THE PEACE CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 67, 13 December 1918, Page 6

THE PEACE CONFERENCE

Sir—l notice that Mr. Massey expressed , the opinion in the House on Saturday-that "the conclusion of peace will bo celebrated at the end of March or at the beginning of April." 1 I have been smiling since 1 read that announcement. I am, presuming, of course, that our worthy Prime Minister means March or April of the coming year, and that the signing of peace completes the business. If' such is tho case, I would not mind betting Mr. Massey a new hat that it will be nearer March or April of lifiO before a final 'settlement is reached. In this connection I am reminded of the Congress of A'ienna in ISI4. and the many months spent in wrangling over tho readjustment of claims and tins division of the spoils of reconquered ■ Europe. There was a deadlock from the very commencement—rank and precedent. This difficulty was, however, overcome by the Emperor Alexander, arranging for . the representatives to sit and sign in the alphabetical order of their respective States. 'Ihen tho squabbling commenced. Self-interest (and it governs humanity) dominated tho gathering, and no headway coukl.be made. And it was a gathering! Some seven hundred envoys or delegates, including emperors, kings, and princes, participated in the proceedings, whije famous diplomats in evidence were Talleyrand, MeUernich, Hardenberg, Castlereagh, and Nesselrode. But beyond healed and acrimonions debates during the day nnd balls at night, nothing was done. A r ienna fairly rioted in revelry during the days of the Congress ("there's a big lot of sunshine coming soon" for our peace delegates), and over 100,000 distinguished visitors were attracted to Die gay and festive capital. (As Prince de Ligne remarked, "The Congress dances but it does ■ not advance," but Hardenberg capped this by calling it "an auction of nations and. an orgy of kmgm." The Conference opened ill September, . 1814, and when Mnrdi, 1815, was reached, the principal Powers had taken sides —England, Austria, and Prance on tho one side,' Russia and Prussia on the other—the chief bone of contention being Poland and Saxony.' Tho nations immediately commenced to put their armies on a war footing—matters had reached such an acute crisis, and Congress was on tho point of breaking up, when the. startling intelligence was received that Napoleon had escaped from Elba ami landed in France. Tho news was like a thunderbolt. ' All differences were immediately forgotten, and the representatives became reconciled iii dread of their common enemy, Bonaparte. The Congress (lion got to business with remarkable celerity, and by the first week iii .Tune had apparently arrived at an. understanding. Some ten months in all - were spent, before a settlement was reached, and had it not been for Napoleon's escape from Elba and his subsequent invasion of France (Napier calls it "a triumphal march") the Allies, in all probability, would have had a war amongst themselves. . • in Now, if it took ten months to settle that disturbance-not to bs compared by any elasticity of imagination with the present titanic upheaval—how long will it take the Pence Conference, in the ~ name of all that is good and holy, to arrive at anything like a satisfactory solution of the greatest and gravest problems that have ever confronted man-ki„d?-I am, etc., Pahiatua, December 10.