AUSTRIA'S DOWNFALL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 36, 6 November 1918, Page 7

AUSTRIA'S DOWNFALL

REFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT BOTH HOUSES ADJOURN •.-■/■' ' ' ' " :' ' , . SPEECHES BY-MINISTERS •When the House pf.Representatives met yesterday afternoon the Prinio Minister (£t. Hon. W. F, Massey) InioveA:— That this House do now adjourU ■ until 2.30 p.m.. to-morrow in commemoration of the signing of an , armistice between the Allied Govern- . .-mentis and tho Government of -Austria-' : Hungary. y ■■'.-. ■■■.'■ The Prime Minister said that he had used the term "armistice" because it , was the official -designation 'of what had taken place,- but m reality Austria had made unconditional surrendor v ' The news that had- como to' hand during the last few days had been received with ijoy and thankfulness by, every citizen of the Dominion and of the British Empire. He felt that, the occasion was oi .very great .importance* The.'last of Germany's allies had gone out of the war. Gμ - - iiiany now stood alone ngninst the forces of tho Allied Powers,' and it was obvious that she could not stand long in that position. Germany must sc-ek an nml of the war vgry sliortly— -it might be in ii week or in a'nioutli— and either accept tho decisive defeat that was.sure to come or else throw herself'upon the mercy'of the nations that-had been, ranged against her. . In; any ;easo: it was quite certain. /that peace. . now.' was- iiot far away. Tho people of New Zealand, in common ■with thb/other peoples of tho Empire, had looked for peaco anil longed for peace and they had the 'satisfaction -of Iniwingnow that they had not much longer to wait.. Peace would bo welcomed by tho civilian populations and al9o by the soldiers on the fighting fronts. During his visit to the front ho had heard no complaints nbofit the dangers, thoiprivationa and tho hardships of lyar: But Tie. had heard the niciir complaining of the monotony and expressing- tho hope that. the victorj ; would.soon be sneu'red' riiu■ ,'thc'.' armies |returned., to : their homes. That time was near..!, ", '. ' .

' ::, Days, of Stress.,:' . / • Members of: the House (is well ;aS:M.iuis•iers had a'vivid-recollection.of.the weeks,- i earlier in the presento year, when Iho j arini.es: of Britain, and her allies ■ were being driven. bttckton. tlio Western front and when-high military authorities.doubted if it;would:be.possible to save Paris. It was then.'that.-General Haig isoifSct"his:orderto the men undor his to stand fast, an- order- that .had never been disobeyed by. British troops. They , stood fast, and the troops of the Dominions were flung into the gap aud the progress of..the' Germans : was stopped. Then followed a lull, and the charucwr of the British nation had never been displayed to better, advantage than during the two mOnthe when-lhe resumption of .the. German onslaught-' was 'being. --awaited. British .reinforcement's were hurried to France to support) the armies that had been so- sorely, tried, 'enormous quantities of munitions were transported, ■ and an appeal was made to the Dominions for additional help. That appeal met with a response in-every case,"and he was proud to that New Zealand had'been in'the yan. American' troons began to reach France 'in their' hundreds of thousands. Within a short time tho■ armies, of 'Britain -were- ready' to meet any call that .might be niaou upon -them.' It had seemed at .(ho time thai the Germans, -in-.the great drive that -opened-in- March; had been very successful;, but .it was known now that the German leaders' were . cre'atly. disappointed at the result of their .'effort? All through, the winter of ■ 1917-18. they were preparing: to -strike ■ a tre.inendous '■ blow; which they Loued ■would crush the'armies of Britain nnd. France and end '.the; war... Thev -were ■disappointed. Tho : Allies gave ground, but they,did not break. Then came the ' pause. He could'say now that the Allies decided to await the next German blow before attacking: on their own accounfe '.Tho'-Germans'Attacked' again in-, the ' middle jif .'July,-.and were beaten, off. Then General toch drdered' the' French armies to' attack.' ana a few davs later the British armies were sent , forward." The Germans were forced back, and .since -■ then the-'Allies had been inarching from success to success. The Allied armies had reached now a position from which they could look forward with the utmost confidence to a final and decisive victory in,tho'near .future. Pride of Race. Mr; Massey said that there were some people; who thought, that when the war >came to an end there would be u new heaven and aonew earth. He was not of that opinion. ' But ho "did. believe that there was going. to' be a better state of things for the people of the British Empire. There, would be, closer" comradeship and a fuller (appreciation, of the blessings of freedom: among* the peoples of the British Empire. He felt, in that connection, that British people in the ' paet had not paid enough attention to the history qf their nation, to tlie 'lira'tion.'of the deeds that: had won the Empire and the great men who had led and guided'the. nation. -Iho people of the'"United. States did better than the British, people in this respect. He had ecen a celebration of Independence Day in Paris, when 15,000 American troops marched through the principal streets e ■ '• ■' ■•.*'• •■.- : . !

amid scenes of stirring enthusiasm. Tho Americans' made their Independence Day an important incident in the national life, and a factor in the education of their children. ' Then there was the American Anniversary Day, commemorating tho opening of tho soldiers' cemetery at Gettysburg by President Lincoln. It was on that occasion that President Lincoln . made ono of the greatest speeches-that men ever had tho opportunity to hear or read.. The American children were taught to recito that epeech, with its'noble reference to "government of the people by the peoplo for tho people." He would liko to see some similar commemoration of great events in the history of the British people. The children should bp taught pride of race, pride of .Empire,' and love of country. They should be taught what the flag meant, and what , the three' crosses upon it stood for. He had said in London, and he would say. ngnin, that lie believed tho time was coming for the addition of a fourth cross; to represent' the'partnership between Britain mid.the great dominions that had grown up beyond the' seas. The children should be taught more of the history of their nation, of .the virile races whose blood flowed in their veins, of the great men who had-mnde their history. He included among those great men Lord Kitchener, Marshal Haig, .and Admiral Doatty. ' There was, every reason why. British people should be proud of their Empire; prnudof their record, end proud of their achievements in She cause of liberty and justice. In conclusion, the ■.Prime Minister said ho hoped that British peoplo were going to continue building up the Empire a.5 their fathers had done, and avoid tho vices and sins that had brought other great Empires to the ground. He trusted that the future prosperity and greatness of the Empire would exoeed all that had gone before. ■

;, •' . Sir-Joseph Ward. !" The' Minister of Finance (Sir Josoph. Ward) said that he felt the importance of'tho news justified, an adjournment even at a time/when the House had imSortaiil' business to do.. The people of 'ow Zealand could express their joy.in an official way- only through their representatives in Parliament. The-adjourn-ment' was an acknowledgment of the •heroism- of the men Vho. had been fighting against tho Empire's enemies, and of the achievement that vrns crowning : tho efforts of more , than four years' war. Ho believed'ithat the world was going to bo ii hotter world as,an outcome of th» war.-Alreadyconditions in New Zealand had. been changed in many respects by tho" war, and he believed thnt some of .the-chnnges "were for good. Xhero was going to be'better education of" the children,' Mowing a. realisation that an educated democracy was tho best -.safe; guard .of, the future of the world. Ho believed that the .time was neat whenthe Germans would have to bow to the Allied forces,..and.a very good thing' it would be for the world when that time came. Tho whole country would rejoice when , ' the news came—perhaps within tho next few weeks—that Germany had sigu.ed an armistice. It would be such an armistice as would make it. impossible - for Germany to resume tlie war. ■' . ~'.•■/ A t-'abour View, ■ .'.. . 'Mr. :.11. Holland. (Grey) said-that he had listened with a great deal'of interest to the speeches that had been delivered. He and ; other members of the working class of course rejoiced in every event that brought nearer the end of the tragedy .of the world war. But.it seemed to him' that on an occasion like tho present, after four _years of unparalleled slaughter, something more was required than , grandiloquent language regarding the Empire's: deeds. If the war did not bring fundamental changes, if. it left itn.touclied tho causes that .had produced the win - ,, it would have been fought'in vain. Mr. Holland proceeded to say that every war of recent years had had an economic foundation, and had been due to the --conflicting interests of , national .capitalists.- There should never be an-' other war unless it, was made by the ■people.. He found the origins of the pre■sent war in secret ■ diplomacy, which ought to be abolished completely.' The workers of no nation-had been consulted about the present war, and one'of tho big factors in bringing the war to an end <vas the determination .of the workers -to secure control of their own affairs. He admitted that tho heroism of the soldiers was another factor. . Mr. Holland added that the danger of revolution after tho war' was not' confined to Austria and Germany. If, when the war was over, it was found to have produced only the downfall of a few kings it -would not have been worth -while. If the capitalist system was not destroyed tho causo of war.would remain. * ■

Other. Sneakers. Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said that ihc greatest.page in the history of tho war was now being ■ written, and the people of New Zealand Tiad a rii?ht to be very proud of the race to which they ■belonged. The British nation and its allies were-completing the breaking 'of the greatest, military machine that had ever been brought .into existence. MiHarris surveyed the history df • Germany at some length, and expressed his,dis-approval-of German , methods and manners. '■ > ",■■ '■'■ ;.

1 Mr. J. Payne (C4rey Lynn) said he could never, understand-the policy of some people in the Old Country Who hat! advocated Hint there should be.no annexations and no indemnities. : In his opinion it VroulcUbe wrong to hand back Samoa to. Germany., All ,the German African colonies should be annexed. (Hear, hear,) "I suggest to thb Philip Snowdens and other gentlemen of that ilk in the Old Country thnt if they really 'desire peace- to' , be brought aboiit they

should have enunciated a policy consonant with ; progressive thought and along Socialistic lines," said llr. Payne. Ho wanted to enter his protest against people, who called themselves Socialists and who professed, to be in the ranks*'of Labour preaching a. policy of "no annexations and no indemnities." Germany's wings should be clipped, and by means of her raw materials she should bo made to pay for tho immense amount of suffering and daniago she had caused. (Hear, hear.). " . - . LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADJOUEXS. In moving that the Legislative, Council should adjourn until to-day as a mark of thankfulness that Austria had surrendered, Oio Leader of the Council (Sir Francis Boll) referred 'to tho fact that Mr. Lloyd' George had "said that the collapse of Austria had been tho collapse of one of the piop3 of tho enemy. They would continue to regard Germany as the aVch-instigalor of tho war and their world enemy. But, the flank of Germany wns open, the sole remaining, necess to the Mediterranean was closed, tho King of Serbia was in Belgrade, and the Emperor of Austria-was hiding in his castle. They had passed through sad and strenuous years, but the Government would not: he tho first to mark the end until the end.had really come-. For years to come Germany would *be' like Islimael of old, whose hand was against ..every man's, every man's hand ■ being ngainst his. "hut., the end of active warfare was, lie trusted< in sight. To murk the magnitude, of the event which had occurred he asked tho Council to. adjourn until to-day. ■■. . .• The Council adjourned at £.55 p.m.