The Dominion SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1916. FUTILE PEACE CHATTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 4

The Dominion SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1916. FUTILE PEACE CHATTER

The", ' redeeming feature of the peacc discussion"- initiated in the House of Commons by Mr. Philip Snowden was Mb. Asqtjitii's firm , reassertion of his strict adherence to the historic declaration which he rhade at the Guildhall on November 9, 1914. Mk. S'noavden" asked for Britain's terms of peace. They were placed on record in the most solemn manner by Mr. Asquith three months after the beginning of , the war. They were endorsed. by the Empire, and the Empire -will not and cannot without _ shame sheathe its sword "until Belgium recovers in full measure all and moro than she has sacrificed, until France is adequately secured against thc_ menace of aggression,- until _ the rights of the smaller nationalities of Europo are placed upon an unassailable foundation, and until the military domination of Prussia is wholly and finally destroyed." Can any reasonable man believe that Germany is at the present moment prepared to agree to a settlement based on these conditions? It is truo that tho German Chancellor has expressed willingness to listen to any proposals that the Allies may be disposed to make. But the Allies aro moro determined than ever, to fight straight on- until they are in a position to dictate their own terms. Victory must come first. It will be time enough to enter into discussion with our enemies after they have been beaten. We have not beate.ii them yet, and until we have Mr; Snowden and His fel'low pacifists ought to know that it is "not possible to end the war on terms which would realise the objects for which we are fighting." One of these objects is to free the world from the curse of Prussian militarism. This end cannot be achieved until the might of Germany is smashed The views of Mr. Snowden and his friends will find no sympathy in New Zealand. Our soldiers have gone to the front in order to help to win this ■ war decisively, and thus prepare the way for a just and lasting peace —tho only sort of peaco Worth having. The overseas Dominions will be content with nothing less than absolute victory. No premature or patched-up settlement will satisfy them. We are, of Yourso, well aware that the pacifists are a very small section of the British public, and that the people of Britain arc overwhelmingly in favour of a fight to a finish; but it Is nevertheless 1 good to have Mr, Asquitk's reiterated assurance that none of the Allies will abate by one jot the prosecution of tho war until the terms of settlement laid down in his Guildhall speech can be enforced. ' , . It is a great mistake to imagine that German peace talk indicates j that the Central Powers recognise that they have lost the war. When the Germans speak of peace they ■ simply mean that they are ready to bargain with the territory they have conquered in order to permanently strengthen their position'in Europo If the war ended now they would certainly claim to, have won, and to negotiate as conquerors. _ A cablc I message, which we publish 'thia morning, states that a neutral lady, who has just reached Holland from Berlin, asserts that there is extraordinary confidence on tho part of a certain class in. Berlin that thcro will be a peace giving Germany Antwerp, a port on the Adriatic, exit to the Persian Gulf, and Belgian Cor,go; also providing for tho return of the captured German colonies and the freedom of the seas. If this js the feeling in Germany there will have to be a lot more fighting before .our enemiescan be made to understand that instead of dominating tho world their ambitions have resulted ii> downfall. This is no time for peace chatter within the British Empire. The speeches of Mr. Snowden and his friends' can ser.ve no good pur--1 pose. They merely revive the-hopes of our foes and cause uneasiness to , our Allies. They are futile; they.aro ' mischievous. _ By keeping up tha - fighting spirit of the enemy they \ tend 'to prolong the struggle. i I A nude disillusionment awaits the ■ German people if they are foolish • enough to think that Mr. Snow--1 den's speech is an indication that ' the British public is becoming warweary. The rulers of Germany will ' naturally make what capital they , can ou.t of thn disoussion, but they know 'quite well that Britain's hit-

ting power is increasing every day, and that her staying power is inexhaustible. And our Allies have never wavered in their resolve to see the struggle through. The spirit of France is uncrushable. France will not think of peace. Genehat; Gallieni recently gave expression to the feelings of his countrymen in a. few striking; sentences. Franco wanted peace eighteen months ago, I he said, but to-day she wants war.| with her whole energy. "Anyono who utters the word 'peace' is regarded as a bad citizen." The struggle will only end, he said, "when France, in accord with her Allies, is in a position to say, 'I stop.' I have obtained what I waited. I resume my peace labours,' " The Russian Foreign Minister is. just as emphatic as Mr. asquith or General Gai.lse\'i. In his rccent conversation with Mr. Harold Beg* bie, he declared that Russia and hei Allies would fight on, and not cease fighting, until Prussian militarism, "the greatest danger that ever menaced the human race, is destroyed. ' It is difficult to imagine how Mr. Snowden can make himself believo that the world can be freed from this menace until we have gained "a decisive victory which would enable us to dictate terms to a vanquished foe." There is no other way of securing fi stnblo settlement. Tho men at the front have no patienco with the peace talkers. Mr._ Ben Tiiaet says ho has been speaking to hundreds of our soldiers. They have got their jaws set. They mean business, and the politicians at homo -who forget it had better commit suicide at once." They told him that it was their war; that they wero fighting for. the future, and wero going to have that future well assurecl. They strongly condemned any attempt to stop the war before victory was achieved. This was their message to the people at home: Go back and tell them that they have got to let us fight this thing to a real finish."