FRENCH DELEGATES ENTERTAINED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16667, 12 April 1916, Page 5

FRENCH DELEGATES ENTERTAINED.

ADDRESS BY MR ASQUITH. GERMAN CHANCELLOR SCATHINGLY CAUTERISED. CONFIDENCE IN ALLIES' CAUSE. LONDON, April 11. (Received April 11, at 9.20 p.m.) Mr Asquith presided over a dinner tendered to the Frenrji members of . Parliament. There was a, tive gathering of politicians. * Mr Asquith, in proposing " Our Guests," said the relations between France and Great Britain had for many years past been established on an unshakable foundation; they Jiad . now become relations of intimacy and ■ affection. Dr von Bethmann=Hollweg had declared that on December 9 he expressed his readiness to enter into peace negotiations, in which we were to assume tRe attitude of the' defeated to the victorious adversary. But we were not defeated, and were not going to be defeated, and the Allies were bound in a solemn pact not to seek or accept separate peace. The terms on which they would conclude peace were the accomplishment of the purposes for which they took up arms. (Received April 11, at 9.45 p.m.) Mr Asquith continued: "The Allies intend to pave the way for an inter* national system of securing the rights of all civilised States. They intend to establish the principle that inter=national problems must be handled with free negotiations on equal terms ' between free peoples, unhampered and unswayed by the overmastering dictation of a Government controlled by a military caste. ' That is what I mean by the destruction of Prussian militarism and nothing less. We are in the struggle as the champions not only of the treaty of the rights but the independent status and free de= velopment of wepker countries. Cyni= cism can hardly go further than Dr von Bethmann=Hollweg's claim for Germany, of all Powers, to insist, when peace comes, ndon giving various races a chance for free evolution along the lines of National individuality. "Dr von Bethmann-Hollweg says Belgium is not to become a FrancoBritisji vassal, but to become Ger. many's neighbour—a new develop* ment, indeed, of the theory of the rights and duties of neighbourhood. My answer is very simple. The Allies desire and determined to see that Old Belgium rnust not be allowed to suffer wanton and wicked invasion. Her freedom, that has been broken down, must be repaired and restored. The attempt to Germanise Prussian Poland for the last 20 years has been bath strenuous in purpose and a colos= sal failure of the Prussian policy. No one knows this better than Dr von Beth. niann=Ho!lweg.» The wholesale strike of Polish children, their b,irba«ous floggings, the arrest and imprisonment of their mothers form a black chapter eyen in the ahnals of Prussian 'kul= tur.' With this record. Dr von *Beth= mann-Hollweg sheds tears over what he terms ' the long-suppressed Flemish race.'

"I will not dwell upon Dr von Bethmann'Hollweg's attempt to justify the submarine policy," continued Mr Asquith. "We have carried out our naval policy upon the spirit of inter* national law. I need not dwell upon Germany's flagrant violations of law and the dictates of humanity. We are fighting side by side—allies in a great cause—with clean hands and clean con= sciences. I am confident we have tlic will and the nower to vindi.;jte the liberties of Europe."

M. Pichon, in the course of his reply, said that France and Great Bri> tain "had entered the war together, had fought together, and together they would win. France admired the Eng. lishman's nobility under arms. 1

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