-weight. We turn for a moment to our own City where, too, the sloucher and the shirker are not unknown. There are those amonnus who intend, as fares'- they are concerned, that, everything shall continue as usual. What to them though the lifeWood of Belgium be drained to the last drop? What to them, the fact that this little people stood between them and barbarism? They simply do not understand, and in their heart, of hearts—assuming the existence of so spiritually vital a part they do not Believe anything of the kind. Hence, it is possible for Mv J, A. Johnstone to report to the Otago PatrioticAssociation, apropos the Belgiaq jelief fund, that

Most of the collectors" have been advised by (contributors that they will nob continue their donations next month, in view of the War Tax that is about to be imposed, v and this is greatly to be regrett«d, as not one penny derived from the tax will go to help the suffering Belgians. And of the tick and wounded fund he said that his committee had Made a public appeal on lines calculated to meet the views of people who said they objected to the carnival procedure, but although it'was inserted several - times in both daily papers, it proved absolutely fruitless. With comparatively few and notablo exceptions, no large subscriptions were received in the City, but the traders, workers, and the people as a whole responded freely and generously. It is, apparently, nob sufficient to repeat once, or seven: times, or seventy times seven, but incessantly, that had it not been for Belgium in the first instance, and for the sacrifices of others in the second, not one of these refusers would have been in a position at this hour to say whether ho would or would not give. The ability to answer "Yes" or "No" would no longer be Ms. There may be New Zealanders, as Mr Parr, of Auckland, in his address afc the Garrison Hall last n : ght implied, who believe it possible that the success >of Germany in Europe would not affect the fate of New Zealand. If so, we can only regard, with what patience we are able, these short-sighted and foolish ones as part and parcel of that stupendous Imperial burden we are called upon-to carry.- It is for this community as a whole to make plain that it, at least, is ready and eager to meofc every demand that is mad 3 upon it. We aro not surprised that a free concert and the speeches of two well-known pnblic men failed to draw a large number of recruits to the cause. The time has passed for these methods, and it §ho»ld not be beyond the compass of those in control to furnish others. The men are here, and it may, wo like to think, not be all their fault that they are here. It is up to us—the words are sanctioned by high precedent—to see to it that none can say: "I did not know." Writing to his father from the Gallipoli Peninsula, an officer says: " I "have just censored some hundred letters. "Many were pathetic, and it makes you "feel that any fit single man who has no "absolutely justifia~ble excuse for not being "out in the field can never raise his head "again and -consider himself a good citi- " ijen and a true Briton it he fails to ofier "himself for foreign service. This is, first "and foremost, a single man's job."