PRUSSIAN MILITARISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16204, 14 April 1916, Page 6

PRUSSIAN MILITARISM.

jIiPOHcCM tee ALLIES

MR. ASQUITH'S STATEMENT.

tWIDE COMMENT EXCITED.

London, April 12.

. Both in the countries of the allies and of neutrals there has been much comment en the explanation

of the term "destruction of Prussian militarism" made in reply to , 'the recent speech by the German Chancellor by the Prime Minister of Britain at a dinner given in honour of the visiting members of the French Parliament on Tuesday. _ The French newspapers believe that the words will bring home to the German peoples the dangers of

their constitutional system. The Amsterdam Nieuws van den ' Dag emphasises the passage in Mr. VAsquitb's speech, and remarks, "If the words be an interpretation of the allies' aims and had they been known earlier, the legend could not have token shape that Great Britain and her allies would not sheath the sword until Germany was disintegrated." '

The passage in Mr. Asquith's speech, to which reference is rnado,is as follows: "Tho allies intend to pave the way for an international system of securing rights to all civilised States, and they intend to establish the principle that international problems must be handled by free negotiations on equal terms between freo peoples < unhampered and unswayed by overmastering , dictation of a governmentcontrolled "military caste. That is what "I mian by the destruction of Prussian - militarism, nothing more and nothing - less."-.. • >• ■ ■-'