Germany and England.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14153, 12 March 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

Germany and England.

A REPLY TO CRITICISMS. The criticisms, most abusive, with which I have been favoured are not worth a lengthy reply. They may tie briefly considered under three heads: — 1. That this attempt to rouse the nation to a sensa ot danger is an election engineered bv the Unionist Party. 2. That it is an "invasion scare'' arisinj: from delusions. 3. That I am a hopeless ignoramus, and do not understand tho subject .1 am talking about. I'irst, as to the conspiracy. Two of the conspirators, "The Daily Mail" and the Lniomst Partv, are innocent. The offer came f2*olll me and was made spontaneously. Indeed, when I made tho ofrer I had no more thought of the. election or cr the "Unionist Party in my nund at the time than I had of the Hittites or the Delude. I have been trying for years to w»ko the nation to tins danger. and it suddenly occurred tn ino that if I could got "Tho Daily Mud 1 ' to opon its columns I should at least have a chance to ho heard. I selected "The Jvlail'' because of its wide circulation and becausa I had been writing i or it. I should have preferred a time when tho 2 r; ">blie were not excited over an impend::''.'; election and wnen my action would not nnuear so vntowerd to my own friends. Hut I decided to act while I could, chance mirrht elude me. My idea, was in nowiso a r.arty idea, beheyc I was foolish enough to hope that it' the eases were calmly and clearly Elated it, would bo considered by the people from a national and nonpartisan point of view. But en the eve or an election it is too nui"h to hour* ior a luc;d interval of that kind. i oe l-lritv.,!! politician think of n.* i.noc:s:n whde 110 is scrambling for <:f:v.'o. 1 I not a portion. I have nr;t hem "bought" by any r»arfv. I am not <-n rviie. I am riV.ki'nr serious imv.u :ul 'ijv.l incut rimr much hatred and abuse 111 a s!n P :itvr.*in:Vd antl attempt to s-.rvo irv r L dHirrlirvr scribbl "nd honourable ere r-~t punicje-iri" h'-n:-s<- ;i' r inielb'-'ouc, to bet iat: Imt ir i.- tn:e. ' ''"man is simob- cou-vy:'-:e;. V.-» T.i :"Cvr::V:-nt. f ■ ■ iv> cue. • ■ t , ■: . ,-r. ; r-:ry j . '■.■■■■_ ; ' ■ t . ..S':: ! - in LT Sj.l :: > l.r; articles }\-\r, I'licy Vv-cv-,\<-yy:] it. A::d T am eft ad they have i «-- ... 1 war- afraid ' • ' .::• •• ;i.i 'lit ULIVO takdl LileTi.-c —and shown it. a Tory minion, and a comic i •-■ry nonroi. it appears that ■ [ y ' i;.u-r:iiu. I writo widly :\b-:.'l:t tlm subjeel;. uv'"»*"» v.'hir'h I have been my delightfully and articleiiT ■ < ry '.Vvii : "Let - suef':f -■.-t'on. f uin. i : 'uor?nt :mo Fraipid. Ir \be T.:oeral C::l;:net and tun 1 :*.■ are sensible and well-informed men. fit to be trusted ; wrth the b-'uvoir and se'-uritv of a Lminre, then I as ijpierant and st;v:-i ;is "ertrdn able editi-rs pretend. But il I am if/nerant and ttnnid T r -"' 1 !l -°uo \ n n?v irrnorr-:me and stumdivy. Jr my belief in the reality °/ iv.eni.M'O is a of; stnindirv and ie-no-au'-e, then .Vr. As- j qinta, Ar. T'elfour. Sir E<lv/ard Grev, j T-ord Cromer, ami T nrd Cr.rzMi are i ••ipid ah*. Tv . my j i-ie nnrrd ni::l miliLart ! or c \' : i'/norsne?. how i I" T : I' v _ ,: " v - r ' v? nr.i stupid are j • •• • •• •• od T-or-' V:Vise!ev. and , i.-onl Cileries T'rd_! ' j • i /% '-' ! -'-h ir.-.n win [ • 1 ' ::v «" ;1 r.av?l rud ■■■■■'.•• \y h z t hns tliat to fl '\ ."y i;, _ -be ' ; l ' d 1 or vt'liie r-S i'- < y ji.V'""". :\vr- u-;t u'-y j ::r* ::; ir is arc n my ideas. '1 ■:? else - not ?r-y I b.rtve ' nly rnd rest'it?d a erse had j stated af-'.'-n and during the last fve yejirs in all the Service opowers in I lipv9 rrid in i; Tbe l/a:iy i\!r-d what hns be* -re be 1 en seid bv n u*el and mihtarv ofr.eers and bv nav ; d and Tviljrary 'experts in this c r uu-rv, in Germany, in America, and in "Frnnre. ; ■' '-ase a 1? T Imve it is th'w-jas it ! 1 "■ s bern staled by lien(tPrf r r men o' enunerice PTid "VThde the nrticVp b"ve h.-eu anppt)r; t - : f n '-Tlie llnilv Mail" I Inve ?, ec<-f:ved nP f.'^vn 0 * a ,_ !- r r" ,!P and Lord C ■oir-.e-s ;y''''ev. and from manv ci;:" , er/. o,' rb.i? .Army end i;!t» Xnvy. /■o-e nl! tju's • nvm- i'i'uemnt and "**•" political pnd !"e -'v].' Ir e ?ned in these 1 v"oc? 1 o t:.? lawyer wiio runs o~'r the lawmr who im?. cur Xavv, r a-'l suv nr.uentities v.dio edit N T en--r organs? .Jr. ."InliHtp hns nwnr personal 1:1 !, r:naiiy: thorff.'re tlie r '~ "lennce ; s a b«i!vd: tlie .viel C is ft' l l?i-j- u jdenod oxj , vr ! :rn strcwers. and the (Vyr;nn \aw >s only meant to protect tlie Hrrmnn bathing vnns from nttarks hv Chinese pirates: and v.-e are to vote for "the Party of Progress:"' and tho; ■■"t'd'Me m the Amiy and 2saw does not lr.atlor. ?..'r ?.r-Tvonna counts np onr Dreadon liis f.n.cors, and thinks, "wit..i ?,xr. Winston Churc ll ;!!. that we enn shut our eyes and slec-p comfortably m our beds in the sure and certain hope of having "two keels for or.e." SiK-h necessary but expensive impedimenta as docks, sailors, destroyers, small cruisers, stores, ammunition, and reserves do not trouble the right hon. gentleman in tlie least. And there is tho inevitable Mr John Burns, the platitudinous • Mr. John Burn 3. Idberal Government, iZVTir Burns inrorms ths Powers, has made the British Navy "surtreme." There was j, fool in France in 1870 who as- ; sured the Emperor that tlie French ' was ready to a. gaiter button. V\ 7 ell—it wasn't. Those famous military and naval experts and profound strategists. Messrs JJoyd - George, AVinston Clmrohill, Burns, M'Kenna. and Haldane, have ; made the British Navy "supreme." j rsow the. Imperial Maritime Leacue, i bich includes in its membership | twenty-seven admirals, thirteen gen- ! erals, and a host of authors, naval ex- j perts, Peers 3 and members of Parliament, speaks of our suoreme Navy as ' follows: " j ''Tho adequacy of its sea-training, its j repairs, its personnel, its scouting ? eruisers, its oce«an-q:oing destroyers, its ' reserve stores, coal and am- j munition, and its docking accommoda- j ti°n on the east- coast have been sacriiieed to an insane desire for economy." German naval experts claim that the German ships, guns, and armour ■ are better than ours; they claim that j their officers are more scientific, and that their fleets are more fully exercised tlinn ours. But all these British and German oincers are ignorant and stupid where naval matters are concerned, just as ' till our foremost statesmen are ignorant and stupid where international politics are concerned. j .And if we w*ant nolit-ical, naval, and 1 military wisdom, and the highest tech- I mcM knowledge, must o:o for them j to JNjr Llovfl-GAnrce, and Mr M'Kenna, I Mr Burns. j The choice 0 f thft British ' people does lie between the ignorant and stupid author of these articles on the fn«? hand and tho wise and welllawyers on the other hnnd: it b°tweon_ the jrrave and well-con-sio.PTcd wnrn*ncrs of our l>est our ablest fpnprols and onr mest the cc.Tal and military opinion 021

-•11i.llJ L.:O Coilti!3oTlt» 0U th°- «"11. hand, and on the other hand the li'iiit hearted assurances of the Cabinet 3lit: isu-rs who were "astonished" a k: oaths ago by the "discovery" ■ Germany had stolon a march upoi them. 0 wonderful Germanv, that can s' nsLoir.sh a- M Ivenna ! 1/ct us wake ir t and substitute deeds for words, o] that same Germany will astonish u: even more thoroughly than she ha; astonished the supremo head of oui sunramo Navy. 1 repeat, then, the warning giver more than once by British and foreigi statesmen, soldiers, and sailors: Thf Empire is in danger: it is unpreparec to meet that danger; it will never hi prepared to meet that danger while tht control of its naval and militarv affair; is left in the hands of the well-mean ing hut incompetent members of th< present. Liberal Government. In conclusion, I beg to express rcn prateni] thanks to tho thousands o: tl j)aily I\Ia;l" readers of all classes whf have, cent me letters of encouragemem and advice. My object in vrritinr; these article! was to awaken the public to a senso o! danger. The letter? I have received siisrpeH that many of my countrywomen ant country men are a\t"are of that clause! and arc eager tn orenare against it. What can be done? In r.resance of the ignorance. tl:« arathy, :'ncl the conceit of the mess oi our people, can anything be done? We want a man. —"Daily Mail."