CURRENT TOPICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12086, 15 August 1917, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE WAR. Writing on the German political crisis in the July number of " Stead's Review," Mr Stead expresses the view that peace is near. He says:—President Wilson, in his famous address to Congress on April 2, declared most emphatically that the United States was going 'to war with the German Government, not with the German people. "We have no quarrel with the German people. Wo have no feeling towards them hut one of sympathy and friendship. . . ." He has again and again emphasised the fact that ho did not regard 'the German people as responsible for the horrid actions of their rulers. With them he would have peace, with their Government he was at war. Ho made it perfectly clear that if a democratic Government replaced an autocratic one in Germany one of the objects-—the chief object in fact—for which the United States had taken up arms- would have been achieved. In discussing the political crisis in Germany, we have to bear this attitude of the President always in mind. If tho German people secure for themselves a voice in the direction of the affairs of the country, *hen the- Americans will heanxious to treat with their Government in order to try and bring this ghastly struggle to an end. AMERICA'S FOOD RESOURCES. Recent suggestions that food supplies from the United States now sent 'to the neutral countries cf Europe may be passing thence to the Central Powers, lend interest to a compilation by the National City Bank of New York, showing the quantities of the principal foodstuffs sent to neutral Europe at the present time, compared with other years of tho war and with the year preceding the war. The latest government figures of exports of wheat to neutral Europe in the ten months ending with April, 1917, were 39,000,000 bushels againslb 47.000,000 bushels in the corresponding months of 1916, and 54,000,000 in the same months of 1915. For the ten months ending with April, 1914, all of -which preceded the beginning of tho '■war, the wheat exports to the ccuiutries which we now call "neutral Europe" 'were 20,000,000 bushels as against the figures above quoted. Flour exports to neutral Europe in the ten months ending April, 1917, were 3,690,000 barrels, against. 4,724,000 in tho same months of 1916, 5,687,000 in tho corresponding months of 1915, and 1,428,000 in 'the same months of 1914. Corn to neutral Europe in the ten months of 1917 was 13,000,000 bushels against 11,000,000 in tho corresponding months of 1916, and 22,000,000 in the same months of 1915. Bacon exported to neutral Europe in the ten months ending with April, 1917, was 22,000,0001b against 61,000,000 in the same months of last year, and 65,000,000 in the corresponding months of 'the year preceding, while for the ten months ending with April, 1914, tho total was 26,000,000 pounds. Lard to neutral Europe in the ten months of the fiscal year 1917 was 24,000,000 pounds, against 20,000,000 in the preceding year, and 158,000,000 two years earlier, while for the year preceding the war, the total for the corresponding pericd was 42,000,000. Neutral lard in the ten months of the current year was 14,000,000 pounds against 22.000,000 last year, and 22,000,000 the year preceding; lard compounds in 'the current year 7,000,000 pounds, against 3,000,000 last year and 6,000,000 the year preceding. CHINA JOINS THE ALLIES. A cable message received to-day states that the Government of China has finally decided to join in the world conßict and will declare war upon Germany and Austria. This is virtually a ratification of tho decision arrived at by the Pekin Administration shortly before the recent short-lived revolution. The general sentiment in the educated and commercial classes in China is strongly anti-German, bred largely of the well-founded fear that the Teutons have designs upon the huge resources of China, and particularly her mineral wealth, so far very imperfectly developed. It cannot be said that the newlyrestored republican Government exercises a thoroughly satisfactory control over so enormous a country, but the formal entry of China , into the war will open up opportunities to the Western Allies of an effort to guide their new partner into the .paths which will best assist the mutual purpose of winning the war. China has illimitable supplies of raw material which can be turned to the Allies' account; she has vast hordes whose labour is capable of direction into channels most useful to the anti-German confederation of nations. China has been the last refuge for our enemies in the East and her ports have harboured many German ships-. It has been clearly established that German intrigues were responsible for the recent monarchical rising. These dangers will now be eliminated under the policy which brings China into line with the more advanced countries in the battle for world liberty.