PEACE AND THE GERMAN COLONIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3180, 3 September 1917, Page 6

PEACE AND THE GERMAN COLONIES

Sir,—During the last few weeks the cabled news has been marked by the frequency of so-called peaca proposals. There have been two in particular which seem to call for special attention, and which concern us particularly—those which the Pope has suggested, and the remarkable manifesto issued by the British Socialist Conference. I wish to refer briefly to two points iu them, and then to make a suggestion. In both instances, the suggestion ' 3 made that the arch-enemy of mankind, Germany, should he allowed to resume possession of hor colonios. A more worthless or more injurious suggestion could not be pnt forth. To take a general view—is it morally right that a nation whose leaders have proved themselves so hearties:? and hideously cruel should again be allowed to dominate the weaker racos? But look at the case of Aew Zealand if Samoa wero restored. _ We .should soon have a hornet's nest, m the form of a submarine base at our very doors. Of course the pcaco advocates will argue, "But wo will not allow gubiuari.jes to be built." Poor innocents—how are you going to stop them ? By treaty with Germany, whose word 110 man to-day relies on? This applies with greater force to the position of Australia, as a glance at the map will show. Ait our trade would be absolutely at the mcrcy_ of enemy submarines, in a very snort time. .Are we going to coolly stand by and allow this—after oil that our boys and their

mothers have done for us and our freedom ? The second infamous proposal, wh'ch is most wickedly unjust, is that which haa only lately been suggested, via., tl s".t all nations should join in making reparation to the devastated countries. Ido not supposo for one' minute that such an atrocious proposition mil ever be listened to seriously, but it has apparently been seriously advanced. In plain Inglish, it means that all of us are to be tExed, and the workers all maintain that any taxation falls most heavily upon them—to assist in repairing the duniage done by ■the-Huns, and that they are to escape a large measure of tho punishment -which thev have most justly incurred. Sir, the dodge is too thin—any thinking person can see at once that the whole matter is "made in Germany." Now I should like to suggest that in order to set these matters at rest, and utterly crush such manifestly unjust proposals, that every patriotic society in the Bominion should each pass the most strong-ly-worded resolutions possible—to the effect that there shall be absolutely no restoration whatever of the captured colonies, and that the cost of reparation bo ' paid by the naitions who so evilly planned tho wanton destruction. Could not the Wellington Society initiate some such movement?-it is really needed. I would even go further, and invite all the overseas Dominions to co-operate. Thanking you for space,—l am, etc., PEACE WITH HONOUR.