Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9067, 30 May 1888, Page 4

Some surprise was caused at Wellington, i and a war scare 011 a limited scale generated, by a rumour that information of an ominous character as to the immediate outbreak of hostilities in Europe had been received by the Government. Its positive denial on the part of Ministers was followed by another rumour to the same effect, and then by a serio-jocular notification that the German fleet had opened fire on a Russian fortress. It would perhaps be straining things too far to trace a connection between these rumours of danger and the extraordinary notice of motion tabled in the Legislative Council by our ex-Commander-in-Chief, Sir George Whitmore. This is to the effect that, considering the unsettled state of affairs at home, the militia should be enrolled and part of the first class called out for training. We say it might be straining things too much to trace any relation between these events. But familiar as we are with the tactics of Prince Bismarck in having terrible and ominous tidings disseminated on the eve of the reading of one of his Army Bills, we are to be pardoned if our minds naturally fall into the idea that these sounds of warlike operations floating from afar and mysteriously reverberating in the air at Wellington may have been in some way anticipatory of this warlike action in the halls of legislation on the part of our only General. For, resting as MajorGeneral Whitmore is in ignoble and unwarlike ease, his spirit must be chafing at this long and yfeary continuance or the times of piping peace ; and even if nothing came of it—which is entirely likely—it would doubtless be delightful to have an hour or two's discourse in Parliament on howitzers and Gatlings, while the air was redolent with " villainous saltpetreand if we are only assured that nothing more would come of it, there is not a right-thinking man in New Zealand who will grudge to the General in the circumstances an opportunity so entirely innocent of initiating a discussion in which for the nonce he may tower head and shoulders over all his fellow-Councillors. But it can only be on the condition that nothing more shall come of it; for unhappily misguided legislation has done quite enough to depopulate the colony, by driving its bone and muscle to leave our shores, without precipitating the exodus by anything so insane as this. By the calling out of the militia, if our ex-commander had his way, we should as a colony have perpetrated what would probably be universally regarded as the crowning act of folly of a striking political career. " The militia," according to the Act, "shall consist of. all the male inhabitants of New Zealand between the ages of seventeen and fifty-five not hereinafter exempted, who shall have resided in the colony for the period of six calendar monthsand one of the first operations- under Sir George Whitmore's resolution, would be that every male person between the ages of seventeen and fifty-five must within twenty days give in " his name, age, and place of residence" to the adjutant of battalion or other officer as the case may be, and be ready at a moment's notice to be called on to prepare himself to fight for his Queen and country. Indeed, of the first class, that is of those between seventeen and thirty years of age, a portion to be settled by ballot or conscription, are to go at once under canvass, and serve a . year or so with the colours, and we have not much difficulty in _ imagining the feeling of consternation with which a large portion of the community will be seized when they learn, for the first time in their lives, that by coming to New Zealand they have rendered themselves nilly-willy liable to have to go a-soldiering. Of course, to that small

proportion of the population who here in the troublous times of Maori wars, the fact is known familial® enough as an unhappy memory • W y venture to say that four-fifths (X 9 population will stand aghast when a 9 come to realise the fact that to fu y other " blessings of this J? - the country" there is to be added thia o^ 3 that every man in it mav be mil to be drilled as a soldier; a K? a won't fight, that he may be shot • « j that if he tries to get away inn he may be court-martialled as a T serter, and treated promptly to iusti administered, at the drumhead Tu 6 debt of three or four and thirty mi lions has its effect, the property te, x h its objections, the general want 3" employment is disheartening b u t W the adult male population realise J. let Sir George Wlntmore have his waV let the militia be enrolled and the first class called to arms, and we shall hav applied a whip and a spur to tl° exodus that will startle the colon" 3 No doubt in a country's dire extremity such a course would be imperative • and in this country's extremity there am very few New Zealanders who would shirk the duty of facing the foe • but in cold blood to propose such a thins as this, to disarrange the whole state of society, to call out men in the most active time of life from their occupa tions to go soldiering, at a time when the country is staggering under its difficulties, must be the craze of a mind labouring under a hallucination of a very alarming kind.