Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1906. MODERN MERCENARIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXX, Issue 8492, 3 July 1906, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century. ] TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1906. MODERN MERCENARIES.

We observe that a number of New Zealanders are " off to the front " in Natal, to assist in quelling the rebellion there, and it is understood that a good many ex-contingenters from Australia, as well as many contingenters who have remained in Africa since the Boer war, have joined the colonial forces. Thus it would seem that the British Government, whether the Imperial or any of the over-sea Administrations, will never lack material for war purposes. In one sense this is good. It is well that the tie of blood is so strong, and that thus the work of building the Empire may go on. But there appears to us to be another side of the picture. Imperialism is a good deal of an effervescence, and the tie of blood will not grow any stronger. At the same time, the expansive policy of the Empire will assuredly entail a constant succession of wars on a comparatively small scale—wars in which no particular interest is felt, save the interest which Imperialism creates. The habit of going forth to take part in these campaigns will increase and become popular. We are educating our youth at a great rate, and turning them out of our schools in numbers far exceeding the vacancies and opportunities that await them in the world. We are also imbuing them with the warspirit with much diligence. The despatch of many contingents to Africa accelerated the progress of the fighting fever, so that now we have a very large proportion of our youthful population wasting their enthusiasm and energy on militarism—surely the least profitable of all pursuits! And now the recurrence of Britain's little wars will create a profession old enough, but of late years, fallen into disrepute—that of a mercenary soldier, or a soldier of fortune. It is not much to be proud of that the colonies should produce hords of mercenary soldiers ready to fight, under the specious plea of Imperial patriotism, against anybody who happens to have withstood the expanding process.