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Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17946, 13 November 1918, Page 4

Technically, of course, the war is still far from being over, and it will not be over until the final settlement is signed, but most people will be* well content to regard it as having ended with the German acceptance of the armistice terms. For tho greater part of the war period, this position in the “Lyttelton Times ” has been Occupied by a column of “Notes on the War”~-in’tho early day*, of course, they generally exceeded a column—and every day since the outbreak of war that column Was one, of. the features of the journal- Efary day, also, has been printed an article in the- leading column summarising ibhe official news of the day and commenting on.;it. Tho intention was - that in “The Campaigns’- leading article should, be discussod ihe larger aspects of the fighting in the various theatres, while fhe Notes on the War should be devoted to detailed comment, historical, topographical and so forth. ’Whatever success tliifte notes attained—a»d they have been very generously praised —Was due in no small measure to the helpfulness of friends of th® “Lyttelton Times.” There have been m'auy close students of the war in Now Zea-' land during the past four years, and. not a few of them havo been constantly in touch with .this journal, ask- . in* advice- or o'ffering suggestions; •

The “ Lyttelton Times” can fairly claim to have pursued a particularly even line,of .comment on events. It was never led into prematuro outbursts of joy or into premature fits of depression bytho varying tone of. the current news. It clung throughout to the official communiques as the only reliable messages, and insisted from the outset that messages •-aolriJeariag the official ptamp could not bo accepted as reliable news. This may appear obvious enough now, but for many a long month the “ Lyttelton Timas ” was tho only New Zealand, journal habitually and consist-. eutly differentiating between official and unofficial news. There is this to he »aid, however, that in the early days of-

the struggle the public absorbed everything that looked like news with equal readiness, no time being, wasted in discussing whether it was reliable or not.

Henceforth, it is to be hoped, there will be no fighting to call for comment, and one will have to forgo the pleasure of writing topographical notes about Coblentz,' Strassburg, Berlin , and the other German cities that will not now be. sacked. livery German city and town and village,- as a matter of justice, should be burdened with the duty of restoring a ruined town or village in Allied territory, and if there aro not enough ruins to go round, then the enemy towns can do the work twice over.. The name of the town or village to be x-estored ought to bo engraved on a pillar to bo erected in the centre of the enemy town, so that, for all time the inhabitants may read that “because of th® ruin wrought by the German army in 1914-18 Leipsig was. ordered to restore the-city of Louvain, in Belgium, and did so.” . *

As modern versions of the town crier, the Mayor’s big firo engine and a battery of artillery are not' without merits, ■ but yesterday' proved once again that the professional will beat the amateur in the distribution of news as in ether businesses. Tho Mayor wa3 supposed to enjoy tho assurance of a specially rapid service, hut possibly it failed to materialise. At any rate, it was tho very efficient publishing staff .of tho “ Star ” that carried the glorious news to the four corners of the city. Tho news reached the office of this journal at 8.48 a.m., end by 8.63 copies of the special edition of' tho “Lyttelton! Times ” lad been sold in thp street. But while the pi’inters and machinists had been busy with the “ Lyttelton Times” the >“ Star’s ” staff took matters into its own hands. It turned .out scores of. flaring poster?, and held up traincars, motor-cars and vehicles of all descriptions and compelled these to take the glad news into the -wide world. Not that they needed any compulsion. Indeed, it became so much tho fashion to have a poster on one’s car that the demand sß&edily outstripped the supply. These posters were carried during the morning away but into.the country districts, and it was by their aid that the news of the hour was spread so rapidly and so effectively.

“ Our Lord God' has certainly somethifig in mind for our German people,” said the Kaiser in a speech delivered at Homburg back in February of this year. ‘-‘ That is why He has sent ns to school, and every serious and clearthinking man among you will agree with me that it wa3 necessary. We often trod false paths. By means of this hard schooling the Lord has shown us whither we want to go. But at the same time, the world was not treading the right path. Thoso who hav© followed history can see how our Lord God has tried, through one people after or-'•her, to bring the world on to tho r.ght pajfch. The peoples themselves could not manage it. The Roman Empire sank away, the Frankish Empire fell, to pieces, likewise tho old German Empire. Now he has set-us tasks. We Germans, who still have ideals, are to work to bring about better times; we are to fight for Right, Good, Faith' and Morality. ■ Our 1 Lord God means to havo peace, but such a peace in which the world endeavours to do what is right and good. We are to bring peace to the world, and we will do it one way or the other-Yesterday we managed it in‘friendly fashion. The enemy who, beaten by our armies, sees that fighting is no more use, and who holds out his hand, gets also our hand. We grip his. But he who will not accept peace, but. on the contrary, shedding: the blood of His own and of our people, will not have peace, him we must compel. That is now our task, for which all must.work, men and women. We wish to live ip friendship with neighbouring peoples, but first of all the victory of German arms must be recognised. Under our great Hindenburg our troops will continue to achiever it. Then peace will come—a peace of the sort required for a strong future for tho German Empire, a peace that will influence the course of% universal history. To this end the mighty powers of Heaven must stand by us. To this end every ■ one of you, young and old, must live for one only thought: Victory and a German peace. Long live the German Fatherland !” It may noth© quite crioket to recall Wilhelm’s numerous oratorical blunders, but this one is altogether too curious a piece of prophecy to be missed.