FUTURE OF THE PACIFIC
captain T. Y. SEDDON'S views. Oil the eve of his departure for the United States, where with a dozen other British officers who natl seen hard lightins at the front, lie was being sent at (lie request of (lie American Government to assist in propaganda work, Captain J'. Y. Seddon, writing lo a in Wellington, made some interesting allusions to the Pacific question, from which il is permissible to make one or :wo extracts. "The A : ew Zealand people," he says, "should lie earnestly and carefully considering the policy to be followed ill the Pacific after the war. It -.oncerus (lie whole Umpire, but no other part quite so intimately as it does New Zealand anil Australia. Wo cannot expect to make an impression with our views when the peace terms are -under discussion unless they are sufficiently focused 10 ba clearly defined in our own political vision. One lecls Iliac the Allies with interests lying in the same direction sliould have spheres of influc-ue in the Pacific, 'and in arriving at an iquitable ami a working scheme the readjustment of the present position may be necessary.. I know personally that responsible Vrench opinion is all for working wifh the greatest friendliness with the livitish mid Americans in this matter, the earnest desire of all the Allies being to keep the Germans out of this sphove of hill leuce, an objectMvhicli should ensure n combination of the Allied nations, capable of adjusting a somewhat delicate matter without unworthy jealousies. ]f exchanges can be made to the advantage of the .Dominion, which would be agreeable 'to (lie I'rench. details could be readily arranged. The imporlar.ce of the Panama Canal, a gateway always open lo the Dominion, places the Pacific question in a different perspective. As far ;s Samoa is concerned, trench opinion eoncii'-s with the resolution of the Dominion to hold 11 at all costs againsi the enemies cf peaceful development. The lesson of the war is plain.. The very existence of the Dominion is wrapped up with the future government of the Pacific, a fact which imposes upon the Empire the. necessary preparations for the assurance of peace— the possession of docks and coaling-sta-tions, seaplane and submarine bases. The day of universal peace may come, when the nations will lav down their arms and live in amity with one another; but the time is not j,ll, and while we are praying for the arrival of the millennium we must keep our powder dry. This may be very sad, and in a at'nse humiliating; but men just lilt of the helt ol the Western front; an under no delusions concerning the in iral attitude of the men who are directing operations; on the other side of No Man's J.iind. That; by the way. ortli of the Equator the Japanese are policing islands wken the Germans—the Carolines, tor instance—ami the Australians have a practical and sentimental interest; in German New Guinea at. least as great as ours in Samoa. JS'o doubt Dominion opinion tn the whole policy will be sounucd. ami therefore the more sincerely the question is studied the more valuable and acceptable will be our counsel and the stronger and more convincing our advocacy 01 our claims."
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 232, 19 June 1918, Page 3
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541FUTURE OF THE PACIFIC Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 232, 19 June 1918, Page 3
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