Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1918. GERMANY AND GERMANS.

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 3647, 2 December 1918, Page 2

Feilding Star, Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1918. GERMANY AND GERMANS.

Some of Britain's politicians still need to bo censored in tho matter of their public speeches. Some of tho loaders, whose statements carry weight in Europe, have actually declared that Germany cannot bo expected to pay tho costs of tho war. . Surely that is not for any British statesman to suggest. Naturally, tho German leaders, who are already squealing about the terms of tho armistice, will weep real tears expressive of their inability to pay indemnities. Yot thoy blod Belgian, French, Russian, and Serbian cities and towns of much gold and other treasure, besides making those countries support tho armies of occupation for ovor four years. Thoro was also much foodstuffs and raw materials taken out of the conquered countries into Germany. Franco was seemingly bled whito by Germany in 1870----71, yet the French nation mado a wonderful recovery within a very few years. Tho Germans have a much moro oxtensivo nation than tho French, and they had prepared for tho war ovor many years. Consequently, they should be ablo to pay a very heavy indemnity and bo no worso off than the French, in tho 70's and 80s. It is apparent that some of tho British statesmen are preparing tho way for a policy of balancing the captured colonies against a per centago of tho indemnities. But why? It cost Australia, New Zealand, and tho Union of Africa something in money and lives to capture Samoa, Papua, and the African colonies from the enemy. Also, those possessions were in the nature of white elephants to Hunland, and were mainly valuablo, like Heligoland, as coigns of vantago for striking against Britain. Therefore, why should these captures be valued at so many millions sterling and placed to the"credit of Germany? There is also a suggestion, in the references to the rival parties of Socialists and Bolsheviks contending for the supromacy of control in Berlin, that tho money available has come from Russia. There must also be much wealth in the hands of the Kaiser and his sons and the small army of royalties that bolted out* of the Fatherland. This wealth can legitimately bo claimed and confiscated by the Allies as part of tbe indemnities charged against .the Huns. The latter will have to bo closely watched. There is no end to their intrigues, even whilst they are protesting against the terms of the armistice. It was from a German submarine that the raid was made upon Italian Tripoli by an alleged Turkish General, and this bears tho made-in-Germany brand, rather than the Turkish. To-day's messages indicate that there is still a strong feeling in Germany in favour of the Kaiser—so per cent, of tho army is said to be for him—and the Entente Powers are probably behind the action of the Ebert Government in demanding documentary and official evidence of tho abdication of Wilhelm and tho Crown Prince. Evidence accumulates that the leaven of Bolshevikism is working amongst the masses of Germany and Austria, while, as in Russia (where our enemies, be it remembered, introduced this awful germ of anarchism), the middle and upper classes look on helpless and hapless. It is poetic justice that they should be hoist with their own petard and inoculated with their own germ.