The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1917. INTERNATIONAL PUNISHMENTS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 26 May 1917, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1917. INTERNATIONAL PUNISHMENTS.

In the speech which M. Ribot, the Premier of France, has just made in the Chamber of Deputies, it is stated that while France does not wish for a policy of annexations and indemnities against Germany, still she will insist, on the restoration of Alsace and Lorraine, and on compensation for the wrongs imposed by the enemy on Belgium, Northern France^ Serbia, Roumania and Poland. Justice requires that this and perhaps more should be exacted from Germany, but it may be well that no indemnity should be imposed upon her as though it were a fine. To refrain in this conneotion would at least be to act in a way very different from that followed by Germany at the close of the FrancoPrussian war, when she vindictively exacted an immense indemnity from France; and perhaps whatever is different from whatever Germany has done or would do mus/fc be right. In their after-war plans Germans themselves are, at any rare, showing none of the moder. ,: ation which M. Ribot displays, for they ' are talking and writing arrogantly to ; the effect that they must get back their lost colonies. One Hun ingenuously declares that "unless Germany gets back

her South Sea possessions her entire trade to the Far East will be crippled, and the Government must insist on Ger-

many getting New Caledonia and French Oceana. The German Empire wants naval bases, and must establish

a world route for German ships to make her independent of England, America and Japan." Another Teuton makes a similar statement^ but admits that there is not much ground for hoping that his oountry will get back those possessions. This worthy is assuredly oh stronger ground than his brother Hun, who yearns for the possession of New Caledonia and French Oceana, and for a succession of naval bases noifc now-

owned by Germany, and the ownership of which would place her in a better position with respect to sea routes than she has ever yet been. That would be to give her special advantages as an aggressive military and naval power, and to qualify her more or IcES completely to re. sume the criminal policy she entered on in July, 1914, and is still trying to oarry out with an unabated ruthlessness which it would be madness for the Allies to reward with concessions, instead of punishing as the worst -crimes should be punished, whether the criminals are individuals or nations. To act otherwise would be to reward crime as though it were meritorious; and to make a mockery of the eternal difference be. tween right and wrong. But this will not happen in this instance unless the Allies turn their backs on the teachings of experience, and deliberately place their own immediate future more than ever at the mercy of the Huns. "If (says an abl e English writer) punishment does not follow crime the experience of the world proves' Irrefutably thajt crime increases. There may be a few people who would preach as some pacificists preach thajt it is waste of money to maintain a police force and to keep up gaols, but there would certainly be greater waste of money and greater human suffering if we disbanded our police force, pulled down our gaols, and placed no check upon private greed and privaite passion. The burning of hayricks is a good illustration of the

absolute necessity for imposing punishment, and heavy punishment, for particular classes of crime. It is a, orime

easily committed by an agricultural lab-

orer who has quarrelled with his employer, and unless the punishment were heavy the hayricka burnit down in the course of a year would pay for the upkeep of a good many gaols. Germany has set the hayrick of Europe on fire, and unless sh.e receives a signal punish, ment, which the world will remember for centuri&s to comej other ambitious and cynically immoral Governments with careless wr consenting nations will commit similar crimes." We believe that the great moral principal thus illustrated will, without vindictiveness and yet in loyalty to the spirit of true justice, be steadily kept in mind by I the Allies when the time comes for wise and effective international readjustments after the war. As to the restoration of Germany's colonies, this has; been practically settled already in so far as Britain is concerned, for Mr Walter Long, as Secretory of State for thd Colonies, has, on his own Ministerial authority and with that of the Government, declared that nothing that Brifa'ain has taken will be given back to Germany. Naturally ) this has been desired by Australia and New Zealand, not vindictively or in a land-grasping spirit, but because it was through them that Germany's South Sea possessions were taken, because had they not been taken they would have* been used a* bases and centres of action against the Allies, and because their retention is no

more than a juat and therefore necessary punishment- to Germany for her perfidious, wholly selfish and appalling crimes in preparing for, provoking and carrying on the war under conditions of revolting ruthlessness. Thdn a great South African question is involved as well as questions of international ethics. For instance, when Gen.eral Smuts arrived in England a. monjth or two ago he spoke very strongly indeed on this subject. "Nothing (he said) has given I greater pleasure than Mr Long's statement that no German colony can go back to Germany. The mere suggestion that any part should be returned is preposterous. I shudder to think of what would happen to the native population if any part were returned." So that this master may be considered as settled, whatever Machiavellian Germans may desire, or sentimental pacificists amongst ourselves may say } to the contrary.