The North Otago Times TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1917. THE ONLY TERMS.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13773, 9 January 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1917. THE ONLY TERMS.

Every patriotic citizen of our Empire,v and, indeed, every citizen of the Allied •nations, would j heartily endorse Lord Buckmaster's. conclusion that "neither for glory nor for vengeance ought i the ; war#i)e prolonged for an hour. Every fair means by which a lasting and honourable ])eaci\ could, be secured ought to be welcomed, .but no peace could be lasting unless it prevented a repetition of the war; unless it provided reparation for the past," In short, the power to make war must be taken from, Germany; the Wild Beast of Europe liijist be manacled; .Gerjiiany s war machine must be shattered, andf the resources from which the creation of a more formidable engine of war would be possible inust be brought under strict control./ That is to say, Germany.-inust give up ber High Sea Fleet, surrender the Entente territory she occupies, hand over her title to the Baghdad'railway, acquiesce 'in the loss of her colonial empire, dismantle her war machine', bear her colossal losses without one mark compensation,- make, full reparation for the. losses inflicted upon Belgium, Serbia,' Montenegro, and Poland; and witness the catastrophic fall of the financial edifice she lias built on paper and face the future and a, deceived, outraged, angry, and. .crippled people with a heavy millstone of gigantic losses and crushing''' obligations shacldeTl securely . on tire neck of her national" life. /'ls. Germany in a mood to accept such.peace terms? The Kaiser, who would 'continue the fight, in the hope of rescuing his dynasty from certain destruction, regardless of the losses sultercd v by' ilie' Genuaii" people.' in his latest Order lo the Army and Navy said: "Our enemies have refused my offer of peace. .Germany's destruction. Before God and humanity, I declare that the heavy responsibility for the further terrible sacrifices rests upon the -enemies who do not want that understanding ofer.ed. by uie, : 'Willi God's Jielp aiid our arms, we will enforce it..''. The Kaiser added: "In jus'tiiied ''auger for - the presumptuous malice and with the desire to defend your holiest possessions, iuid as a guarantee for a hnpfiy future, you will become like steel."" The head of the House of Hohenzollcrn voices the aspirations of Prussia and., J.unkeriiom; he,., docs not breathe' the aspirations of the great industrial ■ ahd agrarian classes, which are suffering untold anguish and hardships. Even so eminent an a.uthprity as Dr Delftruch is- compelled to confess the and' inipractic-' ability" of 'Gernianf S' aspirations for ; world, ancl otiany : other'leading.Gorman'writers and newspapers ; ;ar.c yoicing the. cry. of the .Genua)).,people for a speedy termination. of tlie! war. lu Austria, the' ne\vßiiiperor is saidto have expressed his' determination to make a clearance of his predecessor's confidential advisers. The reason'given is that he fears that the dominance of' German influence in the Court at ; Vienna endangers the independence of the monarchy. It is.

also reported that King pliarles -desires, to, rule constitutionally' in co-operation witlrliis Parliament and in sympathy with his ,people. Truly, the German .caste is losing its power over the throne of the Habsburgs., We wonder whether any credence can be placed.on the 'report from''London which States that another significant move is the unmuzzling of the Austrian Socialists, who are now permitted even to demand' the evacuation of the Allied terri : tories in occupation of the Cental Europeans in the west and south. We wonder, too, 'whether the presence of Mr Lloyd George' and M. Briand in ltome'presages: such, a happy development as a separate peaee Avith Austria-Hungary, for signs are not wanting that the people of Austria desire a< peace that will save.;them from the German yoke/ and the . young Habslriirg ruler realises.- . .the danger of the prolongation, of the war. Austria-Hungary will .not have an ■ opportunity of making marc favourable peace terms than at. present. If King Charles allows his-."; kingdom to dance ■ to, Germany's tune and remain blind to the possibilities of a. speedy peace, I'ustriii-Hungary will be defeated and degraded only to become a vassal State to a subjugated Germany. If the Entente-had'■taken a lesson from Germany's remarkable publicity campaign, the Allies would now. be prepared to take advantage of the peace aspirations of Austria-Hungary to propagate the Entente version of the conflict through the columns of an inspired press. Throughout" the war -the 'German propaganda, like the German High Command, has had. the enormous advantage of complete unity of purpose and execution. We must carry war into the enemy's land 1 if' we are to win, but. the Entente must also conduct its press campaign on similar lines, and pay just the same regard to the power of the pen as the German propagandists do. Tlie Entente must undertake the highly important task of putting their case fairly before the world ,and of checkmating the efforts of the German propaganda. How to invade enemy territory with the Entente propaganda is a matter for close study and the application of initiative. Probably some use could' be made .of squadrons of aeroplanes. In any case Austria-Hungary's dire extremity must be the Entente's opportunity, and every possible effort, militarily and diplomatically, must be made to detach Germany's allies, and thus hasten the time when the Kaiser and his Junkers will be compelled to submit to peace terms winch will assure the future by preventing a repetition of the world war, and niake good the:.past by providing ample reparation for the wrongs •jnfiicted upon the victims of Prussian militarism.