ALLIES' WAR AIMS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1198, 13 December 1917, Page 5

ALLIES' WAR AIMS.

GREAT BRiTAIN'S OBJECTS. EXPLAINED BY MR ASQUITH. (A. & X.Z. & Router) LONDON', Dec. 11. Mr Asquith, speaking at Birmingham, said that history would ask, "Was it worth Britain's while to enter the war?" lie answered undoubtingly and unhesitatingly, "Yes" —only provided the war ended with a peace securing the attainment of Britain's original purposes and containing in itself safeguards for its own permanence. Such a peace was the world's supreme need, and there was no greater enemy of humanity than anyone who by word or act made-such a. peace more difficult to achieve. Lord Lansdowne's Letter.

Referring to Lord Lansdowne's letter, Mr Asquith paid a tribute to Lord Lansdowne's patriotism. He himself had no knowledge of the letter till it was published, and accepted no responsibility for its terms. Much criticism had arisen owing to people reading into the letter meanings and intentions which he did not understand it to convey. He thought that Lord Lansdowne's main argument was that the Allies, while warring vigorously and puroosefully, should make it increasingly clear to the world that their own war aims were rational and unselfish—that by the attainment (hereof we were convinced that we might look'for a durable peace, safeguarded by the conjoint authority of an International League. Even now there was an abundance of evidence that the enemy peoples were kept in the dark regarding our real purposes, both for war and peace. He would continue to do what he could to raise the veil and let in the light. , The Sanctity of Treaties.

He proceeded to point out that nobody threatened the existence, independence, or peaceful enterprise of Germany. What we were concerned with was the system which had enthroned force as the sovereign authority and held itself free, in the pursuit of ils supposed interests, to falsify, deride, or supersede, according to the exigencies of the hour, the most solemn pacts. This system must end. Germanv must learn that it did not pay. If there was to be a real and enduring pact it must be something more than a paper document. The Freedom of the Seas. Another misconception was that the Allies, especially Britain, were aiming at the destruction of what is vaguely called the "freedom of the seas." In peace times the seas were open to the_ marine of all nations, and what stipulations would.Britain nropose in peace terms to curtail or fetter this immemorial right? The formula eoidd onlv be used to indicate a new limitation in war-time upon the belligerent rights, of the Power which happened to command the sea. Where existing conventions of the most solemn character bad been systematically violated by the enemy it was worth while considering whether something might not be done to secure "freedom of the seas" from the prosecution of the lawless and infamous submarine campaign.