Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1914. THE PEACE COUNCIL SPEAKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8852, 1 June 1914, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1914. THE PEACE COUNCIL SPEAKS.

The timid folk who comprise the National Peace Council appear to jtake themselves very seriously. Though they are few in number, they make up the numerical deficiency by wholesouled enthusiasm, which, while often involving Ihern in some i kind of difficulty, seems to pro[vide the necessary vent -for their quaint ideas on the responsibilities of citizenship. The Christchurch branch of the council, usually ultra-militant, has; been remarkably quiet of late. Pps-j sibly the wave of patriotism that has swept the Dominion, ffom the Bluff to the far north., during Sir lan Hamilton's triumphant tour,; has contributed to the council's self-elf acement', for its whole creed is to keep put of the firing Una. But though its members have been "laying low," it is, evident they haVe been closely watching for an opportunity to smite the spirit of'militarism that the people as a whole so obstinately encourage. And they believe their chance has come as a revsult of a speech delivered in Auckland by General Hamilton, in which he casually alluded to the menace of Asia in the Pacific. The speech lost nothing in the digest cabled to London, and it is possible that it was further mutilated: in; transmission to Japan. At anyrate, the Japanese newsi papers put a construction upon it h that set the editors in a frenzy, and their reply was that " Japan must prepare to stand alone and ! to face the white races in battle," ; and they called upon Asia "toi co-o2ierate with Japan for common defence."! Sir lan Hamilton 1 merely shrugged his shoulders atj this outburst. He knows, as every student of Asiatic questions! knows, that Japan's alliance with Great Britain is a crafty means of securing ...immunity from attack i whilst reorganising her army and j strengthening her navy. He j knows, too, that the Japanese arel to be. found in almost every island and atoll in the Pacific, and thai j their predominance in Hawaii is a matter ■of ■ serious concern to the United States. Knowing; these things—and his exceptional mill-: tary experience teaching him that the Japanese will strike when they believe they are -strong enough to achieve success—he would be lacking in his duty to his country if he did not uti< j

warning' ofj the possibilities of the comingl years. 13xit the National Peace Council sees in the speech and the retort something that (.ails for grave consideration, and General Hamilton probably will wisli his tongue had withered ere it uttered the fateful words whc.r he learHs of the council's marked disapproval, which it has expressed in the following terms: — (V "Having heard the reported utterances of General Sir lan Hamilton, in which he makes political references of a character ofiieiYsiye to oilier nations ill the Pacific,, and having a]so noted the dignified protest of the Japanese Press to the sentiments expressed, the National Peace Council now requests the Government to forward to the Japanese Government, through the Colonial Secretary, regrets tljat such remarks were made in this country by the Inspector-General of the British Forces, with a view to allaying the ill-feeling caused thereby. The council considers that this step is the least that can be done to make some amends for this unfortunate occurrence"; (2) "The National Peace Council calls the attention of the members of the British Independent Labour Party to the affront offered in.New Zealand to the Japanese by the Inspector-General of the British .Forces. Similar unguarded statements were made by General Sir Robert S. S. Baden-

Powell during his visit to Aw--' tralasia." New Zealanders can sleep soundly in the knowledge that the councils guarding them from the consequences of j such "unfortunate occurrences.' In the opinion of the Counpil, placating a possible antagonist is both safer and morediplomatic than telling him, in the brutal British way, that if he meddles with things that don't concern him he'll get his head blown off. In the meantime, however, what is 'General Hamilton, going to do about it? .: . „•: ' ,