LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15834, 3 February 1915, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

RETURNED TROOPERS. Sir,—As a taxpayer, I decidedly object to the Government paying anothe'r penny to any of those young men who have returned from Egypt, because thev refused to bo inoculated tor tvphoid. "The Government should take steps to see if it cannot make all these voung men disburse every penny it'spent on them. J-ney came- forward for a certain purpose —it was practically an agreement to fight lor their country—they have broken that agreement, and should be made to refund every penny spent on them. U.ve Who Wishes He Were Young.

BISHOP AVERILL AND THE WAR. Sir,—lt is painful to have t<> criticise tiro expressed sentiments of a bishop. Last bunday evening during his discourse he leterred to the war now devastating the earth ; in so doing, much to the astonishment of many of his audience, the tenor of his remarks was to the effect that it was un-t'hristian not to buv German goods. Now, sir, it is known "that many a homo of those of his congregation ha's its vacant chair in consequence of this cruel war. Our strongest weapon in this maelstrom is not shot and steel, but to cripple German commerce. When the S,™ invested Paris in the war of wtv-a, even a Bismarck withheld his powder, and said : " Let them stew in their own fat." Yet we have a bishop who exhorts us to subscribe towards the maintenance of the most awful svstem the world has ever known. The idea'of loving your enemies in a degree is a noble one, as instanced in the Good Samaritan, but the enjoining of us to support the German despot is tantamount to a doctrine of lov-. ing the devil himself. For 40 years there has been no demoniacal device making for assassination, murder, mutilition, and crimes unspeakable but what has been carefully studied, and now being put into practice in the guise of " kultur. ' It is asking us to supply the wherewithal to support a wretched "militarism for the purpose of keeping " Suffering sad humanity "Steeped to the lips iii misery." In the Herald of Monday there is an ai count of one Heir Lissauer being worshipped for composing '"The Hymn of Hate," and children being taught to recite it. The passport is " God Punish England." The bishop is supposed to be the leader of his flock. Verily he must take it literally that wo are sheep. Were the bishop a German prelate in Berlin, and encouraged his hearers to buy British goods, he would get short shrift. In this war wo were forced to fight and sacrifice or lose every shred of honour as a nation, Empire., or Kingdom. I hold a minor office in the Church, but the bishop may in this connection consider me as out of the fold. E. HICKLI.VG. February 2, 1915.