TELEGRAPH'S OPINION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11935, 24 March 1914, Page 5

TELEGRAPH'S OPINION.

ALLIANCE SECURES SAFETY.

SYDNEY, Monday

The Sydney Daily Telegraph, commenting on Mr Massey's speech, states that it is undoubtedly a fact that British interests in the Pacini , , are safeguarded by the Anglo-Japanese AlJiance, and no good purpose can be served by refusing to admit it, but it was not correct to say that Australia and New Zealand were protected by Japanese ships and men. Mr Churchill would not say it. No naval expenditure from Europe need be feared; attack by the, United States was unthinkable; so also was an invasion by any of the South American Republics. It remains, then, only for Japan, since China may be ruled out for some time to come. Therefore, obviously, the alliance secures safety.

In a recent speech Mr Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand, referring to n statement, by Mr Churchill that the alliance between England and Japan, secured the safety of Australian and New Zealand, commented: "A statement like that does not appeal to me. :it is ambiguous, and I' do not quite know what, it means. I. do not want to do Mr Churchill any injustice, but if he means that the people of Australia and New Zealand (for the latter of whom I am speaking) are to be satisfied with the protection afforded by Japanese ships and Japanese sailors, then Mr Winston Churchill is very much mistaken. I do not , believe for one moment that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance has secured the safety of either Australia or New Zealand. I do not think so far for one moment, and it is just v> well for Mr Churchill to know that."