THE POLITICAL FUTURE

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14133, 9 August 1919, Page 8

THE POLITICAL FUTURE

EX-SOLDIERS A FACTOK. COMMENT BY LONDON TIMES. Yesterday Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward received a tribute to work well done, at no small personal sacrifice, says the London Times of June 14. Both have had to give up much time during the last two years to visits to Europe as the representatives of New Zealand, and everyone knows that such visits are both irksome and arduous to men in the position of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. Ask either of them whether he wanted to come here again when he was summoned to the Peace Conference, and his reply would convince even the sour critics at home, who affect to believe that these visits are delightful and sybarite junketings. There comes a time to-all men when ceremonious occasions pall, and we are much mistaken if it did not come long ago both to Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. They are no tyros, and it is quite certain that they have been-casting anxious glances from Paris toward the political situation that has been developing in New Zealand during their absence.

Mr Massey is the leader of the Re- ' form Party, Sir Joseph Ward of the Liberals, and in 1915 the two parties combined under their joint leadership to form a National Government. But, with the armistice, the patriotic motive for the combination became much attenuated, and last month the Liberals seem to have decided definitely to resume their separate activities, in preparation for the approaching general election. The Reform Party, which Sir James Allen leads in Mr Massey's absence, is, as he said the other day, to be "strictly loyal to the party compact till the parties separate," a rather cryptic utterance, which shows, however, that local politics have changed since April, for then Sir James Allen ! was saying that "reconstruction re-; quired a s'trong Government equally' with war," and that the "difference be- ' tween the two parties (Reform and Liberal) was so small that he was unable to understand why they should not unite." In other parts of the Empire patriotic men have been saying much the same thing, and everywhere there is a considerable section which is appalled at the idea of going back to pre-war parly divisions. The truth is that in New Zealand, as elsewhere, the familiar field of local politics has been swept by the great wave of the war, which has now receded, leaving most men' to grope for the political landmarks to whicli they had been used. What the outcome will be no man can tell in New Zealand or in ether parts of the Empire; but we doubt if the influence of the fighting men in post-war politics has yet been enough appreciated. General Currie was saying that about Canada a week or so ago, and General Godley, who commnded the New Zealand forces in the field, mure than hinted it in the farewell order which lie issued to his returning men on Tuesday. He e?<presscd his belief that -the soldiers of New Zealand would not "re-echo" a sentiment so "unworthy" as ithe claim that "war service justifies a subsequent life of ease and the making of many demands on the reiSt of the community"; and ho "trusted rather that the spirit of service and self-sacrifice so conspicuously •shown throughout the war will be carried on into civil life." It will be; and its effect in New Zealand politics will be wholly beneficial, though none can prophesy its actual form.