The Stratford Evening Poet WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1917. THE NEW YEAR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 29, 31 December 1917, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Poet WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1917. THE NEW YEAR.

To-morrow the world will enter upon a New Year, the fourth since the outbreak of the world’s worst war. The happenings of the year that is dying) will be for ever memorable as adding to the glory of Britain and her daughter States overseas, in the stand for right she has taken with gallant France and the other nations allied in the righteous cause against evil and frightfuluess. The year wilt also mark the piling up of Germany’s load of shame—if the foul brood can' ever know such —caused by the revelations of world-wide treachery and falseness to all men. Wilhelm the Hdheuzollern, discredited and defeated, now, with the character!stief cringing and cowardice of the whipped bully, attempts by every possible distortion and act of low cunning, to place the blame for the war on England. But who ever wished to attack: Germany? It has been shown most clearlv that Russia had no such

thought, for her condition at the time of the outbreak was little better than it is now, and of all the nations she would be the last to desire to march against Germany. Italy was an ally, and had no desire for war. France was perhaps the most unprepared nation to enter upon war at that time, of all the nations, and it took months before her armies' were supplied with the requisites for the field. England, with her tiny force, and with every thought directed towards domestic affairs, with neither men nor munitions, could no more have thought of attacking the heavily-armed German military machine —unless forced in defence of her very life and honour to do so—than she could have considered sending a mission to the moon. The truth which cannot be hidden is that Germany, seeing all other nations unprepared, started on an assassin campaign, believing that in a few weeks Europe, bleeding and crushed, <vould be under the feet of the Hun. But the plans of evil have failed, and today the enemy of the world’s true peace and freedom, is further than ever from the realisation ol the great schemes dreamed about and entered upon when Austria was driven to the step she took by the Junkers. The question what is Britain fighting lor is well answered by a writer who says: ‘We are lighting to protect ourselves and those who come after us from further German terrorism, to maintain the right that tree men have to manage their own affairs, to live iu peace, and to develop the principle that- right and not 'eight should be the deciding influence in all questions which hunvinicv has to settle.” That is really the. uncle thing, and until we have ganied the goal aimed at, it would lie >vm -e than .qseloSS;, to 'call. a nuit.