NEW ZEALAND AND THE WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 18

NEW ZEALAND AND THE WAR

SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER. In the course of an address at a meeting held in Wellington on Tuesday, sth inst., the Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. F. lviassey) made some important) reierences to New Zealand's share m the war, to the approaching meeting of the Imperial War Cabinet, and to Germany's possessions in the Pacific. The meeting (reports the Post) was one convened by Mr and Mrs Luke in i-eecgnition of the work done by Mr Luke's committee and supporters during the recent election contest for the Wellingtpn North seat. \ The Prime Minister, in the course of his remarks, alluded to several striking incidents connected with his recent visit to England when attending the Imperial Con- , ference. He was, he said, much impressed by the service- in St. Paul's Cathedral, to j celebrate the coming together of the United j ■States and Great Britain in the great s struggle for freedom and civilisation. He : then thought what a splendid thing it was that, after such a long separation,-'the two English-speaking nations should now be united, ' not in a fight for any selfish interests, although it would probably result- in good also for both peoples, but it would certainly be for the benefit of humanity and for the good of the world. The opinion had been expressed that the two countries would come very much closer together, in the future. The people of each nation we're satisfied with their own form of Government. We were now on the eve of the greatest battle the world had ever seen. That tremendous struggle might be commenced a week hence or at any minute, or it might have begun already. It was a battle on which the fate of the Empire—indeed the fate of civilisation" itself—might depend. It was a battle.in which the British troops would take a prominent part, as they h#d done since the start of the war- It was a battle in which the people of New Zealand were pariiculorly- interested, because the soldiers of New Zealand would be there. We knew that, and therefore we jvvere intensely concrned in what was happening. We all of us l\ad somo idea of what the battle would be. It might not be the decisive final battle, but whether it was so or not ho was sure, —as he was certain they all were—that British pluck, doggedness, and determination would, with the co-operation of our powerful and brave allies, win in the end. Much depended on Great Britain and her troops, including those of the dominions. The war might be prolonged—and that was a thought he could never get rid of—it might be prolonged for a considerable time to come; and, if so, it would be only the determination of the British people that was going to see it through. Such thoughts as these must be in the -minds of most of us. Referring to the bye-election which' took place last week, the Prime Minister asked, in view of the national crisis, what itmattered whether a mas was a prohibitionist' or whether he took the other_ side of the question, or whether he believed in a three-fifths majority? What did it mat- ! ter so long as he could be depended upon j to stand by the Empire in its win the war policy? He believed that New Zealanders j knew what a German victory would mean ; to us. Although „far distant from Great j Britain, New Zealand was just as much a j part of the Empire as territory nearer Home. The suggestion had been. made | that' Germany did not trouble much about • what was happening in this part of the j world. What about the mines that had been discovered on the coast of New Zealand ? Seven mines had already been found } off Capo Farewell. He did not know how j many more there might be, or whether ; wo had found them all. All ho knew was ; that wo had been able to pick up seven mines. Did anyone imagine that those mines were laid by a coasting vessel or by a neutral vessel? ' He did not know who laid them, but he knew this: that the mines were mado in the northern hemi- i sphere. They were engines of destruction intended for war purposes; and we had

been particularly fortunate in discovering them before losing more ships than that vessel which now lay at the bottom of the sea. That was a proof that Germany took an interest in New Zealand. That was an indication to us that each and everyone of us should endeavour to do our full duty in carrying, on New Zealand's share in the war. He did not think we would fail in that respect. The Prime Minister then referred in feeling terms to those soldiers from New Zealand who have made the supreme sacrifice, and to the men still fighting bravely in r.he trenches. '•' The people of New Zealand," he added with great emphasis, 'will not break faith with them. We are not going to let them down or go back upon them." —(Applause.) . Speaking of the approaching meeting of the Imperial War Cabinety-and Imperial Conference, the Prune Minister remarked that if he went to England it would only be from a sense of duty. If ho had his choice he would rather stay in New Zealand. He would, however, go wherever duty called. If Parliament decided that ho and his colleague should go to England to attend the Imperial War Cabinet,, they would go; if, however, Parliament said they should stay here, then they "would• stay. Mr Massey then referred to the work done at the last meeting of the Imperial War Cabinet, and to , the important questions still to bo decided affecting the future of the Empii-e.-The Prime Minister next touched on the question of Germany's possessions in the Pacific. "Do not," he said, "imagine for a moment that we are' 1 anxious about these islands because they are fertile and valuable. That is not the question. It is not the fertility and productiveness of those islands that we care so much about. It is because Samba is the key South Pacific. If those islands pass back to Germany they will become the headquarters of a German fleet in the Pacific; ■ and a wireless station will be established there. Probably submarines will also be located there. Those islands will become the centre for German operations in the Pacific." It would be remembered that when the war broke out,, the lights had to bb extinguished on- our coasts owing to the presence of powerful German cruisers in these waters. We had in the future to keep the Germans at a distance, if we could possibly do so. He then alluded to the efforts of Sir Georgo Grey, Sir Robert Stout, and Mr Seddon to get the Imperial authorities to take over these islands. It'had been the desire of the natives to come under the British flag. "The British flag was carried away from Samoa in 1889," said the Prime Minister in conclusion, "and" two thousand Now Zealand boys carried it back in the month of September, 1914, and our flag was 'again hoisted there; and my opinion, and my hope, is that .when the British flag Avas carried back by our New Zealand lads it went back to stay."—(Loud applause.)