NO WAR WITH GERMANY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 October 1908, Page 1

NO WAR WITH GERMANY.

IMPORTANT SPEECH BY MU CHURCHILL. “A HELLISH CRIME.” Addressing ;i miners’ demonstration on August 15th, at Swansea, Mr Winston Churchill made some important references to the subject of our relations wilb Germany and the scaremongers who are declaring that war is inevitable. Tlio right bon. gentleman said it was greatly to be deplored that persons should try to spread (he belief that war between Great Britain and Germany was inevitable. The alarm ists had no ground whatever for their panic or their fear. From whatever point of view they regarded the question, it was clear that between Great Britain and Germany there was no real cause of diference. No result could be expected from any struggle between the two countries, except disaster of the most appalling character. People said it might ho worth while lighting for the sake of the trade. A month of fighting would destroy more wealth than successful trade would produce in five years if everyone worked twelve hours a day and spent the money. We were told that there were colonics which could be seized. Nothing would alter the destiny of great communities like Canada, Australia, South Africa, and India. They were pursuing their own paths and their destinies would not be altered as the result of any struggle between Euro-

pean Powers. What remained as the prize to bo fought for by two great countries? Nothing but tropical plantations and small coaling (daces scattered here and there about the world. Though snapping and snarling might continue in the newspapers 'and Itiie London club a, these two great people had really nothing to fight about, no prize to contend for, and no place in which to fight. There were not ten thousand persons iu Germany who would seriously contemplate such a hellish and wicked crime, and he did not believe there were even that number iu England, if he excluded the inmates of Bedlam and the writers in the “National Review.” We were told that though these mis-chief-makers. these snappers and snarl ers. might be few, yet (hey were very influential. He (the speaker) was not sure that there were not more influential people on the side of peace in the cause of which the King had worked nobly. In conclusion, Mr Churchill said that even if there wore 15,000 influential people in Germany and England who desired to make war on one another, what about tlie rest? M'bat about (he hundred millions of people who dwelt on these islands and Germany. Were all such sheep? Is democracy in the twentieth century so powerless to effect its will ? The people were not puppets and marionettes to bo wiro-pnlled against their interests into such hideous convulsions.