PEACE TREATY

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 3784, 10 May 1919, Page 2

PEACE TREATY

PREMIER MASSEY CRITICAL.

WEAKNESS IN THE TERMS GERMANY LET DOWN TOO EASY FRANCE NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECTED MILITARY CLAUSES SATISFACTORY. WHAT NEW ZEALAND MAY GET.

(Aub.-N.Z. Cable Association.)

London, May 8. The lion W. I , '. Massey (Premier oi' New Zealand) says that it would bo very easy to tind Haws ami imperfections in the Peace Treat, but those, doubtless, will Oe nioi'o evident later mi without emphasising them now. lire Council of the Great Powers have hud during the past few months a most difliciilt task, ol which a great deal has been well done, but it lias to lie admitted that there have been many indications of that lack of ordination essential to success. Now Lhat the terms have been presented, unity whs more essential limn ever to counteract the weakness of the treaty. Without such inter-Allied unity, (here cannot be the peace the world had hoped for. TOO MANY EXPERIMENTS. The greatest danger to a satisfactory outcome was the_ number of experiments embodied in the Treaty. The Lwigiie of Nations, which was excellent in theory and aims, was still without practical machinery. Moreover, it must have time before its i power could be relied upon, even, to make wars less frequent than in the past. The Labour Convention, rlso, was well based on high principles, and he hoped it might dr> all that it Ayns expected iv bringing up nations sWhich wore backward in labour conditions. The systems in regard to mandates and to the economic terms also were experiments on which much depended. Results from the mandate system would be closely watched all over the world. Many of the proposals looked simple on paper, but when nut into practice tinder conditions widely' varied throughout the world, might not achieve the results desired. FRANCE UNPROTECTED. " Probably the greatest weakness in r.he Treaty," said Mr Massey, " is the provision as regards the guarantee for its execution. The proposal that the Allies should occupy the districts west of the Rhine for 15 years does not give Franco the measure of permanent security desired. What will happen lifter the 15 years, if the conditions have been complied with ? There is a very prevalent opinion in France that Germany will come again, though not in the present generation, and military experts urge that the only way to make France safe is to give her defensive control of the west bank of the Rhine. This in itself is a serious problem. TOO MANY COMMISSONS. " With regard to various adjustments of past grievances and unjustconditions, there seems to be top many Commissions, making for a complexity of control of the European frontiers, ports, rivers, and railways, and nossibly causing frequent conflicts between varied nationalities and jealousies.

REPARATION. "The manner of dealing with reparation is good so far as it goes though dangerously indefinite. It is generally understood that this part of the Treaty will give tho Council and its advisers more trouble than anything else, owing to the wide diversity of opinion, if the Germans accept the terms, Britain and the Dominions will get something back, but their proportion is very hard to estimate. Certainly they will not get more than '25 per cent., spread over about 30 years, and perhaps they will get much less than that, "it may be said now that, (respecting finance, tenderness to Germany was very ■ marked, tho argument being that if tho Allies 'demands, were- too high, they would probably get nothing, and that Germany would rather Bolshovise than pay. The die is now cast, and iif one should judge by the arrogant bearingof the Hun delegates to-day, they will give trouble—plenty of it, indeed—before peace is finally declared.

THE ALLIES 'DIFFICULTIES. " In conclusion, it may be said, the chief cause of the Haws in tho Treat} , has been the effort to adjust all sorts of Allied difficulties and differences before securing without delay «a definite peace with Germany, and adequate reparation. Tho world will welcome and endorse the genuine effort of the Allies' Peace Conference to seeur the restoration of Belgium, Northern France, and the devastated regions swept by Prussian warfare, and the opportunity is now given to newi States to become emancipated from tyranny by Allied effort." THE MILITARY TERMS SATIS-. FACTORY. " Tho most vital and satisfying features of tho Treaty are the military, naval, and aerial terms, which were fixed by practical experts, who knew their enemy and what was required, and hit directly at Prussian militarism, which, for man}' years to come has been smashed This is in itself a great result, and counterbalances many minor defects, THE VOICE OF LABOUR. AGAINST PEACE TERMS. PEOPLES AND PRIVILEGES. (Received May 10, 0 a.m.) London, May 8. The executive of the British Labour Party has issued a manifesto which states that sonic of the essentials of the Peace Treaty are opposed to the declarations of President Wilson, the inter-Allied Labour Conference, and the Berne Labour Conference.

The Treaty was defective from tho standpoint of a world-peace. It bears evidence of a compromise influenced by capitalism and imperialism. The Labour Party declines responsibility for violations of principle, inasmuch as organised labour was not represented at the Conference, and tho general spirit of the document is contrary to the workiiig-elass conception of I peace, of right, and of justice. Labour, therefore!! looks to tho people and to the forces of organised democracy to safeguard and develop the idea of a peaceful community of all nations. Germany ought to make reparation for the war, but should be represented on the Reparation Commission. The amount of compensation should have regard to tho ability to meet the needs of Germany's own population.

The manifesto lvgrcts that (Jit Peace Treaty, while imposing on Gorman drastic disarmament, does not provide for progressive limitation ol' armaments for the other signatories, and protests at any attempt at> a permanent separation of tho Saai- Valley from Germany. Labour hopes Franco will agree to consult the people of Alsace and Lorraine under the League of Nations, in accordance with tho policy of self-determination. Tho people of Germany and Austria should have a free and unrestricted right to decide for themselves whether they will become one German Federal State, or remain independent.