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Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16053, 8 November 1917, Page 6

There is nothing now in tho report of German activities in Italy in tho direction of painting for Italian eyes such a picture of Britain as would make the war unpopular. •Germans and proGermans in Italy havo long had an astounding amount of freedom. Tho partial crisis 111 Italian politics in Juno last was in part due to the widespread discontent of Italian patriots with the slackness of the Government, espocially Signor Orlando, then Minister of the Interior, in dealing with onemy subjects left at large, and with the propagators of lies against tho Entontc. So long ago as Octobor 21st of last year tho Ilomo correspondent of the London ''Tablet" quoted an article in the "Corriero d'ltalia," by the Marcheso Filippo Crispolti, one of tho most authoritative writers in Italy, in whicn a serious injury was done to British, and. indeed, to interests. Ho gave a grossly distorted account of tho British war aims, and represented that Germany desired only tho liberty of nations. Ho also quoted with approval another articlo, in which it was alleged that Britain desired the complete and unconditional surrender of Germany. This would mean a war of great length, but this would not matter to England, "with unlimited national and colonial reserves, with an army still almost untouched, and not feeling any economic consequences from the conflict, nay, oven getting an advantago out of it by its industrial development, and by the enormously increased prices of its coal and overwhelming freights of its mercantile marine, which woigh in great part on its Allies." When prominent writers in prominent papers in Italy are thus allowed to spread such lies about Britain thoro can bo little wonder that the results have been bad. * Most New Zealandors will be a little startled on a first reading of the statement attributed to Sir 'I'. Mackenzie in his speech at the Cold Storage Association's luncheon. It seemed strange—so Sir Thomas is reported to have said — that loyalty should furnish a handicap, while blatant disloyalty commanded a premium. He immediately went on to contrast tho soventeenpence paid to New Zealand butter producers with the price, nearly double, that is paid for Irish butter. "Blatant disloyalty" is a phrase of some strength, but while it may bo urged that it was not discreet of the High Commissioner to use it in this context, nobody can seriously deny that tho feeling in Iroland, where the Sinn Foin spirit is predominant, could not wilji accuracy be called loyalty. But the comparison made by Sir Thomas Mackenzie is worth pondering for.its double significance. First, it shows very clearly that our butter producers are roceiving enormously less than the real value of their produce. Second, it shows that Irish producers are doing very well indeed out of the war. Tho war, as a mattor of fact, is a source of great prosperity to Ireland.

It is a littlo surprising to 2nd the Franco-Russian agreement over territorial settlements turning up in the Houso of Commons, and spoken of, apparently, as one to which Britain was a party. The first reference to such a treaty was made on July 2Sth, by Dr. Michaelis, in a statement to German journalists. In this statement the then Chancellor declared that at a secret sitting of tlio Chamber of Deputies at tho beginning of June, M. Briand and M. Ribot admitted that France, shortly before the Russian revolution, had como to an agreement concerning the annexation of purely German territory. Tho treaty, I>r. Michaelis said, "assured io France her frontiers of 1870, but amended on the lines of previous tvars of conquest; that is to say, they were to include, besides Alsace-Lorraine, the Saar basin, and vast territorial modifications on t]io left bank of tho Rhine, as desired by France." —I_A In reply to a challenge from the Chancellor to deny this charge, M. Ribot declared that there were grave inaccuracies and positive falsehoods in Dr. Michaelis's statement. He then gave an explanation of the real facts as follows:— "Tho Chamber knows what happened. M. Doumergue, after certain conversations with the Czar, asked for, and ob-

tained, M. Briand's authorisation to take note of the Czar's promise to support our claim to Alsace-Lorraine, which had been torn from us by violence, and to leave us free to seek guarantees against fresh aggression, not in annexing to France territory on the ]oft bank of the Rhine, but, if necessary, by forming out of those territories an autonomous State which would protect us as well as Belgium against an invasion from across the Rhine."

In any event, Britain has certainly undertaken nothing in the direction of proposing or supporting any acquisition of purely German soil in Europe.