THE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 18, 21 January 1916, Page 3

THE WAR.

A RESUME AND A CONCLUSION WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOB THE WAR? Ct)Ul£> BRITAIN HAVE KEPT OUT? (•By W. A-. APPLETON, Secretary, General ••■ • Federation - of-Trade Unions!) •■ (From "Justice," the ' Organ of the Social Democracy.) , In August, 1914, the General Federation of Trade Unions carefully and without passion- explained its attitude towaTds the war. The information it" then possessed was imperfect, but "sufficient , to" show that Germany had' planned and prepared until"she was certain' tliat'for her the hour had stTUck: that hour when her ambitions in respect of Belgium and Holland and of even wider empire in Asia Minor might be realised.

Russia had not dared to resist the annexation by Austria of Bosnia and ITerzegoVina. France appeared in Ger: man eyes asa "devitalised and demoral; ised agglomeration of dreamers. Great Britain wae in the hands of warring factions, her colonies were forgetting their Motherland, while Ireland and India were full of sedition and ripe for rebellion.

I So much, Germany premised, and heT conclusions weTe swift; definite and emphatic. She calied up the balance of her strength, mobilised aU'hei' resources,' and., flung rapine, pillage and' death ■ into al-.! most : every country ' in' Europe.' Her statesmen, and in the main 'her people, entered lightheartedly into a war which they' expected would speedily yield them lands, indemnities and power. • Theirs was the power to command peace, but they provoked war.' Cultured thought and material progress could have T)een developed co-operatively with other nations, but" she desired "control rather than eo-bperation. GERMANY THE AGGRESSOR. The world generally agrees that GerIraany provoked and commenced war; that she has waged it , with brutal ruth- - lessness and utter disregard of all those amenities imposed by the Hague Conventions; but there ; are some people who,declare and perhaps' believe' that Great Britain and her colonies could)'and ought, to have kept out of the" conflict. The' moral attitude of , these people towards treaties and international obligations 'ie exactly that of-Bethmanh-HoH-the scrap- of .paper*whichbound us and him to-..-Belgium. „ The numbers in Britain .who hold.t.hese,views are-few, but. their voices,are often .upraised and-they, are .persistent; theii sound ibas gone out into all,lands; they I have been . eulogised in Germany and their propaganda has doubtless.' scared. the-faintrhearted, and those; .who have, hud no inclination oeno opportunity ot studying facts. •-.-< -.•-.- ~i->j!-.•• . ■ ..•" It » nefawious • that .Germany dominated the. external ■politics,, of..Austria. Without the -.support. of .the : Kaiser the Emperor dare not , move,' and wien Austri»siißßned!u her: ultimatum to Serbia, Germany knew exactly what was going to happen. The German- White: Book settlesall our doubts on this .point when it' Bays: '"We were perfectly aware that a pbseible- <waTlike_ Attempt of. Austriaaunga'Ty against: Serbia might) - bring Russia into the field.; and that=-it-might' involve : us in war." ' THE DEMANDS ON" ■SERBIA. The demands put : forth' -were such that no sovereign"State coiild. accept and live. Serbia knew: this, but • Under pressure'from "Great Britain',. France; and of demands, and expressed •willingness to refer the remainder either to the International' Tribunal at the Hague or to the decision of the Great Powers. So complete was the surrender that Austria hesitated and. peace ;i ;seenied. /.possible., Peace, however,. >was not.; what: wasirready, while tial opponents were-unready; ,, they Aid, however, been startled; their eyes were opening to the dangers which, threatened, and a" postponement of -the day might decrease'the disadvantages binder which, Great Britain; France and-Russia'.eutr ■feted.-'-The hesitancy-of. Count Berchtold "was reprobated, and an ultimatum meant to precipitate -war was' sent to. Rodaia. ■ Professor VBeriiarft Pares" :in "With" the Russian" Army" qu'otes'ths. Russian Orange' Bobktbrßhow'thattfce iGerman Ambassador at Petrograd'was supplied -with alternatives to any-likely Russian reply. ■'• Whatever 'her method of meeting the ultimatum", the ambassador cpiild counter."''Sβ a. matter-of fact,. ;he didhand in'two answers''t'6 ffie'one |eet' of propositi oils '.'put; forward by Kust. eia. He was careless, , from a .German, point of" view, but "his carelessness re-. •vealed to the world the implacable determination to make war. ; COULD GREAT BRITAIN, HAVE .

. -.;,-. „■ ~:,,3PiPT..,0UT.?,-.1 . /7U .,... ;-, * "Graijied/ , - -cries- the-critic'-who-hates' 4o.be called a' pro ; Germa'n," "but Great

■".•■-. itain conld" still have'kept' out of the light:" The. independence, of ■ Belgium, the national life of France, the-future of liussia were- matters' which concerned these States only. The - existence of smaller nations, the : rights of weaker races, the inviolability' of treaties and international ~ agreements "were'no" 'concern"" of hers. She rauld indeed regari all these with indignation, she could declare them to be -immoral, hut she muet on no account attejnpt to defend those assailed or. to enforce morality. That-"waylay danger ;to her parse and to her people. She muet save tihese though'she .lost iher eonl. '""■' . ""••''-"" • ";"■" ; rr " ''■""""•' "; ;-' ;' not.;:';■••■■ Was it possible for\ Britain to'keep" out af the fight ? It was, on coriSitions, and for a time. By ignoring, her. obligations sad sacrificing her. honour, she. might have.purchased.temporary immunity from attack, font Germany, triumphant coul-1 not remain inactive. She would have demanded not merely a place in the sun, hut the sun itself. Germany abased or even in doubt might keep the peace, Dufi Germany '.passing from' conquest .to conquest,. exacting toll in men and money from a growing * procession of subject nations would soon have crashed her. forces gainst Britain. And what: a. Britain! Discredited "and friendless'ansoiigst, the nations, sußpee« of her colonies and deepisei-ty her dependencies, she would indeed here ieea.an-«=e7 •P*^ 1 -;-- J , . .Great Britain might heve evaded the ianffiet by emeoStiag to fiie ehe "wiserjr Tefnsed. Hoe •was a came of iononr and interest ddxag; die acted. . ■ s "Bnt," cry the little once and the fearful few, "is not honour, satisfied? After. iiiteen months of.war,,can, we notpro-- ;- »ar)y and safely withdraw?", ■ : One .13 IgMgtMi ff. Jthfise questions in

the fasiipi} T" asking- others. .W^st-of-.the^-;territory; has eeizedr does Germany haie^'BritJiia 1 less, and what would Germany do if ehe won? Honour cannot be satisfied nntH in a position to exact reparation (a) small nations "who called to ub for help, but which we were unable to awe; (b) .for the outrages systematically committed by; German, , tr.oops.. on.._sjjgian_.nien, ■women, and children? "" -^~~ «>•»» » 'iiES THE ■ '\ INITIATIVE FOR PEACE. \- The initiative_for_geace as for -war lies with Germany!" Eet—her withdraw her armies, make whatever restitution is possible, and , give, -guarantees for her future good conduct, and the response ■will be such as.'to,. rehabilitate one's faith in Christianity. Throughout the British Empire, there was'no desire for war; there;Jias been no there exists •very little Taneout,-but-■Wβ are not defeated"" and" we are compelled to continue the figKif iintil bufselves™and ouY children'are , 'safe'. ''.■''' '■"■"—" ■ . . Do not the mistakes of 'our' rulers; in the conduct of the war and inthe direction of affaire justify action to end the. war? Only in, one, way." "No "matter ■what mistakes have been made we must end this 'war" by ,; winhTrig' it." Mistakes . have.-been , ing t stupid, mistakes;" ~but,'gi^;arV_-as nothing to the mistakes we etould make if we hesitated or Wned backVnpjw. (W home-bred boys, the lads from the colonies, our brothers from India, have'willingly and voluntarily, position and life. They believed, nay, .they knew thati ' this time the Old-.Country was right. To withdra-Wj preyen to hesitate,; would be to-repay loving-sacrifice with iiasesti ■ ingratitude. These boys : weni..<niti'.'to fight because they loved, the. Motherland and hated oppression; .they, died for their i principles even where they -were. unable to articulate them.; We owe it to their memories to fight on until;-.safety, and 1 freedom and honour are assured,-.and ' none of sacrifices we may be called ' upon to make can- exeeeff-the sacrifices 1 of ;thqse who'have already, laid-dowv ■ their lives'. j '.