THE CROWN PRINCE AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 270, 12 November 1923, Page 4

THE CROWN PRINCE AGAIN.

c When the Allies do agree about Gcrt many their unanimity is wonderful. As t soon as it was reported that the ex- . Crown Prince of Germany was returning 9 to hia own country, the British, French I Belgian, Italian and Japanese Ministers j asked the Dutch Government to hold j him, and he was no sooner in Germany , than a joint protest arrived at Berlin. . There ig good reason for this unanimity. j On obvious grounds the Allies object to the return of the Hohenzollerns, just as , they objected to the return of the , Habsburgn to Hungary, as represented .by the ex-Emperor Karl. Having 1 destroyed the Hohenzollerns' power once,-the Allies are justly resolved not , to permit them to create a situation 1 where they would again threaten the peace of Europe. Legally they are entitled to demand the surrender of the Crown Prince by the German Government, for he i s one of those officers accused of war crimes, whom, under the Treaty.. Germany undertakes to hand over. Why the Crown Prince has gone to Germany should be apparent before many hours have passed. That he is intriguing with the Monarchists seems 1 certain, but it is not at all certain that lie will receive anything like the support he anticipates. That exiled princes arc easily deceived about opinion in the countries to wliicli they wish to return, the history of England shows clearly enough, and there arc numbers of other instances of failure following high hopes, including the recent one of the ex-Emperor Karl. Followers exaggerate favourable sentiment, and agents report what they think will please. There is no proof that the Monarchists are in a majority in Germany, ami even in Bavaria the coup of the Separatist movement, which must have had strong Monarchist leanings, has been put flown by the Central Government. Why. then, did that Government grant the Crown

-mi-- F -iuc.-_t_ui_ _v ._-i_iii: .c is IIUL easy to say. Was it that it wished to conciliate tho Monarchists or that it took this opportunity to annoy the Allies? It can hardly be that it is deliberately encouraging or conniving at the return of the Hohen_ollems. Whatever the reason, it is a foolish move, if only because it will harden French resolution not. to make things easier in the Ruhr and increase the difficulty of the British-American task of arranging a settlement.