TRIBUTE TO FRANCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10027, 19 July 1918, Page 3

TRIBUTE TO FRANCE

AND OUR SHARE IN THE . WAR. (To tho Editor "N.Z. Times.") Sir.- A reference to Sir. E. Grey at tho meetijic held m the Town liaU.on Monday showed that a mistaken view ui ii.s line of poiicv as aiiottiuß Australasia is taken bv some of us in._tnib nonunion, but why was not explained. Alter the British Cabinet haa sectieu, August 2nd. 1914. the statement to be made to Parliament on the 3rd, bmEuropean war diplomatic documents, Qrev made the statement which receive, the unanimous support of the House. Within a few days, however, of the declaration of war. the public received a shock on learning that Urey had just previously negotiated with Lichnowsky. the now notorious, so-called Bagdad treaty, between Great Britain and Germany, to cive Germany access to Basra and the Persian Gulf. Great Britain, between 1857 and 69 wr» active m trying to establish the overland route to India .by the Euphrates Valloy, tout after tho Sues Canal wvs opened, public interest in this mainly ceased. .Germany then becatno active, the Persian Gulf route formintr the key to her mitteUEurope and pan-German Empire scheme, acainst which we are now fightinir.

"The German Colonial Empire," by Giordani, an Italian. published 191 b •vntains an interesting summary about the Bagdad railway intrigues wlidch should interest overy Australasian. Maior Haldane Macfall's book, "Bewareof the German's Peace." 1918. gives a popular and concise account of Germany's aims. "Prince Lichnowsky's Revelations." iust distributed in, pamphle' form, reveal the negotiations with Grej on the "Basdad treaty." The mischievous and fatal results of Grey's efforts were oulv frustrated !. the sudden outbreak of Had Germany succeeded is establishing her power in the Persian. Gulf. she would hav. commanded the road to India and th< trade routes, by Suez to China and Auk tralasia. No more deadly blow to th British Empire could have been struck. New Zealand and Australia owe iv'harks to Grey for .any appreciation of their interests in His Imperial policy New Zealand will owe its salvation to i<"~ own Ministers for actively asserting its -'ntero-ts during the war. to tho men of tho rieir-.sr eenorati-sm of al' ranks w>« 'lave fought so bravelv and to no one more than to the Minister for Defence who has so persistently stuck to hi» guns.

Our men of means and leisure ar<> often too much occupied with racir.j to pivo attention to Imperial questipr;:affeefciusr our interests and to lead pnh ho attention to them. Witness a leading lisrht on racing, when nt the grentest crisis in the greatest of wars whor i'Ur existence and freedom are involved, tho or.lv tribute to our struggling. Government is thnt it has prevented tho ratmar clubs ranking more' profits by ne? lectins to rtin i-a.ee train*. How much hotter it would to if somtof na could preserve a better sei'se o:' I)-onortion nnd reWnte .ind nc 1 like frivolities to their proper position and support tha Government and on' Allies in winning the war—l am. etc. J". P. MAXWELL.