PEACE TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 22

PEACE TALK.

(By Cable). The Vossiche Zeitung, discussing the prospects of a western peace, hints that Germany intends to offer great political and financial concessions to France more important than the rest-oration of Alsace and Lorraine. The paper adds: There only remains England. If she will surrender her war thefts of the colonies and Turkish territories we shall evacuate Belgium. A LANSDOWNE LETTER, Lord Lansdowne, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, says Count von Hertling's speech was unsatisfactory in many S>ints, but marks a perceptible advance, e agrees with Mr Balfour that it would not be wise to begin negotiations -unless some measure of potential preliminary agreement existed. He suggests preliminary conversations, if necessary to secure such agreement. Von Hertling's references to Belgium certainly imply conditions'which prevent her having an independent place among the nations of Europe. If, however, von Hertling merely requires a guarantee that Belgium will not become a jumping-off ground for enemy machinations, it should not be difficult to satisfy him. He suggests that the dialogue should be continued, and should not be allowed to lapse into internal discussion. He further suggests that questions regarding occupied portions of France, Alsace and Lorraine, the Turkish Empire, and Italy's claims against Austria, should be remitted to an international peace conference. A wireless German message states that the German newspapers describe Lord Lansdowne's last letter to the Daily Telegraph as a most important document, giving evidence that Britain is becoming reasonable. The pan-Germans are urging the Government, in view of Britain's apparent submissiveness, that they should not wait for Germany's coming victory on the vest, front before commencing pourparlers with Britain. The German papers to hand scoffingly criticise Lord Lansdowne's suggestions, and attribute the increased British nervousness as arising from the Russian and . Rumanian collapse, Germany's, enormous western concentration, and the uncertainty of beating Germany anywhere.' SIR AUCKLAND GEDDES. Sir Auckland Geddes, Director of National Service, in a speech at Aldershot, in which he discussed the German war aims, said that the most dangerous time would be when Germany for her own purposes desired peace negotiations on the understanding that it was a drawn fight. Then the pacifists, who were not numerous, but very vocal, Avould redouble their efforts. Peace under such conditions would mean that the world would sleep with bayonet and rifle by its side. Security would be impossible until the Germans were convinced that their doctrine of superiority was false. SIR EDWARD CARSON. .- Sir Edward Carson, speaking at Dover, said that German methods might be learned in five minutes by her dealings with Russia and Rumania. These confiscations were enough to prevent peace in Europe for the next hundred years. » "If we are "to have peace," he' added, " none of these German ways can be" allowed to stand. Anyone wanting peace with Germany now is either a traitor or a madman." He declared that he had such faith in the British nation that he believed war would not cease until the Germans confessed themselves to be robbers and burglars. GERMAN AIMS. Lord Denbigh, interviewed by the Globe, said the Germans' real purpose in this war is to secure a strong strategic position in North Palestine from where they would threaten the Suez Canal, which was the. main ganglion of the British Empire. A ship canal was now under construction i for the purpose of connecting the Rhine and the Danube; another is projected connecting the Elbe and the Danube. These, when completed, would enable the Germans to bring their destroyers and submarines secretly across Europe. They will choose the' moment to rush out and make the approaches to the Suez Canal impossible. ■ We will then be able to reach India via Suez only by the Germans' gracious permission. We stopped Germany burgling Madeira in 1905, by moving our fleet, Germany desiring to turn it into another ' Heligoland, but they were still anxious to seize Madeira and the Azores in order to dominate the Atlantic.