The Star Delivered every evening by 6 o' clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Elthiam, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi Alton, Horleyville, Patea, Waverley. FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1917. THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 3 August 1917, Page 4

The Star Delivered every evening by 6 o' clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Elthiam, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi Alton, Horleyville, Patea, Waverley. FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1917. THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR.

To-morrow the third year of this jrreat and terrible war will be completed. It has been, and still is 3 an anxious tfme for this Dominica in common with the rest of the Empire, for we here have had to bear our full share of the burden. There is no measure by which; may he meted the loss and the sorrow it has brought to homes and fantflies in our midst. The war is a great moral catastrophe. Oh ! wKat are these? Death's ministers, not men, who thus deal death Inhumanly to men, and multiply Ten thousandfold the sin of him who dew His brother; for of whom srch massacre Make tUey hut of their broth o&n, nea el me* ?

The "ten thousandfold" which Milton ! in his vision saw may again be multiplied by ten and still the tale of slay- ; ing be mest incomplete. A moral I catastrophe indeed ! And though for j three long years it has shakeßL the j world, we still can only faintly hope that it will soon be over, for there is but little evidence on which to base any definite expectation of a speedy end. For us, for our nation, for the mourning families, there are compensations to be set against the monstrous evil. We surely can hold with unqualified truth that this war was not of our making, that our public men did their utmost, though fruitlessly, to stay the storm. We can say, too, with truth that once the storm broke we could not have kept out of it with honor, nor even with safety to our national existence. Moreover, with our present knowledge, we and the bulk of the world realise that unless we win another and a very terrifying regime is going to dominate Europe and far beyond the boundaries of Europe; and that an inconclusive peace would merely mean new preparation for another war for supremacy. So this is a war against war, a war for a peace which shall be something more than a mere cessation of hostilities. Sacrifices have been made and still are called for, but the purpose is worthy. Surely • there ! are herein some consolations. Unless such a peace as we are fighting for can be won by us our sacrifices are in vain. It is because this is all realised that Britain is determined to fight on, if necessary, to the last man, and it is because our fate is involved in that of the Empire and because we know that the Empire's cause -is just that we of New Zealand will to-morrow, for the third year in succession, again declare our determination to do all that is within our power. No doubt there have been some little differences of opinion expressed lately as to the manner in which we can continue to do our best, but these relate to methods rather than to purpose. It would be impossible, we believe, to find any body of opinion worthy of consideration or respect which^ would say, even after three years of severe {rial and anxiety, that Britain should have played the ignoble part of non-interference; the contrary, we have no doubt at all, is practically the universal view, and involved in that view must be the resolve to "carry on," come what may, and confident that the best will come. The Entente Allies hare had. difficulties, disappointments and failures, but are not discouraged nor weakening. They are growing in strength, they have, we hope, secured supremacy, they are iirm in resolution, and they may reasonably and confidently feel that, long and arduous' as the struggle may be, it will i end in a victory for their cause, the cause of liberty—freedom for peoples to work out their own destiny, liberty I for the individual.