The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1909. DREADNOUGHTS AND PATRIOTISM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2498, 11 May 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1909. DREADNOUGHTS AND PATRIOTISM.

At a meeting of the Trades and Labor Council on Saturday night a member gave utterance to views which deserve sonic attention, because they are so frequently circulated nowadays in Socialistic quarters that they may, unless contradicted, do a good deal of mischief. In moving a resolution censuring the Government in connection with the Dreadnought gift, Mr J. H. Hall said he ’ .' ‘

considered that the agitation for an increased navy, was got up by a party under a bogus cry of patriotism. Patriotism, he held, was not to fight lor one’s country, but to fight for its betterment. [ Where was a country so badly legislated, for as England? The United Kingdom was in a deplorable plight, men were unemployed and thousands were on the the verge of starvation. What good was it to build and man Dreadnoughts to ■ protect a country seething with discontent and. internal bitterness? True patriotism was to better one’s country, and a satisfied na-

tion was a country’s best defence". Dealing first with tho suggestion that the agitation for an increased navy m England was got up by a party under ,a bogus cry of patriotism, the fact is that the House, of Commons, as a whole, showed a virtual agreement with the sentiment of the agitation, because of the revelations which came forward ia regard to the relative positions of tli-J English and German navies. It was found to be a straight-out question of aelf-preservation and when once tlie' issue became known party leaders promptly sank their differences and, with the substantial hacking of the whole country, agreed to an increase in the naval estimates. How Mr Hall can reconcile this with his suggestion that the agitation was “worked up” would be interesting to learn. The whole trouble arose as the consequence of Gorman activity in navy building, and surely it is grossly unfair under the circumstances to blame any political party in England for the agitation which followed tho revelation of that activity. Having disposed of the manner in which the agitation originated we come to the question of whether it should have been met Ijy the increased naval expenditure. Mr Hall, and unfortunately, a large section of Laborites' are with him in this matter, says no. Patriotism, lie held, was not to .fight for one’s country, but to fight for its betterment. If the speaker had contented himself by stating that a good deal of nonsense is frequently, talked about patriotism, ’ and that more energy might well he devoted to a country’s betterment, lie could have counted on some sympathy from the reasonable section of the community. But to argue as Mr Hall does that because the internal government of England is faulty, the Empire is not worth fighting for is surely to take up an extraordinary' and vicious attitude. It is more than probable that even in New Zealand our • social conditions are considered .by this gentleman to be full of faults, yet will he also declare that tho Dominion is not worth fighting for? Should England ever degenerate into a second or third rate Poker, and should New Zealanders‘in'tlie meantime fai! to provide themselves with an efficient scheme of defence, it is quite likely that the grand little country of which we are -Ml so proud might become an appendage. of Japan or China in the rapid development of the Eastern races. With our own kith and kin living in virtual bondage to a race that wo look upon not merely as being inferior, but with absolute repugnance, we might well ask the Socialists what their agitators had done for. us. Yet this picture is not beyond tlie bounds of possibility in the future, but ,the class ef Socialists and Labor represented by Mr Hall, would not bestir a finger towards providing for our defence merely because the government of the country docs not meet with their particular views. For England to allow Germany to get ahead in the race for naval supremacy would simply mean the precipitation of a fearful Avar with consequences unparallelled in history. If the conqueror could impose his own terms he would . possibly occupy England, and most certainly tho residents Avoukl find then that even the wretched conditions finder which the poorer classes live' at the present time could he made infinitely more miserable and hopeless. In- any case, Avhether victors or conquered, the cost of the war ivould have to be met by the people of England, and how the Gentry is to-be bettered by the imposition of the increased taxation which would folioav it is hard to ascertain. If England Avere conquered India would ‘in all probability get out of hand, involtD*g millions of natives in a horrible amk awful carnage. Canada and South Africa might make some show of protecting themselves, but Australia and, New Zealand would be at the mercy of foreigners. Socialists might reply that ev*>tliis fearful price .would ' not he tml much to par for the abolition of the Avicked capitalists and the realisation of socialistic ideals, but unfortunately for - this aspect the fact remains -that the price Avoukl have to be paid without the result . desired being attained. the chief nations haA-e at the present time the same imperfections which distress tho student of-social affairs, and they would therefore still persist even if Germans replaced Englishmen as the controlling power m Great; 'Britain. No one realises more-then-

ourselves that existent conditions are terribly unsatisfactory from the posi-' tion of the masses in England, but to .seriously suggest that because of this ■’the country is not worth fighting for is sheer madness. Yet this is s a form of doctrine which finds a good' deal of favor amongst the social demagogues of the present day.