KILLING THE GERMAN OCTOPUS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2681, 29 January 1916, Page 3

KILLING THE GERMAN OCTOPUS

THE COMING TRADE WAR

FORCIBLE SPEECH BY FEDERAL PREMIER

A forcible speech on the coming trade war against Germany and everything. German was delivered by the Federal Premier on the occasion of a farewell function tendered to him .by the Now South Wales Manufacturers' Association in »S.ydney recently. Mr. Hughes said: The real causo why_ Germany precipitated this great crisis 'was to secure the commercial domination of the world. In that act and by that- act .she proved herself to be politically blind. Had she been content to go on and pursue tiie policy that, she had so studiously , pursued to cultivate those methods. of subtle genius by which she had achieved a place in the sun, and by which she was successfully challenging the ryeat British Empire' for the supremacy of the world, in ten . years' time, ludging by the way she was going,, she would have been able to beat us. . (Cheers.) iiiank God she has elected to precipitate.this struggle, and to appeal to the arbitrament of arms. (Cheers.) That would have been the position sooner or later. The, war was precipitated by Germany deliberatelyshe has appealed to the sword, and she shall perish by the sword. (Cheers.) But we are to consider what is to happen after the. war. I speak now of that struggle for • commercial supremacy which I said just-now was one of the causes of the war. It has been said that there must be some more. intimate relation between the various parts of the Empire and our Allies after the war. What I say is this: It will be sufficient for the. time. being. if we inscribe on our banner this sentiment: ,lf we survive this war, then let the 'Australian people say definitely and finally we' will not deal with Germany either : directly or indirectly. (Cheers.) If it is a question of the survival of the fittest, then those who provoked the trouble must bear its consequences. • 'We would bo .fools and idiots indeed if: at the end of the war we proceeded tj renew those relations which have permitted Germany *to ; establish her commercial agencies wherever/ she desired. When peace is ' proclaimed we 'will hat's 1 to find employment for those 300,000 or 400,000 fighting men who come back. We regard it as a'sacred duty not only: to ourselves to develop our resources, and along with' that it is i our sacred duty to provide for those Dion who have-acted'so nobly. (Cheers.)

■ 1 have no doubt that not only will we find the manufacturers of Australia rising to the occasion, but that private citizens of ample means will, supplement the provision which the Government is making in order that the,men when they come back will be ■restored . to .. the positions which they occupied before the war. Tho . Government- . has encouraged industry in this country. We are, encouraging it,'and we propose to continue to, encourage' it by every means, legitimate and administrative, at : 'our disposal.' • We have lately set up an institution from'which I-am hopeful that a great deal of good will result to the commuuity.. We have .called together representatives of :• the;, commercial, scientific, ■ and industrial world-in order that- wo may apply to industry the magic wand of science. ' I hope before very long we shall see science and industry .fulfilling- the functions necessary to the "development of Australia, and extending to tie prlmru'-v and secondary industries alike that aid and advice which I . have been so long needed, and. which I will be provided if wo secure: your co-1 'operation. . We' cannot force science an a reluctant people.' Unless you realise the relation of science, and.in'ihistry no application of science can be .'of use to you. ; Our enemy has taught .us.' lessons. Germany owes tho greater ipart of its strength to-day to the fact that it is organised. It has called every resource, excepting humanity, to its aid. There is not an invention of mankind,

; not a discovery of. science, that it, has Hot' placed behind the mighty German yrmy.. If they associated humanity

'vith that they would be irresistible.

Have they realised that "might" and i )iot "right" is tho word inscribed, on £ \heir banner, and that the world, in ; sheer desperation must arise and crush ; them underfoot? Wo are peaceful ' iitizens, and are arrayed against a. des- \ perado and a maniac, and society must, i in its own defence crush or be crushed, i Tho Metal Industry. I have ventured in the way of destroying the hold of Germany, on our metal industry, to take, a certain l line of ac- < tion. When I started on my self-im- ■ posed task many men doubted the wisdom of my efforts and the necessity for : it. : When I realised the hold this great • metal combine had, I say clearly that ■•unless it wero destroyed we were fighting in rain. I have not the time to dwellon the strength of this great combination. At a comparatively early stage in the.efforts of the Government to deal with this combine, a German agent in London, Hen - Beyer, gave an interview to the London Press in which ho: said that England could not secure the market for her Australian metal' products except through German agencies. It was an astounding thing .that a German agent should give such ( an interview to the London Press at such a time, and it shows how blind politically the Germans are that such a thing 6liould have been. done. If they had been as politically keen-sighted as they have been politically blind they would have easily dominated the world. •This interview showed mo how widespread was tlie German influence, and it also 6howed the amazing lack of perception there was in the strength Germans exercised in the metal world. I have never wavered in the opinion that it -was a' scandalous thjng" that Herr Beyer should speak in such terms of an attempt made by one of .the oversea Dominions to-destr.oy the power of the enemy in everything, and also, showed an amazing lack of perception as to the truo position in England. Clearly the position is this, if we are ta fight a people wo must fight them in «rery possible way. 1 There must he no conditions and no reservations. _ We must fight them as they are fighting us, but not with the brutality, the callous--1 ness and barbarity that they have displayed but with a relentless determination, to press home every advantage which we have,, and every advantage ■ that we can gain.. That is, in my opinion the policy that is necessary. We must cut out every fibre of Germany; we must cut out al) German goods; cut out everything and every rwwer whicf? Germany exorcised before the war, and so condemn them that they will never trouble us again. Wo must sacrifice something so that the nation may gain. That is the position if we make up our minds ,to face it.