IS THE EMPIRE MORALLY FIT FOR VICTORY?

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 263, 23 October 1916, Page 3

IS THE EMPIRE MORALLY FIT FOR VICTORY?

At the Hastings Methodist Church last night the Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt preached to a crowded congregation on the moral fitness .of the nation for victory. In opening his theme he pointed out that Britain was involved without her seeking, in a titanic struggle. For two years they had been straining, their eyes to look for victory. By victory the speaker said, he did not merely mean the thrashing of Germany for blackening the world with intrigue, and drenching it in blood. He meant also the overthrow of the spirit that created the war, the doom of the doctrine of ruthlessness, and the uprooting of the villainous notion that might is right. If such victory came what effect would it have upon our national life? Could we make a right use of it? Were we in the spirit and temper to take full moral advantage of victory? Had we learned righteousness through tribulation? Was the ordeal of battle making us a better people? Was the crucible of war purging ns of dross and impurity? Had the stress and sorrow of strife so quickened and deepened our life that we would * emerge fitted to meet the grave problems the war had revealed or created Were we fitted to fill the unique position of responsibility and influence God had given us in the world ? Were we as yet morally tit for victory ? Whilst it would betoken moral unfitness to pose before God with presumptuous assurance as deserving victory, we could yet take a well-balanced view of the f GOLDEN SIDE OF NATIONAL LIFE. There were certain pleasing features in our national life. The Empire was at war because she had regard for moral considerations. The unworthy aims inspired our . operations. There was no malignity in our hearts, nor any hymn of hate upon our lips. The nation had affirmed that righteousness was better than peace. The Empire was united in a strife for the great ends of righteousness. It participated in the conflict impelled by loftiest, moral anrl spiritual obligations. Again the unmeasured sacrifices of the nation’s voting men had touched Hie nation with undying splendour. The war had confronted them with the stern facts of life. It •P once evoked a new sense of responsibility. and gave the young men a new conception of values. They had learned that life itself was less precious than honour and liberty and righteousness. In the Armv millions of men were under wholesome discipline. They were facing grim realities. This had civen them a new seriousness which pointed to moral growth. Daily confronting death they found that religion was taking on a fuller meaning for them. That fact was a. great moral asset. In this awakening of the nation’s young manhood there were moral elements that lent them selves to rich possibilities. For. an ideal they had made great sacrifices. Their response to the call of need, their readiness to resist tyranny unto the death, and their determination to defend life’s noblest things, showed a fine appreciation <>i moral values.

Then the war had evoked a spirit of heroism and sacrifice by thousands who hated the very thought of " ar. and equal heroism and sacrifice by the womanhood of the Empire. Such facts were full of fair promise.

THE DARK AND SORDID SIDE. But there were shadows across all this splendour. War had flashed a lurid fight on many grave defects in national life and character. In conf past to the sacrificial spirit of the soldiery, many were exploiting the war for personal profit. The nation wars agog for money and business and sport. There was a frantic pursuit of pleasure, a debasing use of wealth, an inordinate love of luxury. a callous extravagance, and a lack of seriousness and earnestness. Whilst the churches had poured the treasures of their young manhood into the fighting forces of the country, thousands of their .critics remained at home to swill beer, anil nick winners and flirt with the shallower sort of the country's women folk.

Throughout the Empire there had been no general awakening to seek after God. and little real determination to correct our defects. In New Zealand last year totalise tor gambling increased by about per cent, and withdrew millions money from productive uses, li drink last year the Dominion had squandered )£J.IOS. 185. Our beer ridden National Cabinet remained unmoved by any considerations o> economy or efficiency or morality, and threw its protection over tin liquor trade. It even refused a referendum on the traffic, thus passim .1 vote of no confidence in the peoph whose will it was determined n> th wart.

In Britain, despite the declaration of the King, Lord Kitchent ■ and Mr. Lloyd George that drink was the greatest foe that afflicts u>.

“the trade” persists in holding back victory and in prolonging the wai. Bought by brewers’ gold, and con trolled by 252 peers of the reahi . and a few score of members of th ■ House of Commons who hold finan cial interests in the liquor trade, responsible authorities stood against the overthrow of liquordom. Meat while drink was lighting again-t ; every hour that our men were fi /o ing and dying for us. The t it,d • was worth whole armies t>> the Kaiser.

In the United Kingdom dm ine two years of war over three inillic. tons of foodstuffs had been used iu making liquor, and more sugar th tn was used by Britain's entile anal .-s. To grow its supplies the trrdn monopolised one million actes <>t land. It consumed in it- factories three million tons of c< d. It commandeered the' services, u; 30’1,000 workmen. It occupied Tn million cubic feet of shipping space, and involved the handling of 55 mil’ion tens by road and rail. England spent <£5,000,000 a day t ■ b"at the Kaiser, yet for a paltry bi:be of £1.000,000 a week in the min of revenue, she licensed a foe ’bat is deadlier than a b< -tile, n ; -ju in arms. For drink in two yer.rs patriotic Britons withdrew £;< ,>.000,000 from the country’!- productive industries and her v.-ar enterprises. This traffic, said the preacher, shatters our more' stength, saps our vital powers, din.iuuhes our physical efficiency and devours our food supplies. It squander , our material resources, wastes on wealth, burdens our n■‘•rcantiie marine, *holds up transport, delay munition making, hindeis the Auny and hampers the Navy, end wl en every ounce of our energy is needed to win the war it allows us to se only a part of our strength. It was time, to be serious and honest and to utilise all the na:i< nal ir-ources that would expedite ticto.-y. ih.l eliminate all !, i e elements hat make for defeat ■■■■■lay.

THE NATION’S AWAKENING. To this and other perils the nation was awakening. Its moral sense was being deepened and quickened. The nation had not yet attained to fitness for victory, but was coming to it. Victory’ was coming but a heavy price must be paid for it. Tidings would reach them that would yet blanch their cheeks. The outlook was stormy and stern, but, thank God I it was not uncertain. Victory was oncoming. But it awaited the nation’s return to spiritual ideals. Ships and guns could never save a nation that was rotten at heart.

Admiral Beatty, the hero, of Heligoland Bight, had said: “When Britain looks to the future with humbler eyes, and a prayer upon her lips, she can begin to count the days towards the end.”

The truest and most effective preparation for victory was work for the regeneration of the nation. Let them stand solid against the national foes, cleansing their life from corruption and strengthening it in righteousness. Thus would they merit and win success, and gain equipment for solving the new problems that would confront them in the <i->ys of peace. During the service Mrs. A. Christie gave a very fine rendering of the solo “Come Unto Ale” and the choir sang the anthem “O Gladsome Light” very effectively under the <•< nduetorship of Mr. A. R. Don, with Mr. J. B. Young at the organ.