PEACEFUL PENETRATION.

Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 957, 14 November 1918, Page 8

PEACEFUL PENETRATION.

The Wily Hun After the War. IOTTE rejoice to notice the uncompromising attitude which the Prime Minister has clearly taken up with regard to Germans in this country. There is no silly, stupid cant about the "brotherhood of man" in Mr. Massey's mind, whatever there may be in the minds of the Parliamentary representatives of the New ZeaBolsheviks. Mr. Massey's straight-out commendation of the British seamen's boycott of German ships shows exactly where he stands on one of the most important of the after-war problems. _So long as the present Prime Minister is at the head of our affairs no German shipping company may expect any very favourable treatment in this country. Before the war it was notorious that the North German Xiloyd Company was granted privileges with regard to berthing and other matters at Sydney, which should never have been granted to a foreign company.

As to the way the Germans were allowed to capture the Australian metal trade, much has been written. The metal combine, which had its headquarters at Berlin, has been scotched by the war, but it is safe to

expect a determined attempt to resurrect it. The Bill read a second time last week may, and we trust will, be found effectual . in preventing Huns from acquiring land in this country, but their mischievous activities will probably extend to other directions, and the utmost wariness will have to be exorcised to keep in check _ the old policy of "peaceful penetration" concerning which there have been such sensational disclosures. It is good to know that Mr. Massey, at least, is likely to keep a keen look out for any efforts after the war to get a new grip upon the trade of this country.