The Press. Monday, January 27, 1919. The Peace Conference.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16431, 27 January 1919, Page 6

The Press. Monday, January 27, 1919. The Peace Conference.

Xt lias been remarked that it is easy to make war, but to male j peace is a task of stupendous difficulty. No previous •Peace Conference of which history tolls ■us had problems so varied and complex ns that which is now sitting in Paris. The issues at t>tako are so tremendous ' that it is no wonder that the proceedings are watched -with intense anxiety throughout the world. Tliero seems a strong disposition among the principal Powers to shelve idealistic proposals, at any rate until they have been able to agree on tho issues of immediate practical importance, such as the question . of indemnities, tho settlement of boundaries, the disposal of tho German colonies, so that the terms to be imposed < n the enemy may be settled/ a,nd peace may be signed. Thfere will bo more cr I less academical discussions on suclx questions as tho League of Nations and - limitation of armaments, but it is doubtful "whether resolutions on the ouestioYi will extend beyond or pious . wishes, to use a term affected by diplomatists. It is easy for America, lar removed from the storm centre, to cherish ideals of universal peace by compulsion, but France, still bleeding from the wounds of a life-and-death struggle, will not oasily r>e induced to favour the ideal of a League of Nations which is 4o bind itself to the maintenance of peace, and to which Germany is hereafter to be admitted. She would very much prefer that tho Allies should iemain united for mutual protection, and we fancy that while some kind of machinery may bo set up to satisfy the. sentimental longing for tho "brother"hood of man," thoso who have emerged from the o-reat ordeal will still Din thoir trust to material guarantees and material preparations for defence, instead of accepting ideals resting on paper promises and written professions of good faith. Meanwhile it will be seen thut some of the practical questions coming up for settlement are not free from difficulty. The complaints in Paris journals as to British action at Constantinople show that tho disposal of the territories taken from the Turk will bo one of some difficulty. Mr Hughes, who is evidently a blunderer of tho first magnitude, seems to be doing his best to embitter relations with our Japanese Allies. It is not in that way that diplomatic victories are won. Japan having given assistance in the war, principally by means of her warships in the Pacific, and having actu- - ally taken possession of the Marshall J and Caroline Islands, appears to us to ' have a claim on those groups, especi- ' ally as she had interests there before S the Avar. If it is true, however, that ] Japan is laying claim to all islands ] north of the Equator tjhen she is mak- ' ing a proposal which, we hope, will be ' very strenuously resisted by British 1 representatives. Tho Gilbert and 1 Ellice groups, which are a British * colony, lie partly north of the Equator.! j Among them is Ocean Island, which,. f however, lies 52 minuteß south of the j Equator. Deposits of phosphate on j \ this, island, worked by an English com- i

pany, but very largely -with Japanese labour, make it a long way the richest island for its size in the Pacific. It is worthy of mention that among the Japanese mechanics of the company a force of 80 was raised at the outbreak of the war under the command of Dr. Matsuoka, late of the Imperial Japanese Navy, whose object it was to help in the defence of the island in case of emergency. The other great phosphate island, Nauru, which was a German possession and on which they had a wireless station, was surrendered to 11.M.A.5. Melbourne in September, 1914, and was effectively occupied bv troops brought from Rabaul in September, 1914. The Japanese no doubt have a strong claim to the islands of which they took possession, but we do not see that they have established any further rights in the Pacific.