FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14837, 14 February 1919, Page 5

FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

DEMAND FOR. PROTECTION AGAINST MILITANT GERMANY

(Australfan and N.Z. Cable Association) (Received Feb. 14, 9.45 a.m.)

PARIS, Feb. 13. Mr. A. J. • Eraser says : Broadly speaking, Belgium asks her Allies to place her in a favorable position territorially, and- to 'secure better defence. Both France and Belgium realise they are vulnerable with their land frontiers*. Belgium/would- like.; 'to secure her- old position in Limburg, and further djteirea Walloon Canton, or 'German territory' round Malzdy. She also desires amalgamation with Luxemberg. •• ■ ■■ There is reason to : believe that both France and Japan have taken strong exception to • certain claiusels in .' the League of Nations constitution. The Draf tin g % Committee 'at. .piicseut .,. ■is deavqring to reconcile . the" ctemjands. , j There Jhaye beeiijSorae.wh.Tjt heated, accusations over the creation,, o,f, an inter- , national army and ■: navy, . which is §aid) to-.be opposed to^BritisVAme.r^caivtheories. while .Fr^ic&xemainsrinsiat^nt for sonietliing : that will give - r pYptectibn against the'vpossibility of a militant Germany.' , . ■.•;:• .' . :'.

The report that , G erman agents are* busy . in. all countries stinting-. vup •: indus-f trial 'unrest; iii the interests of Gefmajiy, is . quite ..« credible, although* it neell 1 tnot[ bei sxipnosed that ■ the present .German Government is responsible. 4 There ; flare, large unofficial 'interests .Ger^n^ny w hich ,are .capable , of : managing.. underground propaganda with- the; object: of weakening the Etntente; Powers .and;, if possible, causing } t dissension ' amongst them. That 'Germany alone ca,n profit from disunion,", at is so obvious that the responsible) statesmen > at i the Peace Conference : hftYft i consistently striven- for 'unity, and 'agreement. ;• .Mr. Pr'ipe .- Belli" the ■ correspondent of the CJhicago Daily News, described: the danger' of .disunion,^ which ' the 'Germans w v ere seeking to exploit, in a very striking message to his 'paper -in.; December ■last. • "All the' v undergrpund mechanism. oh'Hun propaganda; 'is xurining, " .» he.-, said. • "Hun agents, some", conscioue, manyyunconscious,', are playing Vbhefc Hun -a game. Not a few of 'th-esearel'invLondon now. Quite a* company' of ; them- Avill be^in Paris^ and i' Versailles ,■ during --tli& ": Peace Conference.". • Mr, ißell, iwho^ wrote with the ? utmost;, frankness, 4 ;, declared •■ that; the enepiy's chief hope ->yas a breach between Britain ?and ' America. ■' "Their. - chief trump cards are^ two— first, a allegations designed ito poisdn-i' American.agaipst Britain^ ,: second, representations of 'Americaii policy touching the, seatcalculatedi to make Britons- Tjelievd ,.; that America is their enemy. Prussians of; the old regime rejoice in the, relaxation of vigilance amohg the. Allies and: the tfnited States.. They yjew .with ecstasy tfoe cessation of organised effort to. maintain tbe> unity of the Allipd American front. . . . These persons are, convinced that H the Allies and 1 America could be embroiled in a serioiis quarrel, there would be eplendid promise of <u. military revival in 'German v." ... , ' :

lii Canadian towns a, fayqrite method ofV. celebrating the armistice^ was tl}e hanging and burning off the ' Kaiser's' effigy ' in. *4 the streets. ' ' :