"A WORLD OBJECT." MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE PEACE. "Any man or set of men who we

Grey River Argus, 21 December 1916, Page 3

"A WORLD OBJECT. " MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE PEACE. "Any man or set of men who we

Itr.nly or without sufficient pause p longed the terrible conflict would ha on his soul a crime which oceans cot not cleanse. On the other hand it w equally true that any man ot set men who from a sense of wearmc or despair abandoned the strugi without achieving the highest purp< " for which the Allies entered it woi 3iave been guilty of the costliest p -troonery ever perpetrated by a statesman. \x. n „.„, "I would like to quote the woof Abraham Lincoln, who, under su lar conditions, said; 'We accepted t war for an object, and a world _ iect, and the* war will end when t obiect has been attained. ' Under ( I hope it will never end , until t lime. , . .11. "ATe we likely to achieve that iect by accepting the Qerman Ch iellor'« invitation? What arc* proposals? There are none. To er into a conference on the invitation Germany proclaiming herself victor without any knowledge of the pro als she proposes to -make, is to put

' heads into a nooce, with the rope ends Li Germany's hands. PREVIOUS ANGEL OF PEACE. WE HAVE MET HIM BEFORE. "This country is not altogether without experience in these matters. This is not the first time we have fought a great military despotism 1 overshadowing Europe, and it will not . be the first time that we have helped to overthrow military despotism. We can recall one of the greatest of these despots. When he had a purpose to serve in working out 'his nefarious schemes, his favourable device was to appear in the guise of an Angel of Peace. "He usually appeared under those conditions when he wished for time to ' assimilate his conquests or to reorganise his forces for fresh conquests; or, 'secondly, when his subjects showed symptoms of fatigue and war. weariness the appeal was always made in j the name of humanity. He demanded an end to the bloodshed, at which he I professed himself horrified, 'but for ! which he himself was mainly responsible. Our ancestors were taken . in once, and bitterly they and Europe me it. The time "was devoted in reorganising his forces for a deadlier attack than ever upon the liberties of . Europe. j "Examples of that kind, cause us to regard .this Note with a considerable measure of reminiscent disquietude.