The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus, SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1920. SIGNATURE OF PEACE TREATY.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14266, 17 January 1920, Page 4

The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus, SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1920. SIGNATURE OF PEACE TREATY.

The formal signature of tho Treaty of Peace with Germany is an auspicious event, and though the immediate effects may not be very apparent, it will prove a long step towards that reconstruction of a normal world for which wo are all anxious. There are other peace treaties to be signed, and until the last of these is executed we shall still re- , main under some of the disabilities of war regulations. As Germany, however, is the. largest and most important of the enemy countries the conclusion of peace with her is a long step. There remains one outstanding question of great difficulty, namely, the demand for the surrender of some hundreds of German officers and soldiers against whom there arc charges of cruelty and other crimes perpetrated during their occupation of invaded countries. The Kaiser has been included in this list,' and the British Government are said to have Insisted at Versailles on the execution of tills intention. It was a prominent item of their election campaign in December, 1918, and they maythink that consistency requires them to press the demand. The general feeling in Great Britain, if we may judge from lengthy correspondence in the columns of the Times, is against the project. AI. ciemenceau favours the condemnation of the Kaiser “in contumaciam,” the precise meaning of which must be left to Catholic theologians, but In any case M. Ciemenceau does not wish for any public trial. Italy has refused to associate herself wifh the proposed trial of the Kaiser altogether, and fn all probability the French suggestion will he adopted, and a formal denunciation of the Kaiser for participation in German crimes wilt be published. There is quite naturally very strong feeling in Germany against the arraignment of officers, many of them of high rank, for offences which will be regarded by many as merely the carrying out of military duties, and in truth there is a great deal to he said both for and against the demand for the surrender of culprits. There can be little doubt that it will lead to sympathy being felt with those who are charged, 1 ' and it is a fair assumption that they are, almost without exception, supporters of the old regime. Germany is at present governed by a Republic Which represents the middle classes, and has as a matter of fact no very strong- hold on life. The aristocratic elements in the country which have been all-powerful in the past, desire a monarchial restoration, though it is said that the return of the HolienzoHerns is not desired and that a king would bo looked for in some other dynasty. The working classes are at present politically supine, and have hitherto' shown no desire for revolutionary politics. It is a matter of some importance to the peace of Europe that the present German Government should continue, and any action on our part which will lead to sympathy with the aristocracy will certainly not assist a bourgeois government. It is also desirable that men’s thoughts should he turned from questions of war to those of peace, and the public trial of large numbers of Germans with the evidence that will be brought forward will only accentuate ■ the bitterness that already exists and perpetuate feelings of hatred. On the other hand, the crimes were many and were exceptionally vile. There seems no reason to doubt that cruelty was adopted as a policy, which ranks very differently from the crimes perpetrated by men in hot blood. To bring these offenders to the bar of justice should set a mark for all time on such calculated depravity, arid would bring home lo Hie most highly-placed the fact of liability for crime. It would be well if the number of those who are put on their trial were limited to the chief offenders and to those of the higher rank, and that no attempt should be made to deal with the crimes perpetrated by the man in the ranks. In any case, it would be quite impossible lo ascertain any large proportion of the offenders, and there is not much to be said for justice which deals with a small number, arbitrarily selected, of those who have committed crimes. The whole matter bristles with the possibilities ef trouble, and calls for the wariest treatment, if we arc not lo find ourselves involved in anxieties. While the conclusion of peace with Germany settles the immediate political position, the real effects of the war will he felt in the economic changes it will make, of which we are seeing (he beginning. Germany’s condition is woeful. A certain number of English journalists and manufacturers, whose minds move slowly, arc still haunted by the fear of German dumping, but all the information obtainable shows that they have nothing lo dump. In addition (hey will have nothing to export under any conditions unless they can arrange for a supply of raw materials. Tills they will probably obtain from the United States, it is true that peace is not yet signed between that country and Germany, and any transactions between their respective citizens would be a legal offence. It is not likely, however, that this will stand in the way of business. Germany is in d-ire want of what Amerrca can supply, and in Ame-

.rica, c” at least in the United Slates business is supreme, and controls tin Government. If the difficulty over )!:c

signature of the Treaty stopped trad

a strong argument would he created for its completion, but at present the position of the United States and of Germain is such that they are mutually necessary. The States have the good.-, to export and the capital to finance their customers. The Germans are m such want of holli that they mu.-l submit lo terms which are likely lo be hard. It is a matter of imporlauce that trade interests should not lead to State alliances, and trade preference wiihin the Empire runs that risk of antagonising both America and Germany. So far as the boycotting of German goods is concerned, it should he left lo the individual, and Germany is likely lo feel IHo effects of il for many years to come. \ny attempt, however, to officially bar . the import ol goods from onenp counIries is likely to be a two-edged weapon, with grave doubts as to who will suffer most. France lias greater reasons for resentment than other counIries, yet the French Finance Minister advises his people to purchase from ‘Germany and lake advantage of the low exchange, rather than from England or Hie states, where the exchange is against France. The mailer of indemnities is one of which we have not lately heard much, and are not hkeiy do hear more in the immediate future. II will be many years before Germany

could pay an indemnity, and no one can say what ten years will bring forth. If Germany can pay reparation for the damages indicted in Franco and -Belgium there will he much to be thankful for, and no wise Chancellor will count

on Herman indemnil’cs in making estimates for his Budget.