PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15821, 21 July 1913, Page 8

PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND

EMPIRE DAY CELEBRATION. WHY WE ARE TRAINING. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S ELOQUENT SPEECH. (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, May 31. ■.The Hon. T. Mackenzie moved the principal resolution at a crowded Empiredav demonstration held in the Queen's Hall, under the auspices of the Imperial Mission. The resolution expressed the opinion that the time'"has come when the countries of the British race should be drawn still more closely together, when defence and commerce should be better organised to their mutual benefit, and when the consultation between the Mother country and the dominions should be placed upon a more effective basis in order that the various Governments of the Empire may work together still more effectively in the cause of Empire unity." It is a little difficult, said the High Commissioner, " to know just how to deal with the great subject which forms the policy of the Imperial Mission, and I must confess, up to a - point, my ignorance of all that is involved. In so far as it is Imperial and not party it has my fullest sympathy and support, and it is with that aspect that I purpose dealing. FIFTY YEARS AGO. It was my good fortune to land in New Zealand a little over half a century ago. It may be said that I have really seen the birth of that country and its growth from a few scattered huts. We have seen a great development, such' as has probably not been witnessed before in so brief a time nor upon so limited an area Out population numbers upwards of one million. We have large and prosperous towns, and there are upwards of 20,000 prosperous farmers now cultivating the soiL Let us inquire what the development has been. Let us take our imports and exports. When I arrived they were practically nil; now they reach £45,000,000 per annum, a trade greater than -the United Kingdom enjoyed 75 years ago.—(Applause.) Let us travel from that small country, that remotest of all Britain's possessions, and see the extent to which the overseas' trade has grown during that period :—

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 1858. Now. New Zealand — £45,000,000 British Possessions ... £90,000,000 £685,000,000 India £28,000.000 £301,000,000 United Kingdom ... £330,000,000 £1,279,000,000 What a development this shows during that brief period, and what a change has come over the feelings of the Old Land towards the new. Fifty years ago the oversea possessions were regarded as a cumbersome excrescence. One political party wished to dominate them; the other wished to be rid of them. There was no real sympathy existing, but gradually a kindlier hand was introduced, and the changes wrought have been such as are indicated in the figures quoted.—(Applause.) ••• ■ MILITARY POINT OF VIEW. We have a compulsory system of military training in New Zealand.—(Applause.) And at the moment there are between 60,000 and 70,000 undergoing regular training. I regret to say that in connection with the work we are carrying on we are not so much troubled by people within our territory as by some interfering busybodies in England. The type to which these people belong has aptly been described by the chairman as the keenest of the limp, blank, flabby sentimentalists. It is not on the bones of such Englishmen that the English flag has flown. I<• hold that when 'we were granted self-government that carried with it entire freedom to follow out under the British Constitution such lines of policy as we thought best calculated to develop and defend' our country and to help to build up the whole Empire. We are responsible only to our own citizens regarding such line of policy.—(Applause.) We take precisely the same attitude regarding the policy' of the Motherland. In my capacity I expre? s no opinion as to the lanes of action adopted, and we as New Zealanders hold that we ought to be immune from interference from England in our internal affaire in the same way as you in. your country are free from interference on our part in your internal affairs. But that is'not the case.

WARM REPLY TO CRITICS. For months past a number of interfering men who, with one exception have not the slightest personal interest in our country, and have never been in it, have spread broadcast statements that are without foundation and to our discredit; and I am amazed to have to say thai recently in London a newspaper has lent itself to this campaign, without over making the slightest inquiry at the High Commissioner's Office, by circulating statements that are more or less devoid of truth. Such statements are a serious slander on one of the most loyal possessions owning the sway of our gracious King. The case in point is that of a man- who asked assistance from the country to pay in part the passages of his sons to New Zealand. He even desired us to pay part of his own passage. He claims to have been deluded into going to New Zealand when, 'as a matter of fact, he must have woeived literature combining information that he -and most of his sons were liable to be called on for military service. No sooner did he land on our "shores than he defied our laws and traduced our public institutions, and finally had the effrontery to ask us to pay his own passage and the passages of his family back to this country. , Were they seriously interested in New Zealand one could forgive the interferers to whom I have referred, ivho profess to carry on operations in a just and -fair way, were it not that they probably do not care twopence for the man Vhom, at the moment, they are magnifying into a' hero and for whom they are endeavouring to obtain subscriptions from the public in liis aid.

But the real undorlyirer diabolical device of tho whole thing is tot it is feared there will be adopted here a system of training and. that New Zealand maybe quoted as an example of success, if success attends our effort; and that newspaper and the misguided people who are behind it hope, by fair means and by foul and by any device that could be employed, to destroy the possibility of any success attending a well-thought-out and commendable scheme of compulsory military training. WHY NEW ZEALAND IS ARMING. I would here point aut that even if wc are successful there is no parallel to be drawn between New Zealand and England, inasmuch as hero you have an efficient fleet patrolling'your coasts and. for its size, probably, one of tJie finest armies in tho world' on land. But _we have norther; and should ever the timo come when England should, unfortunately, be involved in serious wars, and might not bo able to send us aid, then we should be entirely at the mercy of any bodv of marauders who thought fit to pounce upon ns. Therefore our Legislature in its coDunendable wisdom dotorraine'd almost unanimously that there is

no use in having men who are brave unless those men are taogbt how to become efficient and to put their course to a proper use. And why are wo arming? First, because we think it right to take our share in defending our own posseariora and assisting the Mother Country to keep, 'open the highways of commerce.—(Applause.) Secondly, we study, perhaps even more carefully than do tie people of the Old Land, the developments that are going on in other parte of the world. We felt when the Japanese defeated the Russians that that success would largely change tie Eastern mind, We realise the developments that are going on in China and the vast latent power in that great Empire. We observe fcl>e population of other countries growing at a rate which far outnumbers the rate of increase in the population of the Mather Country. Wo see that already the strain is almost heavier than the Old Land can bear, even for naval defence, in proportion to that which other powerful nations axe called upon to pay.

We are arming also to defend this magnificent heritage that has been handed to us.—(Applause.) The British Empire stands for justice, freedom, and crvilisation, and -were our Empire not to continue it would be a set-back to the whole world, which might take centuries to recover. We are arming, not for proposes of aggression; but so that we may be free, and so far as this Imperial Mission is concerned, in all that works to that end, it has the support and sympathy of every true Briton, no matter in what part of the Empire he may be placed.—{Applause.)