THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1915. RUMOURS OF PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15900, 24 April 1915, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1915. RUMOURS OF PEACE.

Too much credence must; not bo attached to the rumours of approaching peace which have circulated recently in various quarters and now are reported as emanating from Home. It is wholly to the interest of Germany to suggest that a general compromise is likely to be effected in the near future, for this suggestion is calculated to modify both the ardour of the Allied nations and the activity of the various national agitations which are drawing neutral states into the Great Alliance. That Germany and Austria would gladly make peace upon the basis of a mutual return to the position as it existed before war broke out goes without 6aying, for they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by a continuance of the struggle. As has been repeatedly pointed out the Germans are still in occupation of the greater part of Belgium, the whole of Luxemburg and a small part of France, and may therefore claim at present to have valuable hostages to exchange for whatever territories the Allies have won from Germany and Austria. If peace could be made upon the basis of mutual restoration, the ambitions o? Berlin and Vienna would be temporarily foiled, but in no way quenched; Prussian militarism would be left intact, with an unbroken navy and an unconquered army, to reorganise its plans and wait some more auspicious " Day." The Allies on the other hand would have made their stupendous sacrifices without achieving any permanent result and would be left to the disintegrating influence of the disappointments and distrusts that arc engendered by failure to carry compact to honourable conclusion. No peace worth having can be secured until Germany and Austria have been com pelled to accept terms satisfactory to the Allies and in accordance with

the principles of national freedom which Prussia has menaced, denied and attacked. This is realised by both belligerents and neutrals, wherefore the suggestion that peace is at hand is a subtle way of insinuating that Germany has forced the Allies to recognise that the best they can do is to save themselves from immediate overthrow. What is more calculated to keep Italy neutral! What could better excite popular dissatisfaction with administrative capacity in Britain and

France 1

It must never be forgotten that the Frenchman thinks of Alsace and Lorraine as the Englishman would think of Kent and Sussex seized and attached by a foreign conqueror, as the New Zealandcr would think of Taranaki or Otago similarly torn away. No price in blood and treasure would be too great for dismembered Britain to pay for the recovery of lost counties were a desperate war for national existence again forced upon her by the same persistent enemy nor would any peace be acceptable until she had regained her own: that is the situation in France to-day. The Kaiser docs not dare to surrender the provinces torn from conquered France in '71, for to do bo would be to acknowledge the hollowness of his pretensions and to sign the deathwarrant of Kaiscrism in Germany itself. The French Republic will fight until it is exhausted to give liberty, unity and nationality to the French of Alsace-Lorraine, and with this noble ideal of regenerated Franco is entwined the cause of Belgium, the dreams of Poland, Roumania and Italy, with the security of that liberty-loving Britain, which ever champions the small free states and which is menaced as long as Prussian militarism throttles democracy in Western Europe. Little is understood of the great Slavonic movement which is lifting Poland from the dust and is inspiring the Russian nation with a spirit of unprecedented devotion, but we may safely trust that Russia will not 'stay her hand until no Slav people lies at the mercy of the Prussian or hi? Austrian vassal. It is frequently said that Germany cannot be crushed and this is true, for nobody wishes to crush Germany out of existj ence ; but Prussian militarism can be I crushed as the militarisms of a dozen [great tyrannies have been crushed 1 and as it will be crushed if the worldwide British of to-day display the dogged persistence of the insular British who crushed Xapoleonism a hundred years ago-

That the war may not last over the yoar is quite possible though uncertain. Its duration will depend upon the strength which can be exerted by the Allies during the ensuing months and this would be greatly increased by the coming of fiiendly neutrals into the arena. The entry of Italy might reduce the duration of the war by a year. The revival of tho Balkan League, with the addition of Roumania, would bring a new host to the aid of the Alliance and greatly expedite its work. In any case it is only by steady hammering and ungrudging sacrifice that the world can be freed from the Prussian menace, whoso methods we see in Belgium and in the murder of fishermen and travellers on the high seas That complete victory will finally attend on the Allied cause cannot be doubted by those who have followed carefully the course of events and the confidence which this inspires is among the factors that are defeating Kaiserism. This confidence, with a very understandable disinclination to take avoidable risks during a period of disturbance, is the cause of the gradual but marked advance in first-class commercial securities, an advance which has been sometimes interpreted to mean that a speedy peace is expected in well-informed quarters. Peace will come and a satisfactory peace—but not yet. Meanwhile there is absolutely no reason why ordinary businoss should not be confidently proceeded with or why ordinary business risks should not be cheerfully accepted. In New Zealand, at any rate, production is unchecked and remunerative markets are assured whether we have war or peace. There would bo no check to any legitimate industry or advantageous business if the public of tho Dominion more fully realised that wellfounded confidence in ourselves is as deadly to the Kaiser as it is helpful to tho Allies.