The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, JULY 22, 1918. THE MORAL ASSET

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13816, 22 July 1918, Page 4

The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus. MONDAY, JULY 22, 1918. THE MORAL ASSET

In a leading article in the literary supplement of UlO Times of April 26th a well-known and oft-repeated fact, but on" which is nevertheless of undiminished and continuing importances is stated as follows: "Those blind Prussians, when I hey made war, raised a greater issue than they knew. lilt!•' men they went to war over a liiiie issue, (he mere question of their j strength and ours. Hut that is not the question we are all fightinjr about now." The Allies are lighting, to use Mr Wils• • n s words, td Hi,ike (lie world s.i!"• ■ for democracy. This the (i.-rmans. unaceii^ioined to think of war a-; having, or capable of h aving. any but the mos' .sordidly material e:n!s, I'efu>e to believe. Tiiey aiVinn :i contemporary points out 1 over and over again that the Allies are lightins' for entirely selfish ends. Hut it is si-iiiiieant that no German apologist whab ver has bold enough to suggest that Germany on its part has any high purpose in flfjhtinjr. The Germans have, indeed, S'one so far as to say that they are serving the world, and especially the little nations, *>»»'• lighting to make Germany the dominant Powi r in Europe; but beyond that they have not dared to go. Yet we may lie sure that they would cheerfully give a few army corps to he able to go further. They are here the victims of their own policy; wherever they turn they are confronted by the damning f.ict of Holgium. When they began the war, confident that it was only a matter of armies, ignorant of the real issue they were raisins, their Government frankly admitted that the violation of Belgium was a wroyg. often since then they have striven to get i_>vtiin<l that vonfeßSjon, but they cannot do so, and tin' "faet-so confessed, with all its implications, is what will break them a* (tie end. It is little wonder that Count llerMing is desirous of an end of deseussio!, comcerninff the origin of the war, and suggests that the point may he left to future historians to .Ic-ide. prince Lichnowsky's memorandum rm,i Muhlon's revelation' '« . I

tlif "(lilt of tic • » 111. . 111. 1 ! lilt' evidence I 1 gl'oW. | , Herr you Altihlon. in an .iri.i'-lt 1 in Ihe j Journal tic (iencve, lias i;i\ u some i'ur- I j tlicr testimony. this time liy way of ; reply In the iieriuan ailempls In c,.s!. j doubts on the genuinem ss of liolgiiim's J neiilralily. "No lih:iih-i»J!• ,r," In- says, "I ; .!S ever withdrawn I!:' e II! !• Ted on Au.unsL i!li, I'Jl'i: oni' iias only been afraid lo repeat if Inn «!is{i:;»•!Iy. So far as 1 am concerned, ! 1 iav<• spoken in i ienii:hiy with m :n\ n;. in po : Hop. j lo know, and 1 have never met one V Ylin jivr attempted in the slightest way to j allude lo f ail on the pari of Re! ::inii. J Xeverlheless, these accusations (of uil- ! !le1111'.:I !; ( e[ by lteh-1 "a a:'e still daily renewed by* countless hirelings Willi Ihe sole object uf effacing the re.culf clioii of Hie (liiaiicellurVi declaration aiiii hardening (.iceman hearts in regard to 15«' 1 irium. The (ierm'an people wishes !o believe, in spite ot' Heir VOII liethmann-Holiweg, thai lielgium deserved to he invaded." Germany's guilt would not be lessened, it need not he said, by any subsequent discovery that Belgium had forfeited the rights guaranteed lo her: the invasion was undertaken by Germany in the lull belief (which is, of course, still the belief ot the German Government.) 11 'at Belgium was enlilied lo strict iniiiiiiui!\. Dm there is no! a scrap of ev,dence against Belgium, and Her." Muhlon supplies some positive evidence of Belgium's unsuspecting innocence. Before the war, Belgium had ordered at Krupp's (of which Herr Mulilon was a director) four 28cm. guns for Antwerp. These were ready and paid for at the beginning of 1911, hut as the emplacements were not ready, the Belgian Government begged Krupp's to delay delivery. Krupp's reluctantly agreed to do so, and at the outbreak of war the German Government seized the guns. Again, short!;.- before the war, Belgium put herself - ompletely in the hands of Krupp's f* ■ a new* and barely-tried artillery mi: :ition. Belgium had long dealt with Krupp's rather than with French firms, and Herr Muhlon always had the impression that Belgium hoped in fliis way to keep Germany in good humour. The strength of the Allies, and their determination to endure, would perhaps have dangerously diminished, but \>r their consciousness of their good tli and innocence of all responsibility or the carnage. It is not because has changed its views on war as policy tiiat the German Government constantly seeks lo persuade its people to forget the real facts, but because it knows that surely, if slowly, the realisation by that people of the original guilt of its rulers will break down their moral and leave them without,that inward support which is greater than guns and armies.