BRITISH JUSTICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17324, 25 May 1918, Page 8

BRITISH JUSTICE.

10 IHB EDITOB. Sin, —In the third clause of the Hon. J. T. Paul's letter of 20th inst. is an admission that most people know his attitude towards conscription. With, let us hope, full justice to Mr Paul, his position can be stated thus: That because certain proposals put forward by Mr Paul from his place in the Legislative Council and elsewhere were not adopted by the New Zealand Government in the form and to the extent advocated by him, therefore conscription of men ought to bo opposed; and is, I believe, as a matter of fact, still opposed by him. Can such a position be justified by either principle or by sound policy ? I concern myself, however, here only with tho bald fact that Mr Paul has done his best to deprive tho British Empire and her Allies of the benefit of the extra man-power at the front that conscription offers. Let us compare the results in New Zealand under conscription with results in Australia under its voluntary sysJnu' 1 1Q I give. are approximate):— The New Zealand quota per month is 2000 men from a population of something over one million; Australia's quota is 5000 men per month from a population of something over six millions. This shows that New Zealand is, relatively, doing much bettor than Australia, since Australia under New Zealand conditions would probably contribute 7000 men per month more. This war, Mr Lloyd George has said, is very much a matter of man-power, that numbers will decide, that the very last men to enter our ranks may bo the medium of deciding tho war in our favour. But this 's no J., h avo yet to consider what the Allied position would 1 be—what number of men would bo opposing Germany— if Great Britain. Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Belgium, and New Zealand had trusted to a voluntary system of enlistment. Let us take as a basis tho difference in results between Australia and New Zealand, as above shown. Judged by that difference, it may be with much reason doubted whether the Allied army would be more than half its present strength; if, indeed, it had not been wiped out long ago. Indeed, tho difference between the voluntary system of enlistment and conscription would have meant disaster to the British Empire. Does Mr Paul not yet recognise that while Germans in Germany must have conscription, they are up against conscription of men outside of Germany. Mr Paul has not given any reasons why he advised .Australia to reject conscription He is prepared, no doubt, to enjoy the fruits of a German defeat. It may be depended on, however, that if she were once on top, Germany, being an organising Power, and having no scruples as to means would dominate the world. I have no doubt that would interfere with reforms Mr Paul has in his mind. The first clause in his letter of the 11th inst. would go bv the board. The good old ship of State is still intact, but the seacocks are open, and if they are closed in time it will bo by conscription. The' comfortable quarters within that are now being prepared for my friends and his friends, tho working classes—l am sorry he ruled me out—would of course, go under. Really, I do hope Mr Paul will study this matter with- some degree of seriousness, follow the truth, and show the good example by making conscription one of his planks.—l am, etc.. May 23. John Lunn." o'd T S ] corres P Qndenco is closed.—Ed. "THE APOSTOLATE OF THE LAITY." TO THE 2UITOE. Sra, I am in entire agreement with the commonsense remarks ol xYLr T. H. 'lhompson; and his straightforward repudiation of the use of " offensive and irritating terms in the columns of the Tablet or out of them" does him credit. I have no doubt there aro very maJiy thoughtful Catholics who think with him. 'fhere was a time when editors of the Tablet fought their own bat-tics. A " fighting" editor who leaves somebody else to do all the fighting is something of a. joke. But if Father Coney could make no better defence of the paper than that which he has presented m your issue of Tuesday, he would have dono well to leave my letter alone. In continuation of a discuasion which had been started in your columns as to the responsebihty of the Tablet for the phenomenal success that, was attending the Protestant Political Association in Otago, I quoted certain definite utterances of tho Tablet and allowed these to speak for themselves! Father Coffey had not the courage to face and justify these vituperative outbursts, nor had ho tho frankness to disown them! Instead, he discoursed about dead whales heresy hunts, harriers, etc.—about anything iind everything, in short, except the. Tablet and its Billingsgate. He might with equal relevance have discoursed about the moon Father Coffey very effusively thanks the Protestants of Otago for the generous assistance they have given "to any work of charity and religion undertaken by the Catholic Church." But while ho is thus gushing with gratitude, the Tablet is also expounding its ideas regarding Protestants and their religion. In an editorial on " The Apostolate of the Laity " in its issue of May 9 we have the following: " With due regard for the bonds of charity he (the Catholic layman) nu'-st not forget,"that the Church in other times went so lar as to excommunicato the outsiders, and that even still to run after them and to show them marks of favour of which they aro not worthy, is contrary to the spirit of the Church. Sinn Fein is a good working inaxim. in religion as well as in politics and in business; and the man who would ever lower tho flag of the Church to plc-ase or to curry favour with heretics is no true Catholic. Another way to look at this is to remember that union is strength, and that it is by keenin<r to ourselves as far as possible we will remain united. Protestant society has and must have a lowering effect, just as a stream of cold air lowers the temperature of a room." Tlie Tablet is doubtless quite willing to take Protestant money for its advertisement's • Catholic business people aro naturally and rightly willing to take Protestant trade and custom; Catholics are constrained to seek Protestant assistance in running bazaars getting into public life, working for State a.;d, .scholarships, technical grants, etc. -\nd all the time the Tablet, with a delicacy "and t-ict that 's all its own, is preaching that tho Catholic laymen should remember that the Church used to excommunicate outriders. and that " Protestant society has -and must have a lowering effect" on the Catholics who have the great misfortune to come into contact with it. That is the Tablet gospel; and Protestant*—who have in thn oast admit.tcrllv been very generous to CVtMlie _ undertakings—are " becoming "f,yi ~-,(-1-1 these anti-civv; ,-md ant.i-, rtK-vl —I era., Mruiri 'lill. Mr.v 24. J, Wttson.