The Dominion WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1918. VICTORY!

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1918. VICTORY!

The last and strongest of our enemies has now been overthrown. Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria went clown one by one in quick succession. Germany hoped in some way to escape the just humiliation to which her guilty satellites had to submit; but no way. of escape presented itself, and she has had to bow to tho inevitable. ' The surrender of Germany means the cessation of hostilities. The Germanic league, which aimed a deadly blow at civilisation and human liberty, has fallen to pieces, and it is now the duty of the victorious Allies to dictate tho terms of peace. After four years of war waged on a colossal scale victory has come, and our pent-up feelings demand an outlet. It is only natural that we should give* appropriate outward manifestation to the joy we feel in our grateful hearts. It is right and proper that wo should

Shout, for a mighty victory is won! Come forth, ye old men now in peaceful show, And greet your 6ons! drums beat and trumpets, blow! Make.merry, wives! ye little children, stun Your grandames' ears with pleasure of your noise! Clap, infants, clap your hands!

Never in the history of the world have lovers of freedom., and justice had greater cause for jubilation. Tyrants have fallen, and millions of oppressed people have been set free. -The-world has been saved from a moustrous thing. Germany set before herself the tremendous alternative of world-dominion or downfall. German world-dominion would have meant that the German Boul would • have ruled over mankind. / And what is this German soul 'I Before tho war wo knew it by the name of Kultur. During tho conflict it revealed itself as "frightfulness." AVe have seen it in all its hideous nakedness. A German pastor has declared that no one can be a true German unless he can wholeheartedly approve of the sinking of the Lusitmia, "and givo himself up to honest delight at this victorious exploit of Germany's defensive power." If our enemies had won the war these "true Germans" would have become the rulers of tho world. From this ghastly fate mankind has been delivered by the victory of the.Allies. But at more than one critical moment in the struggle the decision trembled in the balance. More than once victory seemed to lie in the grasp of the enemy, but just as his hand' waa about to clutch the prize it slipped away. Some "Presence turned tho scale of doubtful fight" in favour of tho Allies.

• In the midst, of our jubilation we should not forget to be thankful. We have not been-, made to pay ro the last farthing the penalty of our unreadiness, our blunders, our lack of forethought and foresight. Our road to victory has passed through the valley of the shadow of death. This thought should steady us up in .the midst of our rejoicings. Wo have passed. through much tribulation. Victory has ueen bought at a great price. We have had to pay for it in rivers of blood and tears. •We cannot help thinking to-day of the "noble army of martyrs"—of the thousands of splendid young lives which have been lost in order to gain the triumph wjiich we are now celebrating. Our .hearts go out in sympathy to the men who bear the scars of war and to the relatives of those who have died for us. When we think of ouii gallant dead we can scarce prevent our shouts of triumph from ending in tears. Wherever our fallen soldiers may have found their last resting-place wo know that "in glory will they sleep, and endless sanctity." They fought a good fight and fought for a good cause, and they have not died in vain. They will have their reward. It is an essential requirement of justice that every man shall get his due, and if the world is governed on just and rational principles, as we must believe it is, .then- both instinct and reason tell us that the due of the soldiers who have laid down their lives iu a crusade against an abominable tyranny that threatened to enslave mankind is completer and more abundant life, and not merely a 'place on the scrap heap of the universe. Our day of victory is also a solemn day of remembrance, and our hearts overflow with thankfulness to all our soldiers, the living as well as the fallen—for all have done their duty, and have done it magnificently. Thank God the manhood of the free nations did not fail or falter in the supreme hour of trial. ■ .

The fighting men have finished their task. ' They have won the war, and it becomes the duty of our statesmen ■ and diplomatists to see tliat we do not lose .the peace. Tho gathering of the fruits of victory will bo the work of tho Peace Conference. It is to be hoped that the Allies will adhere strictly to their resolve to dictate the terms of settlement. . There should be no bargaining, no shuffling, no compromise, no betrayal of principles. It should be made quite plain to the whole world that the Conference is not going to take the form of an unlimited parley, between the Allies, our enemies, and neutrals. It should be a tribunal which will sit in judgment in order to administer justice in accordance with the principles laid down in the declarations of war aims put forward by the Allies. It.will have to solve many vital problems. It will have to see that the wronged shall receive adequate reparation, and that the guilty shall be duly punished. It will have to make great alterations in the map of the world. It will be called upon to mould tho destiny of many peoples, and it should take heed not to sow seeds that may produce a crop of future wars. Its duty will be to "judge just judgment" based upon that law which (to quote tho great words of Burke), "governs* all law, the law of our Creator, Ehe law of humanitj', justice, equity—tho law of nature and of nations." It is generally understood that the Peace Conference will )w required to undertake the tremendously difficult and delicate task of framing measures for combined' action by tho civilised nations-for the purpose of banishing war from the earth by bringing international relationships within the realm of law. Its decisions must have an enormous and I far-reaching influence for good or evil on the future of mankind. Its deliberations will provide ample

scope for mature wisdom, high political courage, sound knowledge, and strong statesmanship. If it succeeds it will cam the everlasting gratitude of the human race; if it fails, its failure will be the supreme tragedy of secular history. Though the war has been fought and won outright, we dare not say "justice triumphs, earth is freed," until the work of the Peace Conference has been successfully accomplished.