Topics of the Day.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 521, 11 May 1915, Page 1

Topics of the Day.

(Bv BYSTANDER/. The veil of secrecy thafc has for long enveloped the theatre of war, has been at last drawn aside and a lurid spectacle revealed. Driven to demonical fury by the failure of their scheme of conquest, their invading army held in check by a wo.ll of steel, iheir navy impotent, and thtir mercantile marine sviept from the sea, tha Grarnmns hive descended to the lowest deit.s of barbarity and savagery. Unable to vanquish ths devoted troops opposing them by the methols of civilised warfare, they _eek to attain success by exploring the most infernal resources of the chemist's laboratory, and poison their enemies with the deadly fumes of cholorine. It reads more like a par from some imaginative writer like G. A. Wells than a sober recital of real facts, and, as Lord Kitchener remarks, the Germans have affixed an undeiible stain on their military honor that it vill take years tb efface. Fortunately, the monstrous crime bf employing asphyxiating gas to suffocate our gallant troops has entirely failed to bring victory to its perpetrators. A strenuous attempt t j break through the Allies' lines on the Yser was made supported by large reinforcements of men and the heaviest artillery, including 16 inch gtins, 17 inch howitzers, and poisonous gas, and for a br>6f space of time success crowned their efforts as they captured the village of St. Julien near Yprea. 'Vhe Allies, however, soon regained their ascendancy, and Sir John French reports that the attack has now been definitely repulsed, lhe German idea seems to have been to score a substantial victory that would have political significance before the full force of the British reinforcements appeared in the field. The most dramatic feature of tbe battle, which is described as " the bloodiest battle of the bloody war in history," was the splendid gallantry and resolute defence of the Canadians at the most critical state of the conflict. The French troops holding the line on the British right were compelled to withdraw, and when disaster seem-

ed imminent the representatives of our kady of the Snowg filled the gap and fought with such heroic courage and invincible devotion that, like our troops at Albuera, all efforts to dislo.lge them were unavailing, and they inflicted great loss on the enemy. The Canadians, unhappily, suffered great loss, 21 oncers, and a- large number of the rank and fjle falling, but the event will add o chancer tq British his* toiy, It has, in fact, been a week memorable in colonial history, for whilst the Canadians were fighting gallantly on the Yser, our own coni tingent was covering jtseif with imperishable renown cm the Gallic poli Peninsular, The details of their service has not yet been made public, but the British Govern-

ment speaks of " their splendid courage and magnificent achievement." The details of this engagment will bs looked forward to with both interest and anxiety, for whilst we must all feel proud and jubilant at au achievement that calls forth sd high an encomium from the Imperial authorities, there will be a sad prrce to pay.

It appears, that, as I anticipated, the Australian and Kew Zealand troops were- sent from Egypt to Turkey three weeks ago. They laodedl at various points on the peninsular from the entrance to the Gulf of Sards; under the Jguns of the fleet in. the face of deter- . mined opposition, but after a day's fighting they repelled the defending force and safely entrenched. It was probably during ttase operations -that our boys distinguised ; themselves in so marked a manner. ' When we reflect on their splendid ' services rendered to the Empire by the Canadians and New Zealanders, how absurd do the predictions of the Little England Party half a century ago that " the colonies would never be anything but a source of weakness and and expense," appear. I remember that when Lord- Baaconsfteld (then Mr Disraeli), in a great speech at the Crystal Palace in 1870 predicted thit "the time would come when our fellow col- ( onials from over the seas would be Eeen fighting shoul ler to shoulder witli onr own troojs," 1.3 was laughed to scorn, lt was regarded as one of ,h_ wildest of " Dizzy's*' fantastic notions. I was :*n hopesthat by this \im^ Kitchener's army ' would have hem in ihe fiald in full force, but it seem _ that a large part of i. is held up owing to p.nortage of monitions of war. It seems a most extraordinary thing that a great manufacturing country like England should not have been able lo provide sufficient war material during the s.ven months that has el&psed since tbe war started, and the slackness of the workers in ths factories and the prevalence of strikes . is held .responsible for it. No doubt the grefcd and want of public spirit pn the part of bo_l_ employers and employed is to blame, but England *ia paying the price for generations of neglect of sooial conditions, lt affords anot- ] her instance of the wisdojn, foresight, and prescience of the- late Lord Koberts that he anticipated the result years, ago. Writing to the London Times on the subject of military training some yens bathe war, he said "the fir-t necessity for national defence is social rs# form. Jou. oannot expeci people who live in suoh miserable condiciona as so many of tVe working people do to care, whether the ' country is defeated or not/ 1 It is : of course very t>ad n.<\ how of men loafing ancj drinking woen the fate i of their oountry is at stake, 1 but ■ when you look at the missrable life f they live, at the awful conditions ) their patents and grandparents ■ » worked under without labour or

sanitary lawef to protect them, \.ith insufficient food when in work, and starvation w^en unemployed, tir ir 3nly hope thf gin palace, is it surprising that J with work plentiful and good wages they fly to drir k and the workhouse. England is the cradle ojfthe factory system. For generations Ehe was manufacturing for the rest • f the worl _, and ir? no .) her country have the peop'e been so debased and brutalised by inhuman conditions imposed by greedy and heartless monopolist*, and she is paying the penalty today.