FRENCH M.P'S.

Grey River Argus, 12 April 1916, Page 6

FRENCH M.PS.

ENTERTAINED BY BRITISH POLITICIANS.

MR ASQUITH ON GERMAN PEACE PROPOSALS. • (Boed.-9-p.m.) * LONDON, April j I . Mr Asquith presided at the dinner to t]yy?rench. Parliamentariaos, and tnwe was a representa tive gathering of politicians. Mr Asquith, in proposing ''Our Guests/ sai(J that the relations' between France aiid Britain for many years past had been established on an unshakable foundation, but they had now become relations of intimacy and affection. Herr von Bcthmann Hollweg declares that on December 9th be expressed his readiness to enter into peace negotiations, wherein we were to assume the attitude of a defeated to a victorious advers ary, but Aye were not defeated and were not going to be defeated, and our Allies were bound by a solemn pact not to seek or accept separate peace. The terms wherein we conclude peace are tlte accomplishment of the purposes wheref or we took up arms. The Allies intend to pave the way for an international system, securing rights to all civilised States, and they intend to establish tlie principle that International problems must be handled by free negotiations on equal terms between free peoples, un hampered or unswayed by overmastering dictation of the Government controlled military caste. He added: What I mean by the destruction of Prussian Militarism is nothing more , and nothing less. We are in the struggle asthe champions, not. only of treaty rijrhts, but of the independent staiaa and free development of "weaker countries. Cynicism could hardly go further than Herr von Bethmaim Hoilweg's claim for Germany oi all Powers to insist that when peaces comes she is giving the various races a chance of free evolution along lines of national individuality. Herr von Bethmaim Hollweg says that Bel-gium-is not to become a FrancoEnglish vassal, but to become Germany's. neighbour. This is a new development, indeed, of the | theory, rights of duties of neighbourhood. My answer, is very simple. Tbe Allies desire and are determined to see that old Belgium must not be allowed to suffer wanton and wicked invasion of her freedom.. What has been broken down must be repaired and. restored. The attempt to Germanise Prussian Poland for the last. twenty years has becii jboth a strenuous purpose and a colossal failure of the Prussian policy. No one knows this better than Herr von Bethiiiann Hollweg. The wholesale strike of Polish children and their ' barbar ous floggings, and the arrest and imprisonment of their mothers form a blacK chapter even in tbe annals of Prussian culture. With this record Herr von Bethmann Hollweg sheds tears over what lie terms tbe long suppressed Flemish race.

He would not dwell on Herr' von Bethmann Hoilweg's attempt to justify submarine policy. ,We carried out our naval policy in tbe spirit of International law, and he need not dwell on Gerimany's flagrant violations of law and tlie dictates^of humanity. Wo are fighting side by side with our Allies in a great causie with clean hands and a clean conscience. We are confident that we have the will and the power to vindicate the liberties of Europe.

i M. .Pichou, replying, said that they had entered the war togetber fought together, and together they would win. France admired Englishmen's nobility under arms.