PEACE PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 256, 17 July 1918, Page 5

PEACE PROBLEMS

SPEECHES BY NEW ZEALAND MINISTERS HANDS OFF THE PACIFIC! | ~— ' ! BRITISH STATESMANSHIP | CRITICISED j i (Rec. July 16, 7.20 p.m.) London, July 15. j Too British Empire League gave a lim- i cheon to Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph 'I Ward at C'laridge's Hotel. ' Eeplving to tlio toast of his health, i Mr. Massey said that though the prolv 1 loms of tho war had not yet been solved, j it was not too soon to begin dealing with I the problems of peace. Tho Empire's j citizens had upheld its dignity and pres- 3 tigo in the war, and would do so, in j peace. Ho feared German intriguo mora : than German force of arms. There j must lx> an increase in Empire produc- i lion, in order to bear the financial j burdens, and also considerable emigre- j tion idiould bo encouraged. It would bo ' the (l.uty of legislators to encourage the i working up of raw materials, and prevent ' J unfair competition by their enemies. ! Much would have to bo done to improvo communications between .different "parts ! of the Empire. Labour and Capital must 1 1 work more harmoniously. He favoured j profit-sharing. It was possible in war. j We were stronger than the enemy in j every department. The Allies would i not bo influenced by the enemy's threats ! over_ Belgium. Tliey had made lip their i minds to win, however lone tho war I lasted. Hands Off the Pacific! j Sir Joseph Ward disagreed with those . j who thought it premature to discußß pos- 1 siblo peace terms. If tlio nation knew j why it went to war, then, logically, it ; must bo able to decide what its peace, i terms would be. An uneasy suspicion' i had been aroused that tho German Pari- ' j fic islands might bo the subject of negotiation at tho Peace Conference. The j New Zealand delegates came to England with a positivo mandate that the public would novcr tolerate tho handing back of Samoa. Under no circumstances must any such thing occur. It was unthinkable that Germany should ever again get a foothold in the Pacific, where she had been an interloper from the first. "If such a calamity befall us tho bonds of Empire -will be brought to tho straining pcint. The people of the Motherland should understand tho Dominions' point of view. They should realiso that this ; is no stand-and-deliver threat, but the j expression of a deep-seated conviction .! upon a definite ideal, and cultivated for • j half a. century, often in the teeth of j scant sympathy or encouragement from j the Imperial authorities." Ho hoped 1 that this sublime indiifcronco to tho im-. ; portance of tho ownership of a few sma.ll ! islands in tho Pacific would disappear for ! over. How would tho British peoplo | view the occupation by Germany of the ! Isle of Man, the Channol Islands, the Hebrides, or the Orkneys? In. ISJK) Eng- ' lond failed to realiso tho value of Heli- j goland. Was there anyono to-day who . i approved of the cession of Heligoland? | The answer to that question justified I part of our case as regarded the German j possessions in tho Pacific. She would j never have been there but for the mast- ! erly negligence of British statesmen. j Those overseas disliked Germany's ! methods of colonisation and their treat- ■ ment of tho native races, and also be- < cause the instincts of German ambition ' were a standing menace .to their secur- { ity,—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. WHAT GERMANY WANTS i TERRITORIAL INDEMNITIES FOR I AFRICAN EMPIRE. i (Rec. July IG, 7.20 p.m.) i London t July IS. i Tho German newspaper "Kreuz Zoi- j tung," discussing Germany's war aims, ; says:—"Only weaklings can believe in ' the possibility of an understanding with ' England; Germany will liavo no paper agreements. She will simply require of j England, France, Belgium,- and Portugal j the cession, as an indemnity, of such portions of their possessions as she needs for tho establishment of her Central : African Empire, which sho intends to develop into a great military power, train- t ing coloured auxiliary troops."—Renter. j