The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1910. A SOCIALIST ON NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2578, 5 February 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1910. A SOCIALIST ON NATIONAL DEFENCE.

In tliis week s supplement is commenced the publication of the series of articles written by Mr Robert Blateht’ord on the naval question. These are the articles which created such a sensation in England during the excite'ment of the general elections. They produced something approaching dismay in the Liberal ranks, for the writer fervently urged the electors to place the naval issue before all others ; even before the question of abolishing or reforming the House of Lords. The natural inference of this was that the Unionists should be supported, for irom the party standpoint, it is generally conceded that there is less danger or naval expenditure being cut down under a Conservative thaii under Liberal regime. A\ lierefore, many Government organs have been declaring that the •■Clarion ; editor lias been used as a stalking-horse by the Unionists, and all sorts of unworthy motives have been attributed to him. As a matter of fact these personal attacks appear to have had little weight. It might have been preferable from some points of view d Blatchford had published his articles at some other time, but on 'the other hand any speaker or writer can scarcely he blamed for seizing the psychological moment when he can get his views listened to or read. To charge him with toadying to the Unionists is absurd, for Blatchford has all the. contempt for the House of Lords which is usually exhibited by those of the same political creed as nimself. Moreover, his opinion on the German menace is no new faith with him,- for in his own paper he lias been voicing similar views durng the past four or five years. He feels very strongly the reality of the danger to which his country is exposed, and he writes with unmistakable passion and earnestness. In choosing the moment of the election campaign for the publication of his articles lie must, then, have argued to himself in this way;—“The veto of the Lords, their relation to the Commons, the Budget, the Land-taxes, the licensing clauses, Home rule, and whatever other questions may be raised at the Election have no significance whatever beside the simple fact that if England were conquered the decision on all these matters would no longer lie with the British people. 'Hie Lords are usurping the financial rights of the House of Commons, and when the right time comes they must be prevented from doing so; but the immediate task before Englishmen is to make sure that any British institutions should bo left existing at all.” When a man feels like that it is quite beside the mark to charge him with flippantly lending himself to a party .manoeuvre, -or Blatchford may be used as a stalkinghorse, but every cool-headed person should remember that his articl;.- can bo judged ultimately only' on iheir merits without reference to their accidental uses. Mr Blatchford has Died to show that Germany aims at European domination; that to attain Legends she must outbid Britain in naval power; that all attempts at conciliation and compromise are bound to fad: and that unless Englishmen face tlm situation squarely, and make the necessary sacrifices, they will lose then independence and their. Empire. The loss of independence would mean national bankruptcy, and such acute suffering to the whole industrial population as has never yet been known and has probably never been imagined. Mr Blatchford "makes it clear that he brings no charge against the German people, for whom he professes a genuine liking and admiration. But unfortunately tho German people are not responsible for German policy, which is kept quite outside their cognisance, and which has shown no signs of departing from the tradition of “blood and

Iron” manifested in the successful wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. The peculiar significance of Mr Blatchford’s articles is, of course, that they are a warning entirely contrary to the general tendency of the Socialistic creed. They have already exposed the writer to a good deal of denunciation on Socialistic and Radical platforms. Act he has not written these articles ‘‘for the good of his health” ; lie has written them because he believes them to be not only true but necessary, 'ine facts he sets forth are clearly of the •greatest interest to New Zealanders, for it is obvious that any blow successfully aimed at the heart of the Empire will bring disastrous results to every part of the hitherto supreme nation.