NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 146, 15 March 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Given, fine weather to-day the public welcome to be 'accorded the Main .Body and other men returning by the. Hororata should . lie as hearty and enthusiastic as all would desire, to make it. The arrangements for the occasion arc fully set out in our news columns, "and it only requires the full attendance of the. public at the different vantage points to make such .1 demonstration as will convey to the troops something of the pride'that is felt in their achievements and of the gratitude for the services they have rendered. If, as seems probable from the, news to hand, the final decision of the Peace Conference in regard to the German Army is to limit it to 100,000 men, twelve-year volunteers, then the great permanent conscript armies of Europe have their death-blow. The condition restricting the proposed limited army to twelve-year volunteers—that is, men who volunteer for twelve yeais service—is of course intended to prevent a large number of soldiers being trained in Germany under a short-servicc, system. This decision, if it proves' to be .correct, is an achievement -of ' supreme promise as making for future, peace. iSo-> tiling would do niorc to safeguard peace than the abolition of the Continental armies, consisting of almost the whole manhood of nations trained or made available under conscription, which exist only to balance one another, and hitherto have made war an ever-present possibility. The reduction of the German Army to the dimensions of a police and fron-tier-guarding force would, of course, clear'the way for a corresponding reduction in the armies of other military Powers. * tt *' *• At its face value n I'eccnl announcement implied that a critical state of affairs had been reached in the dispute between Italy and the Jugo-Slavs. America, it was stated, had warned Italy that unless she refrained from delaying the transport of relief to the Jugo-Slavs and Czccho-Slovaks the supply of American foodstuffs to Italy would cease. As .vet there is no confirmation or elaboration of this report, and possibly it ran ahead of facts. The .American Government is not likely to take as drastic 'action against Italy unless the case becomes urgent. Partly influenced, 110 doubt, by the fact that there is a large and growing Italian population in the United States, it has been particularly careful hitherto to avoid offending Italian susceptibilities. The Adriatic dispute was already at an embittered stage when PRESIDENT Wilson visited Italy in January, but on that occasion, so far as his public' utterances were concerned, lie contented himself with emphasising the broad harmony of sentiment uniting the Italian nation and his own. Whatever the position at the moment may be, control of food supplies gives America and the Allies a powerful lever in compelling the Italians and Southern Slavs to listen to reason and await the decision of the Peace Conference on their conflicting claims. Ilaly is snared the worst evils,of famine as they are being experienced in some of (he Southern Slav territories and in Bohemia, hut is nevertheless suffering a serious food shortage and cannot afford to close any existing channel of supply.