THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1917. PAX BRITANNICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16561, 9 June 1917, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1917. PAX BRITANNICA.

The inability of the Russians to take | advantage of the weakened stato oi the German armies of the East has doubtless tended to postpone the termination of the war, though it has not affected the necessity of securing a peace based on the sanctity of treaties and on the right of individual nations to maintain undisturbed their separate existence. For such a peace Britain fights. All j the protestations of the Germans that they long for a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of peace, are belied by the simple fact that, when the maintenance of peace was made possible by Sir! Edward Grey's proposal that the cause of quarrel should be set at rest by reference to arbitration, tho Germans persisted in precipitating war. Now they cry aloud for peace, because they think they can gain more by peace than by continuing the war. Germany's idea of peace is a peace which gives hot predominance over neighbouring nations and a breathing space in which to renew her strength prior to making another attempt to subjugate Europe. Such is the Pax Germanica. Austria wants peaco at any price, which does not include the liberation of her subject races. Turkey is in very much the same condition and frame of mind as the Dual Monarchy. There are indications that Bulgaria also is heartily I sick of the war.

On the side of the allies matters are different. Franco, who has suffered much from German invasion, and has strained her resources almost to breaking point, does not ask for peace except with honour, and the guarantee of her integrity. Even Belgium, trampled under foot by a ruthless invader, does not ask for peace, but for tho restoration of her independence and the right to live her own life. Russia is in such a state of internecine turmoil that it is hard to say what is her national desire, but it is safe to say that further aggressive operations of the Germans would be more likely than anything else to galvanise the Russian people into a state of unity, and to reduce anarchy to order. Events seem to prove that America is bent on enforcing a peace which shall be based on the respect due to commercial peoples and guarantee that they shall be permitted to pursue their industries undisturbed. Italy does not talk of peaco at all. She is determined to settle her long-stand ing grievance with Austria, and to free from Austrian rule Istria and the Trentino- When we come to consider Britain's aspirations, we find them to be those which grace her as a mother of nations. She will not tolerate the idea of German predominance over Europe, because she knows, and has plainly been told, that after Europe was subjugated the Germans would deal with Britain and her dependencies. Germany covets Britain's possessions, and Britain has no intention of concluding a peace with a Power whose greatest wish is to try conclusions with her at a later date when she has not such good friends as France, Italy and America to stand beside her.

Tho Pax Germanica means renewal of war when Germany wishes. The Pax Britannica means a peace which guarantees tranquility to the 400,000,000 of the British Empire, liberty to all Tree peoples and true freedom of the seas in every quarter of the globe. Such a peace is utterly repugnant to the German mind, but finds extraordinary favour with all civilised nations. That is the reason why Britain in this, the time of her trial, finds herself in full accord with so many friendly nations, and why Germany, the exponent of aggression, has as allies only subservient Austria, unspeakable Turkey, and treacherous Bulgaria. The world is at war for the purpose of deciding whether the British ideal of peace or the German ideal of peace shall triumph. For the time being the Kaiser's ideas of extending his conquests are in abeyance, but the Germans will continue to fight if only to prevent the establishment of such a peace as would satisfy Britain and her allies. To avoid a conclusion so disastrous to their schemes of world-dominion the Germans are employing every possible device to cause a cessation of hostilities, which, if it does not leave in their hands the territory they have stolen from Russia, from France, from Belgium, from Servia, and from Montenegro, will at least leave them tho power of effecting similar and even greater conquests at a later date. In other words the German does not object to a peace which he will be able to break at any timo. Britain and the civilised nations are determined to establish a peace which cannot be broken. To effect their purpose it is first necessary to vanquish Germany so unmistakably that she will be convinced that for her to break the peace, as she did when she invaded Belgium and France in 1914, is a thing she cannot do with impunity.