THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1913. WARS AND WAR INDEMNITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15236, 25 February 1913, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1913. WARS AND WAR INDEMNITY

The latest • development of the Balkan War is the official announcement from Sofia that the allies intend to demand an indemnity as a condition of peace. Some of the philosophers who gravely expound the folly of war to peace-loving countries, from the seclusion of their veil-stocked libraries, have explained :hat conquest is always a catastrophe and that the enforcement of an indemnity is a most erroneous act. Unfortunately for those who would take comfort from these philosophical utterances, nations refuse to be guided in their activities by academic dogmas. The Balkan allies attacked their ancient enemy in defiance of the solemn assurance of our armchair philosophers that they could not bear the enormous expense of a campaign and they now propose to make Turkey pay in spite of the carefully reasoned con-!

tention that indemnities are as the

gifts of the Greeks. The Porte is

not ' usually a satisfactory debtor and under ordinary circumstances

! might be quite willing to give, an! I indefinite quantity of promissory i | notes as a make-weight in peace I arrangements; but it happens that Turkey desires to load the liberated provinces with their proportionate! share of the Turkish national debt, j and to this extent, at least cannot ! avoid payment if her claim is finally ,' admitted and if the demand for! indemnity is finally conceded. ' Moreover, there is the question of! the restoration to Turkey of terri-j tory outside the frontier which the 1 allies may secure at a final peace conference; this territory would be. in pawn for any indemnity agreed upon, as the occupied territories of France were in pawn to Germany' after '70-71. Thus, even Turkey might not be able to subsequently refuse to meet her engagements and might be actually mulcted in damages in a manner very disagreeable to Turkish pride, From the point of view of the allies there is no convincing reason why indemnity should.

not be claimed, provided only they emerge from the war as victors, and if the Powers do not intervene on aehalf of the foreign holders of Turkish bonds. Every sovereign the lilies can extract from Turkey in this fashion is a sovereign less to be extracted from their own people or trom the peoples of the liberated provinces. No philosopher could possibly persuade them that this substitution is false economy or that ;o add to Turkey's burdens will reinrigorate and rejuvenate her. One night as well attempt to convince ;he people of New Zealand that they would benefit by shouldering the aublic debt of Australia or that they would not be benefited by the ilimination of the debt upon which we annually pay interest. Indemnity is admittedly only a nodernised form of "loot." Ie >lden times armies "lived on the memy" and victorious troops were riven the opportunity to pay themselves. This was not an economical process to either side, and there art nnumerable instances of cities com pounding with their conquerors bj ;he payment of fixed sums. Id nodern war, indemnity is becoming in institution and is almost invariably heard of where actual annexation does not occur. Japan hoped :o obtain indemnity from Russia and xer people were bitterly disappointed when it was waived owing :o the Russian determination tc ight in preference. Germany actuilly obtained the then enormous sum of £200,000,000 from France anc lew Frenchmen will agree that the payment injured the Germans more ;han it did the French. There is, ndeed, not a hope that philosophical considerations will induce indemnity :-o 'be regarded as undesirable; it mist be considered as one of the Inevitable penalties of crushing iefeat in war. One hesitates to con template the amount which might ■ye extorted from the British Empire f a German attack upon the United Kingdom should succeed. We are ;old that defensive preparations are too costly to be borne, but defeat would certainly impose upon the United Kingdom and upon the British colonies a burden of taxation nuch more intolerable. In the flusfc :>f that national egotism which irises from our colonies never having known the presence of an invader, :>f our coasts and our shipping being virginal to hostile raiding, and from the age-long inviolability of Britain, we are disposed to think that undei no circumstances would .we pay .tribute or buy peace. It is hardly necessary to point out that if Britair lost the supremacy of the seas we might have no option in the matter, The huge populations of civilised cities are hi no position to wage a prolonged and desperate struggle, while wealth that depends upor trade is peculiarly subject to extortion. Countries that do not intend to pay indemnity should never risk disaster and the British Empire car only be assured against disaster ii its navy is strong enough to cope with any massed naval assault, and if its various territories are able tc repel any military raids. To the military phase of the problem there is only one solutionthe training of every young man so that in time every man will be available as a defender. The naval side is more intricate for it involves a correlation between the colonies and the Mother Country which is not easily arranged upon the most effective footing. We need not trouble ourselves about fine legal points such as the suggestion that Australian warships will have no place in international law. ' All British dominions have a King ; and the King's commission is good ' J wherever it is found; in any case, 'I we have not hitherto gone to ' Russia or Germany or Japan for our sea-law and shall not go now. What is important is not the international status of any King's ships—Home or I colonialbut what is the best way . to so strengthen the naval defences i of the Empire that the Imperial flag I will never go down and indemnity J never be paid. The magnificent j Canadian proposal ; the steady determination of Australia; the someI what spasmodic New Zealand method: have each their good I points. The whole subject is dei serving of loyal and non-partisan ' reconsideration in New Zealand at | the present time, for though methods i may change from time to time the ! Imperial purpose .of our naval , endeavours remains always the i same.