Admiral Lord John Fisher

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 293, 11 October 1922, Page 12

Admiral Lord John Fisher

■ Off TREATIES. . / . "Xhe only treaty that ever lasts Is. a community of interest. Every other treaty is a scrap of paper. We can only have a community of interest in THE MASSES OF THE PEOPLE ALWAYS BEING ON THE SIDE OF PEACE, because it is the masses who are massacred, not the kings and generals and. politicians! They are plentifully fed and comfortably housed." ON IVAB. "The essence of war is violence Moderation in war is imbecility.' You hit first, you hit hard, you keen on hitting. Yo.u have to be ruthless, relentless and remorseless. It is perfect rot to talk about civilised warfare! You might as well talk about a heavenly hell!" Off THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. . "God Save the King is worn out. Wβ don't individualise now. It is as worn out as knee breeches for court functions or gold-laced coats for sea officers." What would have been Lord John's fate if he had dared to make this terrible assertion in New Zealand? Some of us with a sense of humour get a lot of quiet fun out of the way the poor old "Anthem" is dragged into everything in this part of the world. Football and sports meetings, every sort of "tuppenny-halfpenny" concert or "show" —I fancy I've even heard of its being "sung" at a wool sale! At any rate, I can vouch for this story: It was at a Country Party meeting of some sort. In those "little while ago" days, when they were feeling considerably bucked up over the prices wool and produce were fetching. Said one prominent member: "Our country is a magnificent country, no matter what certain people! say. I feel so happy that I'd like to J sing 'God Save the King.' " j And he did!' ] Isn't there some ■etiquette to be ob- j served about this National Anthem of j ours? It was the correct thing once j to have it sung or played when Vice-j Royalty was present—and only then, j But our present rulers, the Massey j Government, are singularly deficient! in a .sense of humour, hence they are I quite unconscious that by ordering us j to sing "God Save" on all and every j occasion, they are making themselves, us, and the Anthem itself ridiculous. —VAILIMA.