Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1915. RIGHTS OF SMALL NATIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14207, 9 February 1915, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1915. RIGHTS OF SMALL NATIONS.

, It was thought when the representa--5 tives of the great world Powers met ; after the battli; of Waterloo in IS!S, 1 that they would be able to come to an 3 understanding which would guaranteethe. peace of the world perhaps for a century, if not for ever. But what came of their deliberations as far a3 peace was concerned? Nothing but failure. Is it possible to deduce some moral from the experience of the past hundred years which will help the nat--1 ions to build better than the statesmen of ISIS when the time conies for renewing their task? It is clear that the - strongest influences in modern Europe 3 have given its history,, at least since - 187J, a colour and direction :is different [ as possible from those of the British Empire during the same time. Does all that history suggest no avenue to reconciliation between the great forces of liberalism and of nationalism which democracy has so considerably enhanced, and which seem, in their highest, individual development, to maintain so fatal an antagonism? The answer surely is that both extremes have something to learn. Peace cannot be imposed upon , the world by any one dominant national Power, for in the name of liberty some nations would always revolt. But neither can peace be attained by a liberalism which seeks to ignore all national ideals and to set up in their place a reconciling international council; for in that event, too, and in the same cause of liberty, some nations would at a cri- - sis refuse to recognise the superior for- - eign will. The course of wisdom is 3 most assuredly to learn by the failure 5 of 1815 to recognise the forces which • exist, and to seek to strengthen those effects of each which make for stability . and good will. In discussing this 1 question, an English periodical holds the view that the first step is to secure in the settlement the fullest practicable recognition of tho rights of nationalist " minorities and smaller independent states. Before the present war broko ! out we know that in the Balkans, Hungary, in Galieia, in Poland, in Pin ' land, in Posen, in Schlcswig and in Alsace-Lorraine nationalist minorities were being deprived of the elementary

liberty of language, education, and, in some cases, religion; they were, in fact, denied ali moral and political right. .Some little nations, already independent, in fact, were threatened with extinction or suffocation by greater Powers. Austria-Hungary had tried persistently to prevent the realisation by Servia of any independent status as a free and sovereign government. Belgium was treated as though her territory should bo open at German will to the passage of German hosts. This war will have been vain, indeed, if all Europe docs not realise in the years which folloAV it that living nationalities are indestructible, and that no language or culture, however great, can be imposed upon unwilling subjects by

force