The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1918.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 5000, 15 October 1918, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1918.

We should think that our readers will' be fairly well Hun Trickery satisfied with the Exposed. opinions offered in Allied countries on the Huns’ request for an armistice. A number of the views, it is true, err on the side of . weakness, but,

Hun Trickery Exposed.

where such is the case, the error arises solely on account of a misconception as to tlie real aim of the Hun offer. It would seem that some of the commentators—and this fault is mostly in evidence in the United States—are disposed to place too much reliance in the belief that the Hun nation at last sees the folly and wickedness of its ways. There is, however, not a tittle of evidence, as yet, to support the contention that the Prussian element does not continue to remain dominant. When the Hun offer is boiled down it amounts to nothing tangible. It is clearly a ruse on the par* of the Hun authorities profess that they would prefer an honorable peace. All that they have offered to do is to retire on to their own frontiers and be a party to peace negotiations. The acceptance by Germany of President Wilson’s ideas on post-war international relationships is a blind. In any *event in the case of peace negotiations they would do their utmost to twist matters round so that they would not unduly suffer when it came to a settlement of accounts. It is very pleasing to note, that it is npw being argued in Allied countries that the acceptance by the Huns of President Wilson’s “fourteen points” carries the discussion on peace a very inconsiderable distance. Also it is most gratifying to find that it is widely realised that if the Huns were permitted to withdraw their armies on to their own soil they would be in a better position than they are to-day to continue the conflict. The amazing part of the whole business is that some organs of public opinion in Allied communities do not appreciate the fact that the Huns are not entitled to discuss peace proposals on an equal footing with the Allies. As . a foe on the verge of utter defeat the Huns should be called upon to accept similar terms to those which Bulgaria agreed to accept. If the Huns are not prepared to surrender unconditionally, the struggle must be continued to the bitter end. We are really surprised that so much notice should be taken of the Huns’ request for an armistice when one recalls the acts of barbarism committed by the relentless and unscrupulous enemy during even only the past few days. It would be monstrous for Allied peace delegates to be required to sit at a peace table with the representatives of such a criminal nation. There should he more official straight

talk from Allied countries on this important point. Without delay the Hun Chancellor should be told that nothing is further from the thoughts of the Allied peoples than that the war-makers should be allowed to escape scot free. President Wilson has truly opened slightly the door which may lend to peace, but if tho Huns do not agree to surrender unconditionally it will quickly be closed again. What requires to be even more -greatly stressed is the point that it will bo most advantageous to tho Allies if the Hun authorities are left to deal solely with Marshal Foeh and the Allied War Council. The peace talk that is going on will do good only if it leads to a political revolution in Germany, for in that event the day of unconditional surrender must be hastened.