RESPONSIBILITY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 173, 8 July 1919, Page 6

RESPONSIBILITY

OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE. REPLY TO COUNT RANTZAU. Paris, May 20. M. Clemenceau has sent a reply to Court Brockdorff-Rantzau’s Note of May 13. which dealt with compensation. M. Clemenceau’s Note is as follows: — I In your note of May 13 you ‘fate j that Germany, while “accepting” in • November. 1918, “the obligation to ; make reparation,” did not understand I such an acceptance to mean that her ■ responsibility was involved either for j the war or for the acts of the former : German Government. It is only posI sible to conceive of such an obligation: I if its origin and cause is the responsi-1 ! iiility of the author of the damage. I You add that the German people' would never have undertaken a war oi ■ aggression. Y'et in the note from Mr. s .Secretary of State Lansing, of N’ovem-i her 5, 1918, which you approve of and' adduce in favour of jour contention, it is stated that the obligation to make leparation arises out of “Germany’s aggression by land, sea, and air.” As the German Government did not at tr-e time make anj protest against this alligation. it uteretiy recognised in 1918,

implicitlv but clearly , both the aggres sion and her resixxusibility. It is toi Ute to seek to deny them to-day. ft would be imfsissibie, you stat< further, tiiat tiie German people should he regarded as the accomplices of die faults committed by tiie “former German Government.” However, Germany has never claimed, and such a declaration would have been contrary to a!I principles of international law, that a modification of its political regime or a change in tiie governing personalities would be smheknt to extinguish an obligation already undertaken by any nation. Sue did not act upon the principle she now contends for, either in 1871 as regards France after the proclamation of the Republic, nor in 1917 in regard to Russia after the revolution whicii abolished the Tsarist regime. Finally, you ask that the report of the Commission on Responsibility maylie communicated to you. In reply wo beg to say that the'Allied and Associated Powers consider the reports of the Commission set up by tue Peace Conference as documents of an internal character which cannot be transmitted to you. —Reuter. Owing to a statement that the Christchurch tanners had decided upon an increase in the price of leather which would add about 5 - ]i*>r pair to the price cf boots, the Dunedin .Manufaeturers’ Association was que-.tioned by a representative of t.ie Otago Daiiy Tinies about, the matter. Neither the tanners nor the manufacturers in this city know of any contemplated sharp rise, though it. is possible there may be a slignt advance—of from 1-to 16 per pair. It is just possible that a big increase on boots and shoes made from imported leather may be made, owing to causes over which the manufacturers have no control. * ’ . er. or it.

bpeaking at tne Hawera Show, the Hom J. A. Hanan, Minister fcr Education, referred to the national neccssJ y for closer land settlement, lor mote tlmfnug.i cultivation, and for substantially increasing our farming population in older to widen the foundation of pi educt ion and materially increase the branches of farming and the aggregate of our agricultural products. If all the many proposals, grants, and schemes" now ueing utged by various sect.ons v.ere adopted, be said, a vast expendituie .mild be eiitaile 1, and if the Dominion's debt v.ith its heavy annual interest bill was to be gieatiy in noised to provide the means so req.t.red then unless 'the countiy’.s iinanc.a! and other ;e,ources weie effectively strengthened by the means to waieh he had rei'erred, which would send down a crushing load of debt to their children, giving rise to conditions which would injuriously affect their progress and happiness. They had inthis country only touched the fringes of the great

and various sources ot industrial I wealth. 'lhere was a large amount jof wealth slumbering in the soil i which could be so worked and de- ; veloped that it would be rendered of ! tae greatest service to the commuI nity, and would ad<l to the wealth | of the Dominion and the comfort and i happiness of its people. ! During the hearing of a case in ; the Magistrate’s Court at Isivercari gill last I’ritlay morning, in which I the thorough Courirtl were claiming ; ar.ears of an electric lighting aci count, defendant stag'd that he dis- | put d t!ie account because the melter registered in 1 month twice th-’ I amount of the previous month. He as absolutely certain th.’it no more

j power had been used, and it seem- ; -I ridiculous that he should have to j i-ay fcr the mete r’s eccentricities. - hey were made in Germany, so perhaps that oecomd,. d for it.’ In : one week, win 11 his wif- was ill. the ; lights were burning all night, and ! anmunt was tl : er> c<r>s:«l< rabix ■s the I .i; M n p. !»:'<. ! .g ■//'/ ■■• ]’■ .Tough Council has. and ;h y : Ht b” accepted. Sotm' weeks yoi; <t h e charged t< • little. ?••<! ,0 ;1. ~n fn I ;;I.-■ i; I nt.,■,. ' ' * 'h’J. hi- ii-ej ,Yt 1 : : “A nd h th.- . : ■ ois’ Havel still got to yay?” JTis 1 ' ‘Fsmp: “Oh, it would probable have melted and ‘bast’ bv that time ” The defon-P*r» retired smiling. but not satisf.ttt.