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Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 864, 16 November 1916, Page 6

Discussing peace prospects with a Berlin journalist, the leader of one of the Opposition groups in the Hungarian Diet expressed the opinion that the foundations of a settlement were now being laid. Which is true enough, though scarcely in the way the Hungarian politician had in mind. Peace has drawn nearer since the might of Britain and the unconquerable spirit of France and Russia were so strikingly demonstrated earlier in the year, while the day of settlement will be sensibly hastened if the enemy fails to smash Rumania as he smashed Belgium and Serbia. The foundations of peace are being laid, not in the chancelleries of Europe, but in the Allied munition shops and on the vital battlcfronts. Every foot of territory recovered from the Central Empires, every thousand of the enemy put out of action, means a step farther along the weary road which leads to peace. Any other "foundations" of settlement arc out of the question at the present time, and Germany has been forced to recognise this bitter truth. She has seen her crafty peace "kites" vanish across the horizon at a word from the Allies, and her insidious deep laid plans for disrupting the Grand Alliance fail miserably. She knows now that she must light to the last, and, if she falls, that her extravagant dreams of world domination will be forever dissipated, and that she will have spent the accumulated wealth of years of blood and gold in vain, in addition to suffering untold agonies. While Germany retains possession of any part of allied territory there will be no room for diplomatic intervention to discuss peace proposals. The question as to who shall pay and what shall be paid will be settled by the guns and the lighting men in the first instance, leaving the details to the peace congress. The Hungarian politician referred to imagines a vain thing when he hopes and believes to the contrary.