THOUGHTS OF LEADERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17104, 8 September 1917, Page 11

THOUGHTS OF LEADERS

GENEROSITY OF NEW ZEALAND. (From Our Own Corbestondent.) LONDON, Juno 26. ilr Balfour, at tho. Mansion House, in moving tho adoption of tho report of the second iiniwal meeting of the National Committee for Relief in Belgium, said: " I think it is a most striking and impressive document. Thero aro two special cases of liberal subscriptions which move mo greatly. Tho most touching is tho contribution by children to children—by tho children of tho Empire, whether horo or overseas, to tho unha.pj>y children of Belgium still under tho heel of tho oppressor. '.I'ho other is tho extraordinary contribution made by ono of om- dominions—New Zealand.—(Cheers.) Whero all have been so generous it seems invidious and unnecessary to single out any particular c;i«e. Yet it is ono of tho most striking things, in my experience, at all events, that a community should f-übscribo nearly 10s a head —men, women, and children —of tho wholo population to tho cause of a country removed from them by half tho circuit of tho

globo, whoso sufferings they can road iibo-ut, but cannot: witnests, who arc not, as we aro, in tho very neighbourhood of tho scene of outrage and tragedy, but who can judge of it only through the eyes and ears of a sympathetic) imagination. I think it is most remarkable proof, not merely of the gene-

rosity of Now Zealand, but of the manner in which it has been found possible, throughout the world, for people to feel, not merely an abstract sympathy, but a real, living emotion in the faco of distant tragedies which can by no possibility touch themselves." CO-WORKERS FOR CIVILISATION. Mr Balfour, at tho Houso of Commons: "The American community know tho sacrifices that ,we havo made- for nearly throe yjars in tho cause of j world-freedom; they sympathise with tho causo for which those

sacrifices have been undertaken, and when (lie moment came in which tiiey felt bound to show on which side- they stood they welcomed any opportunity of manifesting their deep moral and spiritual agreement with the policy which is l>eing pursued by their present allies on this sido of the Atlantic. That is tho real significance of the mission of which I was the head. That is the great result which it has had —a result tho value of which cannot bo measured by its effects on this war, great as thoso effects are going to bo. but which will. I hope, outlast in the history of the world tho lifo of even the youngest of thoso whom I am addressing. I regard this mission, not as the cause, but as an indication of ono of tho most beneficent developments of international relations which rftis ever occurred in the history of the world. Most alliances, as students of history know, are based cm a temporary agreement of aim between nations who join together each for its own purpose, and the alliance lasts only bo long as the samo end benefits both. With tho occasion such alliances vanish, leaving behind friendly or unfriendly reflection, it may bn. but not anything which is necessary for a permanent basis of long and faithful co-operation. I. believe that as co-openifcion in this war between Great Britain and the United States is not based upon tho fact that either has something to got out of the war for herself, but is b-iscd oti a deep eongruity and harmony of moral feelings and ideals — as that in its origin, so also will be its history, and ns that it will endure as long as our two nations are content to pursue those great ideals; and I pray God that may bo for ever." BLACKMAIL. Lord Bhondda, the new Food Controller: " I am empowered, should I find it necessary, to tako over the food supplies of the country and to adopt strong measures to check all speculation in tho necessaries of life. The man who socks to profit by the necessities of his country at this hour of her peril, and when thousands are cheerfully making tho supreme sacrifice in tho cause of liberty, is nothing short of a blackmailer, and must bo treated as such. My first efforts will be directed towards securing a reduction in the price of bread. Tin's I consider to be the urgent need of the moment. I intend to bo. as fair as the conditions of war will permit, but frankly my sympathies are with the consumer. In view of tbo fact that I have accepted the position of Food Controller only at the pressing request of the Prime Minister, I feel I am entitled to claim the wholehearted support of the public, of Parliament, and of the press. T am sanguine that with such support it will be found practicable to effect reductions in tho price of the necessaries of life, but without it any efforts on my part in that direction will be of nb avail. TERRITORIALS PRAISED. Viscount French, on behalf of a war emergency fund:— "It is not like the army which wo possessed just before tho war—that grand Army with which he began tho war, small though it was. That was a , professional army —an army of trained soldiers, each officer and man of which had been brought up to fighting. They understood it was their business to die for their country if necessary, and they had every opportunity of making provision for those they loft behind. Nor is it like those great Continental armies belonging to countries whoso sons knew from their earliest understanding that they were by duty and in law bound to give at least two or three years of their lives to military service and training. They know exactly what was before them, and all kinds of societies existed for the benefit of those who were left behind. Everything was prepared. Just consider tho difference. No such army as that we now possess was ever dreamed of or thought of for a

moment. The necessity for it came upon us like a bolt from tho bluo. Tho nation in its sudden, unexpected danger called upon her sons to rally round the flag, and you all know the magnificent answer they gave to that call. The first call was made upon that magnificent territorial army which was got up purely for home defence. Those men gave up everything,- and came forward without having mado any sort of '.preparation for the future. I have often thought of what a terrible sacrifice it was for those men to be called upon to make. When I was in command in Franco I talked to those THE BABY-KILLERS. Tho Maitruis of Crewe, chaiman of tho L.C.C.: "The massacre of these little ones will awake different reflections in different minds. My thought is this: That when tho calm judgment of history sums up tho case against our enemies one indictment will bo found graver_ than all tbo rest. Germany has been inspired by erreed of conquest; sho ha? attacked Tinoffendin-g neighbours; she lias torn up treaties and broken her plighted word. History will condemn, ibut history has sorrowfully known these things before. Therefore tho fatal and nnanswerablo charge againfit Germany will be tlr's —thtt wherens for hundreds of yeers. at any rate since the wars of religion closed 270 years ago, there has been a. gradual rndeavour to make tho horrors of war less horrible, and to impart as much ag may bo of humanity into what could never be

humane, in this war. Germany, of sot purpose, has put tho dock back and has lowered tho standard, making an actual pride, of brurnlitv and murder directed 2*rain«t h~lplees civilians by sea and on land. That is tho old rejection of tho better wav and tho choice of tho ■baßcr way, tho deliberate quenching of the epiritua.l in man's nature which tho Bible calls tho blasphemy againsttho Holy Ghost, beyond pardon in this world or another. Thus before the bar of htV-orv Germany will bo arraigned and judged." FAITH IN RUSSTA. M. Nabokoff, Russian Minister Plenipotentiary in London: "Throu-jhout thte country 1 have heard the words, 'We have faith in Russia,' and that is a great encouragemen; to the Provisional Government. I ask you to remember that the Russian people aro like a man who has been shut up in a dungeon for 20 years and lias not yet grown accustomed to tho bright light of day. When the eagle gets accustomed to tho sunehino there will be no reason to complain of her flight. On September 5, 1914, Russia pledged her word to Britain, and she ia going to keep that word. When sho talks of 'peace without indemnities and annexations,' she brings a message- to thoj world which means that after this war peace will bo made, net in Berlin or Vienna, but by men who will represent the great democracies of tho world, who will throw into the waste paper basket all tho diplomatic ideals of the 18th and 19th centuries. When Russia said fiho did not desiro to possess the Dardanelles sho was thinking of a time whrn it would be unthinkable- that any coa-st should bo in danger of battleships or iborobe. My fervent hope is that fcho British.-nation, which has shown such sympathy in tho past, will

fnrtUrr help Rufeia in the great work oi tho 20th century—tho work of recoiistruclOn.BßlTlSH WAR ORGANISATION. Signor Orlando, Italian Minister of tho Interior: ''Nothing of what England is preparing in this war by her gigantic activity, by her formidable power, could surprise mo after wiint I saw on my recent journey to London. When, during tho journey from Paris to Boulogne, I parsed through, the part oocupied by the British

beforo my admiring and astonished eyes there passed tho encampments and tents of tho British troops. Thero were villages— or, rather,' whole cities of hut<3 or tents— which seemed endless. Near them one saw vast fields for military .exercises, with trenches, wire entanglements, hedges, targets, immense places for games, and picturesque wooden constructions for officers or for divine service. Tho whole lifo of a people at fever-heat was expressed there. Indeed, it was the youngest, most cheerful, and Iwst part of a gfoat and admirable) people. Thou I had a logical idea of (ho eolossit] effort and the gigantic work going on in the navy yards, factories, and barracks of Great Britain, a work which only a few years ago the human mind could not have conceived or even dreamed of. A prodigy of technical preparation, but also, and not legs valuable, strength of soul and virtue of men. These are remembrances which in themselves are vague and slight, yet they are sufficient to give me that realisation of the British effort which I already imagined to bo great, but tho reality has surpassed my imagination. We feel that we love the noble British soldiers just; as if they were our brothers, even like our own sons." SOUTH AFRICA'S PROBLEM. » ■General Botha, at Robertson, Cape Colony: "South Africa's future depends upon the co-operation of the two white races. Two streams in South Africa thero cannot rind must not be. Now we hoar of republican propaganda. Do the people want to cut adrift? Why do they raise these matters under present difficulties? Would it not have been far more honest to have said at Vereeniging that as soon as possible they desired to create n now republic? South Africa is our fatherland and our heirloom. We would indeed be weak and miserable if we did not stand, in the first place, for our fatherland, but I believe in maintaining the link between South Africa and Great Britain. You cannot destroy this link without a bloody civil war. All this talk of liberty sounds very well, but you cannot create a republic unless the two races agree. And is ii. possible that Englishmen in South Africa will have a republic? You will do nothing but arouse suspicion by talk like this. If people go on talking you will never make this a groat country. If it did come to war we should be killing off each other, and in the end somebody else would walk away with the spoils and sit on top of us. The people ni-o pkying with fire. Lot me warn them that it is easy to start n fire, but very difficult to extinguish the flames. Lot us cease this nonsense and fit ourselves for future flays—for tho days after tho war, when we shall bo called on to settle all kinds of problems." A BISHOP'S FEARS. Tho Bishop of Peterborough, in St. Paul's Cathedral: —"One grave question of the future, possibly of the near future, is tho idoas of marriage which will prevail. It is possible that tho holy estate will be attacked in a way we have never known; we may be confronted by efforts of many people, in view of the present unprecedented situation. One of the tragedies of tho war is that tlio wholesale destruction of young manhood in the war will have tho' effect that many thousands of s:ith will never know the joy of motherhood. What is to be tho equivalent of munition and other work? Whore are ths forces that have been generated to find their oiitlot? Some scopethere must be W the surpassing energy the war has broncht forth. To that problem the Church must find tbo answer, and not a mere routine answer." DANGERS OF STARVATION. Captain Hat-hurst, M.P.: —"Tho Germans no longer look to military operations for decisive victory, but to the disanpearance of revolution-shattered Russia from the war*, and especially to tho efficacy of their submarine warfare in bringing < about tho starvation of Great Britain. Neither eventuality conlcl leave us wholly free from anxiety, but whereas tho former was mainly a matter for th" Russian people, and largely out of our hands, the Litter we have absolutely in our own hands Germany cannot starve us. Tho danger idlest we shall starve ourselves. Thwe is no diminution of submarine activity. Let there be no mistake about that. If we mean to win the war our response must be threef old—greater production, smaller consumption, and,above all. careful conservation of food. Every ship that can possibly be utilised in carrying grain to the country during the last two months has boon utilised: but apart; Jrorn the growing shortage of ships that cannot continue without serious risk to i:ho future supply both of munitions and of raw materials indispensable to British industry.''