The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 22. 1915. THE WAR.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 September 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY. SEPT. 22. 1915. THE WAR.

A discomforting aspect ot the war ihe pronouncement of the Chief JusLice ol Sydney, Sir \VFlJiani Culfcn. ■.*i the prospects ol the Allies against Germany and Austria. Speaking at a send-oli' to the Oniver.sity Law School boy.s he waid that Great Britain still was "threatened with the horrible risk, not of do [cat i, but ol' tins proud empire being forced' to acquiesce in an inglorious and fallacious peace. Such a peace would leave all ite powers of mischief to a power knowing no scruple. It would be a peace nation that respects no treaty. Heaven protect our Empire irom the ruling of a pacilist who in spite of the horrors fo l ' •which the enemy is responsible still be 100 proud to light. The pretseuj position is analagoiis to that of the early Alrican settlers, who had every rnan prepared to light to escape destruction by savegcK." Such do not need compulsion to inspire men to the supreme duty of protecting the community.''

The foregoing remarks are "indicative of a desire to rally the volunteers of Australia and New Zealand to the flag. The patriotism ol the speech is admirable, but it raises a, doubt as to whether the voluntary system of enlisting is working to the satisfaction of the military authorities. Perhaps tlie Government will resort to the system of compulsory military service, but tlie lead in such a momentous venture should be reserved for the Mother Country, as was the cia.se in the declaration of war. The patriotic note in the appeal of the Chief Justice : .s praiseworthy, but his apprehension i f the danger of "an inglorious and fallacious peace" seem to be unduly apprehensive. Probably the war will (fevelop on a plan of "masterly activity along the western front" for a year or two to come, provided the financiers of New Vork will allow the astonishing incubus of undepreciable standard gold now lying in the vaults of America to be utilised for loans to Ofrcat Britain to carry on the war. The eastern front still recedes, but the Russians may, be looked to for a resumption of tlie offensive operations in the spring. The Germans, warned by the fate of Napoleon, assuredly will he found to have built light railways behind them ere the autumn ends, and the summer of 1916' seems likely to be spent by the Russians in an endeavour to win back lost ground. -Altogether the prospects of the war tor the Allies are not yet tipped' with buds of success, but the veilod pessimism of Sir William (Julien's articles seems hasty. The need for men will be greater in -lie summer than now, and perhaps there is ammdue tendency to rucli the reinforcements to "the fighting lines this year. And, in the other event, if It be possible to fix up a reasonable compromise. the British Empire could do worse than accept it. The war was entered 1 upon partly to maintain Belgium's neutrality, bwt chiefly, because of the fear that the Emperor of Germany was bent upon a world-wule conquest that was to equal that of Cyrus. Already the campaign has ended ; n seini-bankrirptoy lor the world. ( and with that stage accentuated in Germany and Austria the menace has passed. Under the altered conditions ol 'banking the world has managed (so far) to bear the colossal burden of debt, but expenditures 011 such a scale cannot longer be borne without lasting detriment to the hest interests of humanity.