NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 70, 17 December 1918, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

The correspondent who_ breaks into verse in oitr columns this morning over Mr. Semple's electiraeering flights makes a point which is worth while. It is the habit of the majority of the leading lights in' the ranks of our Labour-Socialists to arrogate to themsolves all the virtues and to treat all who differ from them as enemies of the ppople and actuated only by unworthy motives. To hear them talk one would think, as our correspondent points out, that nothing had ever been done for the betterment of social conditions and that nothing ever would be done unless the windy gentlemen who proclaim "the class war" stir up sectional strife and promote industrial unrest aro given l the roins of government. New Zealand has never had a Labour Government and Australia has had many, yet how much better off are tho people of the Commonwealth than those in this in the matter of the social conditions of the people or in any _ other way ? It is easy enough to tickle the car of the crowd with high-sounding promises, especially whon the responsibilities of ornco aro far away-, and the Labour-Socialist here as elsewhoro is doing a lot of eartickling just now. What tho electors have to concern themselves

with, however, is practical politics and especially, in view of the pressing problems which lie ahead of this and all other countries, with tho cnoicc of practical and experienced men for public offices.

It is not surprising to learn from a British White Paper just issued that native chiefs in tho late enemy colonies are unanimous in their desire to remain under the British flag. Germany's policy with the coloured races in her colonial possessions has divided under two main heads of massacre and plunder. Had she deliberately set out to depopulate her colonics she could hardly have approached that result more rapidly. It has been estimated that during thirty years of German administration in Damaraland alone a native population originally numbering from 750,000 to 1,000,000 was reduced to not more than 200,000. Complete ■and detailed statistics are not, of course, available, but German official admissions are sufficiently appalling. The Gold Coast Leader, published in the British colony of the Gold Coast, stated in June, 1913, that "the German Secretary of_ State for the Colonies has admitted that from 1903 to 1913 105,000 natives have been killed in expeditions sent against them." If the Peace Conference i 3 to be influenced by the wishes of the native inhabitants it may be taken for granted that whatever happens Germany will not have her African colonies restored to her.

* * # # ' Count Czehnin, erstwhile Austrian Foreign Minister, was reported yesterday to have said to an interviewer that the war had started through too much bluffing. Czernix himself was no mean adept at the art of bluffing—except when it came to explaining away his Emperor's epistolary indiscretions, 011 which occasion he made a sorry exhibition of himself. But apart from that, and apart also from the fact that the war was really started because Germany would listen to nothing else, it must be confessed that high diplomacy has something to answer for in its management of various situations which shaped the course of events. The language of diplomacy is conspicuous chiefly for what it leaves unsaid. Some time ago the London Morning Post took occasion to refer to £ord Grey, who was British Foreign Minister prior to and for some time after August, 1014, and incidentally remarked: "We believe that this war might at least have been postponed had Lord Grey told Germany plainly before mobilisation began that England stood by the side of France.", Whether that might have been so or not, the fact remains that Lord Grey did not say it, and the world is therefore merely left to ponder upon what might have been; At all events, war /has been a great awakener, and diplomacy's sins of omission a blessing in disguise, for we'learnt that truth about Germany, and saved ourselves just intime.