MR. BALFOUR REPLIES TO THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 139, 1 March 1918, Page 7

MR. BALFOUR REPLIES TO THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR

VON HERTLING'S PEACE SPEECH DISSECTED

DIPLOMATIC CONVERSATIONS USELESS AT PRESENT

(Rec. March I, 0.35 a.m.)

London, February 27. Speaking in the House of Common;., Mr. Balfoui: (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs), replying to criticism of the Government for not using diplomacy in the interests of peace, said that diplomacy would be 'out of court unless some measure of potential agreement existed for making diplomatic conventions fruitful of good results. All the indications showed that the' belligerents had not reached that happy stage. There was no clear direction in which the sunlight of peace could make itself felt. "Tho time may come soon," lie said, "but we would bo deceiving ourselves if wo took a sanguine view in face of Count von Hertling's speech. There was only one course for Germany to pursue. She must say: 'I sinned'; next, slie must wiy, 'I make reparation and restore without conditions what I have taken.' " Gormany's idea of economic freedom and frontier security always meant commercial trammels on a weaker neighbour, and tho appropriation'of territory: ....

After dealing with other of Count Hortling's statements, Mr. Balfour declared that England did not use her balance of power for self-aggrandise-ment. Sho fought only because by so doing Europe could ho saved from domination by an overpowering and aggiessivo nation. England, in upholding the balanco of power, saved Prussia from destruction. Later she helped her to recover her independence against Napoleon. It ill became German statesmen to deride England's efforts for the balanco of power. Until 6wman' militarism wore abolished and' an International Court with executive powers established for the protection of the weak, it would ho impossible- to ignore the principles underlying tho balance of power. "If Count von Hertling will induce his countrymen to giv 0 up the policy of ambitious world domination, peace will come now, and for ever." Referring to Count von Hertlingjs statement that Germany's policy in tho East was directed to the prevention o f atrocities and devastations, and , the. upholding of humanity, Mr. Balfo ur pointed to the fact that German policy in the West was entirely occupied with atrocities and devastations.

"We are ready to stand our trial at tj, e bar of humanity side by side, with , Germany. While Germany is determined to have the rest of the civilised world creoping to her feet it would ue difficult to conduct diplomatic conversations which must prelude that p eace for which no one longs more than ourselves. Conversations begun and ended in discord would be worse than none at all. To begin negotiations without seeing our way to a successful termination would be the greatest cri mo against the future of peace. Negotiations must be preceded by a closer approximation of ideas."' Ho would 'bo injuring the cause- of peace if he oii CO uraged the hope that thsse verbal communications would be useful until som e general agreement was apparent . in the distance, .and the statesman of all countries could see their way to a settlement.