Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2857, 31 January 1916, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

The Limit in Foolishness

The notice from U.S.A. to "all European Governments" that no armed merchantmen will be allowed to outer an American port is fiho height of foolishii/osj. To change tho figure, we might put it that by this action America is simply cutting her own throat. She has no mercantile marine, and depends almost wholly upon foreignowned ships for her overseas trade Of course, this latest embargo is just another mean, back-handed blow at Britain; although to-day's message shows Brother Jonlhan to be trailing his coat all round. For Germany has no ships in commission. And merchantmen arc only carrying a gut) in the bows to protoct themselves against submarines. And tlrrs very arming for protection is guaranteeing America the trade that is making her so rich. Aren't these Americans the limit in shortsightedness! Every Individual's Duty. W r e may not all be able toget into the firing lino against tho Empire's enemy and every man and woman may not have a sou to give for active scrvico, but overy individual iv New Zealand can do his and her little bit in carrying on a trade war against tho madc-in-Gerniany insidious conquest. Premier Massey has just made the appeal direct in this matter: "11 any person in this country, commercial man or otherwise, knows or oven suspects that enemy goods are 11 tiding their way into New Zealand or that New Zealanders arc doing business with the enemy in any way, the Government would liko to have particulars. The Government is opposed to trading with the enemy in any form, and will do its utmost to put it down ; and we are prepared to act directly causo is shown. Tho powers at our disposal, under the Acts passed in 1915, aro ample to enable* us to deal drastically with enemy trade and enemy goods if they reach this country." Let us be patriotic in trade as well as in offering mon and money to help iv the fight against our foes.

"What of the Dardanelles?" Under this heading Captain Granville Fortesque has had published by Hodder and Stoughton. of Loudon (S. and W. Mackay, Wellington) a shilling brochure, mostly "agin the Government," critical, and pessimistic iv tone. That tho Captain thinks no end of himself—-a common failing amongsttoo many British military men—is shown by using as tho opening phrase of his Introduction the remark ol "the chief of the greatest newspaper syndicate in England" : "You are the only man in England who knows the whole truth about the Dardanelles." Tho "you," of course, is Captain G.F. As a matter of fact, there is a whole lot fliat the Captain shows he does not know about the campaign he set himself to write down; bik[ it is also evident that he has written with the bias of the London Times and Daily Mail. He is obsessed with the idea that there is only one battle-ground in this war—tho western front. He has been proved Avrong in his deductions about Serbia: and he is also a long way out when ho makes the common error of Loudon arm-chair critics that because of their sacrifices at Gallipoli the people of Britain overseas will not trust tho British leaders in this war. We of the outer seas are •far more patriotic and far'less critical of Britain's conduct of the war than are tiie FoneSjqu.es and the Repingtous of London,'