THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1913. WHO MAKES WAR?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 9 January 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1913. WHO MAKES WAR?

The public interest is best served by an acknowledgment that in many respects the international situation contains elements of undiminished' gravity. We welcome the renewed assurances from Berlin that Germany is working in the cause of peace, but while amply recognising that her own abstention from activity is tho best available evidence of Insincerity, we wish that her efforts Had moro visible results elsewhere. The Vienna correspondent of the London Times saws he is constantly being asked:— "Ts there no means op avoiding war?" The same question is now being asked with isome bewilderment, bv millions of men, who want to k»"> what difficulties there are in the present situation which' should threadEurone with a general war. or even a collision larger than had already been witnessed. We are often told that it is the Press that makes wnThe .statement has frequently been refuted, but never was there n more vivid refutation than we are -seeing to-dav. With hardly an exception the Press of every great European country is earnestly and sincerely labouring for the maintenance of peace, iSave in one or two unfortunate directions, there have been no Ivollicose incitements, no wild fulminations meant to stir up public wrath. We believe it mav be said with just as much truth that most of the Monarchy of Europe are now, as always, equally undesirous that the near* should be further broken. Tn its •"' titude. towards the present crisis the Press of Europe ha* undoubtedly given a faithful reflection of the general trend of nublic oninion. There ar« no irresistible waves of popular fooling, no gusts of angry passion such as sweep whole peoples into war before they are well aware of .what thej aro

doing. There is..'no great nation in Europe which to-day, lias the leaist. desire that millions of men should ho torn from their homos and Hung headlong to destruction at the bidding of I vain ambitions. The Balkan people | fought for a- cause which was peculiarly their own. They wore inspired lby 'the memories of centuries of ; wrong which they were burning to '< avenge. The larger nations have no I such r|iia;rel Tinier it is wilfully I ir:.r t :ineture.i for tnem. The common »sense of the peoples of Europe is well (aware that no issue has been presented which could not be settled by amicable discussion. Tn England men will learn with amazement and incredulity that war is impossible over the question of a Servian port, or even over the larger issues which are said to lie behind it. Yet that is whither the. nations are blindly drifting. Who, then, makes war? The answer is to be found in the Chancelleries of Europe among the men who have too long played with human lives as pawns in a' game of chess, who have become so enmeshed in formulas and the .jargon of diplomacy that they have ceased to be conscious of the j poignant realities with which they trifle. And thus will war continue to be made., until the great masses who are the sport of professional schemers and dreamers say the word which shall bring, not eternal pence, for that is impossible, but a determination that wars shall be fourrht only in a. just and righteous and vital eausei If that .word is ever to lie spoken, there never was a more appropriate occasion than the present': and we trust it will be -spoken while there is vet time.