THAT THE PAPERS SAY

Observer, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 October 1917, Page 3

THAT THE PAPERS SAY

THE extortioners are beyond reach of the law and until some means are • devised by which it will be possible to prevent taxation being wholly passed •n to the consumer, each increase in tax will be used as a lever for making larger profits.—Greymouth " Argus."

If a policy of "commercial aggression "will keep Germany poor, and so will prevent her from raising funds with which o build a second war machine and provoke a second Armageddon, will it not be a sound and useful means towards the end the Allies have in view : the c.nd of rendering Germany impotent for future aggression 1 Is there any patriotic or sensible American, Briton, Frenchman, Belgian. Italian, Serbian, Koumanian, or Kussian who desires to see Germany rich and powerful 1 Why allow her to become rich or powerful, knowing how she has used and will use riches and her power.—London Sunday " Herald."

While the flames of war threaten the fabric of the nation, the profits of the brewers are of more vital moment than and national economy. The mouse has scampered across the table "and aroused the natural instincts of damsel. The maiden is a mouse again. People demanded some genuine war sacrifices by the liquor interests, and the National Government has raised its strong shield to parry the thrust. How long, how long, will the people of this country tolerate such " floundering in the mud of compromise." —Oamaru " Times."

The Australian waterside unions have been responsible for many irritating delays in shiploading, but in their work and in their constant protests agaipst work, they have been above attempting to murder fellow seamen. —Dannevirke " News."

The German-American Press is trying to divide us. Eagerly abetted by Socialist publications and such anti-English papers as the " Irish World," the Ger-man-American Press is endeavouring to take the heart out of us with sneers and innuendoes and make us use up our strength in futile squabbliug amongst ourselves. —New York paper.

The proposed prohibition of bathing at home to save fuel and soap, is rank folly. Many public baths already are closed owing to a lack of coal, and attributes notable increases in skin diseases, dysentry, and other disorders to enforced uncleanliness." —Berlin "Zeitung,"

A power such as Germany could, from a wasp's nest in Oceania, levy continual toll on Australian, and particularly on New Zealand, sea-borne trade. In fact, the present stage of submarine development does not negative the possibility that these islands might be completely isolated and thrown upon trjeir own inadequate resources. A brief consideration of the facts is sufficient to show that a German colony at our doorstep is undesirable, but a fortified German colony provided with submarines would be intolerable. —Wellington " Post."

* * * We have enjoyed throughout a com! mand of the surface of the sea never y equalled in previous wars ; and this has been vital to the whole Alliance, whose main communications, save between France and Italy, are everywhere waterborne. This command has latterly been challenged by the German submarines. Into the crimes and cruelties which they have committed and the part in which they have had in bringing the United States into the war, we cannot here enter. —London " Chronicle."

The United States has already answered the German reply te the Pope by publishing details of the German plots. America's answer to all that Germany now has to advance is aeen in an expanding military programme and an increasing determination throughout the nation to prosecute the, war until Germany is incapable of further harm.— New York " World."

The English correspondents at Washington admit that the greatest danger for a decisive conduct of the war in America lies in German propaganda. Our best allies will continue to be, as hitherto' German-Americans. Their services to the German cause can only be underestimated by people grossly ignprant of American conditions—by no mean* rare in the case -of Germany. As good Americans our patriots have hitherto not pursued a policy of political separation. They therefore do not constitute any national group of their own in the political life of the Union, which is a constellation of nationalities. Their direct influence, on the other hand, is all the greater, inasmuch as all classes, professions, political circles, and other sections of American society are permeated to the highest degree with German-Americans. They inject into American public opinion an element of restraint and circumspection which has often been the cause of embarrassment to Herr Wilson and his English friends.—Cologne •' Gazette."

According to undenied reports Industrial Workers of the World agents have thrown scraps of iron into harvesting machinery, driven nails into fruit trees, poisoned live stock, burned canneries, caused mine strikes on fancied grievances and tried to ruin the lumber industry— just now particularly important because of the necessity of building ships. This work of blocking the production of supplies for the war, and thus the prosecution of the war, has been participated in, it is said by some two hundred and fifty thousand men, acting under leaders believed to be affiliated with German agents ; at all events the amount of money spent by the agitators is so considerable as to excite suspicion on that ground alone.—New York " Outlook."

The United States will certainly be well in front of all the other belligerents so far as war expenditure is concerned, if, as estimated by the chairman of the Finance Committee of the Senate, the first year's appropriations will aggregate 17,000,000,000 dollars. In English curproximately two thirds of the total sum rency this represents £3,485000,000 or apwe have spent since August 1914, including last week's Vote of Credit of £650, 000,000 to carry us on to November 30. Looked at in another way, it means some £35 per head per annum for every man, woman, and child in the United States, compared with our own total expenditure to date of rather more than £100 per head of population—London " Chronicle." m a. 0

It is simply incomprehensible that we should hear complaints from the muniton workers of cases in which women and girls have been ridiculed in the streets on account of the yellowness of their skins, which is due to their work with picric acid in explosive factories. Such behavior is evidence of such thoughtlessness or brutality that it cannot be too severely condemned. What would happen to anybody who had the insolence to mock at a crippled soldier on account of his helplessness ? But what is the difference between that and the subjection to such abuse of those who, just as much as the soldiers, in the service of the Fatherland have suffered an even temporary deformity ?"—Cologne " Gazette. ,,

A special representative of the Second Division League should be appointed on the Financial Assistance Board to guarantee that the interests of a soldier's dependents (irrespective of whether the soldier is married or single) will be properly looked after, We make this proposal without wishing in any way to reflect on the present personnel of the Board, which has been doing very good work ; but notwithstanding this the Government would be well advised to carefully weigh the question of Second Division representation. —Wellington -'Post."