The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1918. "SECURITY"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 233, 20 June 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1918. "SECURITY"

. The Außtralian Minister for the Navy (Mr, Joseph Cook) stated in a recent interview that the objects for which Britain and Her Allies aro fighting can be summed up in tho word, "security." Other British statesmen have at times said tho samo thing, and no single word in our language could express more accurately what we are striving to achieve. Mr. Cook reminds us that the why and wherefore of the war against Napoleon was summarised by William Pitt in this word, and holds that security for Australia cannot be- obtained until German control is banished from the Pacific. Mr. Massey has made it clear beyond all possibility of mistake, that .Now Zealand is just •as emphatic as Australia in demanding that the German,colonies shall not.be given back. There will be no real security in this part of the world if Germany is allowed to regain her Pacific possessions, for past experience and knowledge of German methods and ambitions have made ib quite evident that these possessions will bo used for predatory purposes. The presence of German naval and military bases in the Pacific would make the position of Australia and New Zealand extremely insecure. Indeed, the whole world will live in a state of insecurity unless the war ends in decisive victory for the Allies.' A German peace would sweep security from the face of the earth. Every nation, _ including Germany's prosent allies, would stand in jeopardy every hour. There would certainly not be a safe place for democracy in tho world. The small nations would be in constant danger of being swallowed up by the insatiable and unscrupulous Power which is now so pitilessly imposing its brutal will on helpless Russia. The fate of Russia would be tho fate of. any other nation which dared to cross the path of Germany. What security 'could there be for international justice? When it suits them the Kaiser and his satellites profess their willingness to consider the establishment of a League of Nations to enforce peace. But their professions of good will are mere pretence. Prussianism and peace aro incompatible. The whole world knows.that there can be no lasting peace until Prussian militarism haß been overthrown. This is the reason why President Wilson has insisted so strongly that no peace worth having can be obtained by negotiation with the present riders of Germany. The Italian Prime Minister evidently is of the samo opinion as President Wilson on this point. In a recent speech Signor Orlando announced that Italy had refused Germany's offer of an "honourable peaco." Italy's ideas both of honour and of peaco differ very widely from those of Germany. Italy, like Britain And her other Allies, is fighting for security for herself and for other nations, and she knows that she will never get it until the sword has been forced from the hand of the great war-maker. Even while they talk of peace the German junkers are making ready for new wars. A recent cable message states that the Kaiser has just assented to tho formation of an Institute bearing his own name which will concentrate its attention on the task of perfecting all the military and scientific forces and expedients for tho support of warfare. Germany is quite willing to talk sympathetically about a League of Nations and to pose as a peacemaker for _ tho benofit ol British and American pacifists; but the German leopard is not going to change its spots. If anyone wants to know what Germany means by an "honourable peace" he has onlyto remember tho savage settlement imposed on Russia. The only rational way ot bringing tho enemy to a proper frame of mind is, in the words of President Wilson, "force, force to tho-utmost, force without Btint or limit, the righteous and triumphant force which shall make right the law of the world and cast every selfish dominion down in the dust."

The world will never got security by reasoning with Germany. One might as well try to .reason with a wild beast. The Pan-Germans are even now planning the wildest schemes of conquest. Unless by the bitter discipline of defeat the people of Germany are convinced that the realisation of these schemes is impossible, and that the world is strong enough to defend itself against Prussian aggression, civili-

J sation must go under. Tho security of all that is worth securing will disappear. It is probable that the dosperato efforts that Um Central Powers arc now making to overwhelm the armies of tho Entente Powers will provo to be the prelude to' another attempt by the German Government to open peace negotiations. It is possible that tempting offers may soon he made to the Allies at the expense of Russia. But a settlement of. this sort would be no peace at all. Tho_ world would have no rest. The nations would be forced to prepare with' feverish haste for another and more terrible war. The Kaiser and his generals would bo ablo to assert that their policy had been justified by success, and the rattling of the German sword would be louder than ever. All the blood and treasure that has been spent in order to make the world safe for democracy would be spent in vain. Tho tyrant would be stronger and more insolent. What would h'avo happened to the world if Britain's great fight for security against Napoleon had not been won 1 What will he the state of the world in the future if the still greater fight in which we arc engaged for security against a more powerful and more unscrupulous enemy of liberty than Napoleon should be abandoned before victory is won? But fortunately, with the exception of Russia, Britain and her Allies have never shown any sign of weakening or wavering. They may have had many and great disappointments, but time is fighting for them. Already the might of the United States is beginning to make itself felt, and must sooner or later inevitably turn the scale in their favour. Germany knows this as well as we do. _ She also knows that her submarine campaign lias failed, and that the naval superiority of Britain remains undiminished. Further offers of an "honourable peace" may bo_ expected from Berlin, but tho_ Allies have definitely made up their minds that the only safe way to end the war is to win it.