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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 259, 5 December 1914, Page 8

" "In the last days of October, 1914, the peace advocates in the Italian Government resigned —ah indication that the war party in Italy had managed to gain its end. Popular demonstrations in favour of Italy forsaking her neutrality and joining the Entente continued over weeks, with the result as stated above. This movement was followed by a general mobilisation both on land and sea. The Hon. Mr Churchill, and the leading English journals openly courted Italy's assistance on behalf of the allied forces, but the Government stoutly resisted the

temptation to depart from its neutrality. The effect of the speech of the

Italian Premier, Siguor Salandra, as cabled overnight, contains several statements that lend colour to the suggestion that Italy may yet repudiate her connection with the Trip]ice and take the field against the common enemy of Europe. It has been pointed out previously that Italy's neutrality itself has been of invaluable service to the Allies, at sea and on land, but Signor Salandra declares that neutrality could not be the exclusive aim of Italian policy. Such a declaration as this does not necessarily mean that Italy is prepared to go to war against the Teutons, providing that such a move is sanctioned by Parliament, but the suggestion will not be welcomed by Germany and Austria. It is apparent from the Premier's 'statethere is strong feeling in Italy in favour of aggressive action towards the Central.Europe combination, but seeing that Italy stands to gain handsomely without lifting a finger, and '-having regard for the fact that the country is still recovering from a ruinously expensive war, it is clear that Italy J s present attitude is the more profitable. That is, of course, conditional on Germany's non-success. Whether the popular feeling against Germany and her a]ly will prove strong enough to move the Government to a ;declaration' of war on behalf of the Allies remains to be seen, but the Italian Premier's: declaration is certainly significant. -.-•,

j The,veil that for -weeks past overhung, the South- African rebellion has been r.ent, and reveals the once famous and'now infamous Christian de Wet a prisoner.'-; 3}e: Wet, in his declining years, turned traitor, atod avaits a traitor's reward. - All the:fame he accumulated as the mqst brilliant guerrilla leader in the last Boer war has been [ shattered by his treachery, against a 1 Government' which, when the war w 7 as past, had granted him the splendid privi. leges available under the British Constitution. One of -the, .irreconcilables, Christian de Wet, imbued with an enduring, hatred for all things British, seized what he thought to„.be a-favourable opportunity, and, with ex-Commandant Beyers, raised the flag of rebellion. This was.de Wet's gratitude: a mean, insurrectionary attack at a time when the Cape Government was occupied in pre- ; paring forces to overcome the threatening Germans. He has had a brief, and not altogether merry career in his latest enterprise. General Botha,; whose vigorous patriotism and ■ unshakeable loyalty will never be. forgotteny faced the situation with a resource reminiscent of the bad old days when he led his commandos against ' the Rooineks. Backed by the moral support of the Dutch populace, General Botha set out at the head of'his troops to run down a traitor who was 'once a comrade,}n arms. It has been a long and a strong chase, biit the once' elusive de Wet, harried from pillar to post,' was at last trapped, surrendering without a shot being'fired. It is a sorry ending to a remarkable career —the whilom dashing de, Wet to-day is nothing but an old man under the shadow of death for traitorous conduct.. His little rebellion has had an ignominious conclusion. The glamour of his veldt exploits has given plate to shame and contempt. And it will be a bitter thought for him that while he has fallen so low, his erstwhile colleague, General Botha, has_[ earned for himself a'n enduring and exalted fame in the history of Imperial Britain.

That, ingenious diplomat, Hen- Bethraann Hollweg, Jias returned from comparative ; obscurity to deliver his usual address oil the perfidy of Albion in forcing Germany to draw the sword for the protection of the Fatherland. '' Before God and men," declared the German Chancellor in the Reichstag, " England and Russia were responsible for the catastrophe. '' Time and facts have proved the utter falsity of the accusations. Today the world outside Germany is satisfied that the war was forced on Europe by a nation mad with a-'project. for worlddominance, -. aridi convinced that", ihe beginning of August,. /..■•'.1914,; was a fit : ■ time- at wnieh to commence operations. 'There is ; an; accumulation :' of .inconteStible evidence against the inrpudent; and humbugging protestation of the prisoner at the bai" of the world. The facts were made indisputably plain in the British White Paper, which w'Ss' reprinted sectibnally in the columns of; The Sir Edward Grey, as soon as European complications were threatened, pleaded with the German Government to persuade Austria to modify her demands of Servia. Pressure was brought to bear in Petrograd and Vienna by Britain with the result that a solutionof the dangerous problem was brought in sight. At the critical moment when Austria, after earnest conversations with Petrograd, had yielded, and finally agreed to withdraw her humiliating demands — when Russia in return had agreed to give her rival a free hand, Germany stepped in with ah ultimatum: to both France and Russia. The Kaiser could have ensured peace had he wished it, but, gambling to the last on England's neutrality, he began his world-shaking enterprise. The rejection by. Britain of Germany's infamous offer should the former remain neutral, sounded the death knell of Prussian ambition. The knowledge that she would have to fight England, too, fanned into flame [all the hatred that Germany had so long As Chancellor, Bethmann Hollweg has to put the best face he can on matters —it's what the German citizens expect now that the tide is setting against the Teuton.