Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27th, 1917. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27th, 1917. THE WEEK.

The debate in the House of Commons this week on the initiative of Mr. Jtodmond, zealously watching the rights of Ireland, has stimulated interest in the Homo llule question. This is so because of the' Prime Minister’s declaration that whatever agreement is reached by Hie Convention now sitting at Dublin will be promptly passed into law by the British Parliament. This pronouncement is at once inspiring and hopeful the encouragement it gives in regal'd to the general outlook, makes the immediate future pregnant with possibilities. Just how the ppsitipn is viewed in Parliamentary citnles at

I Lx' m ' Home, seems to be admirably hit o.T by that experienced correspondent, Henry Lucy, in one of his concise weekly reviews sent out from Westminster. Ho views the prospects most hopefully because, mainly of the excellent choice of a Chairman by the Convention. This is how he elucidates h; s optimistic opinion: The hopeless- • ness with which the Irish Convention was regarded by the public on the eve of its foregathering was suddenly lightened, by its first recorded action. Tno ’ unanimous election to the chair of Sir Horace Plunkett was instinctively, uni. : versally accepted as a pledge of the practicability of subsequent proceedings. The bane of the well-devised scheme lay in the continuing of the * predominance of personal and political prejudice and activity. Among Irish public men Sir Horace Plunkett stands apart as free Prom both blemishes. Whe n he had a seat in the House of Commons he ranked as a I'nionist. His constitutional moderation alienated from him the majority of the land-lord class, whilst Irish Nationalists vtiewea ’ with suspicion a man who thought the welfare of Ireland did not depend so much upon making raucous speeches whether on the platform or in the House of Commons, as upon Intel' to work to improve the social and industrial Conditions of the people. -This combination ; of prejudice has kept Sir Horace out of Parliament for 17 Years.

The world famous correspondent then proceeded to say that the circumstances of Sir Horace’s exclusion rrom the British Parliament for a long term ' ot years'was fortunate for Ireland as wa s endowing him with leisure and opportunity to give practical effect to his views and principles. (Single-handed he planned and strengthened the line upon which was built the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society, an institution to which is largely due the rural prosperity to-day enjoyed by Ireland. Its simple object, regarded heretofore as impossible was to introduce among farmers the system of co-operation in the preparation and marketing of their goods. Beginning on the modest scale of individual, effort the association to-day numbers a membership of 103, 000 farmers, practically the whole agricultural community. A later achievement was the establishment 24 years ago of what was known as the Recess Committee. By happy coincidence 1 liibody was a forecast of the convention over which Sir Horace has. by a rare impulse of unanimity on the pas t of his versatile countrymen, been ctflled upon to preside. Whilst the latter is summoned with the mission to settle a long-smouldering political question, the Recess Committee consisting of the leaders of Irish politics and Irish industries was convened, *v Sir Horace to consider how best the Government, might; prdmotio ijlie development oi Ireland’s industrial and agricultural resources. The result was seen in the establishment of the Department of Agricultural and Technical Instruction, that has largely contributed to the growth and consolidation of Ireland’s material prosperity. Under Sir Horace Plunkett’s Chairmanship, it becomes reasonable to hope that the convention meeting may have equally benefieient result.

There is one man in England to-day who should stand forth to Ireland as ail example of what Britain is disposed to do for those within the Empire. That man is our sometime enemy, General Smuts, now no less than a member of the War Cabinet. The treatment South Africa has received from Britain is suggestion enough for Ireland to trust'fully Great Britain also. The reference to General Smuts today, however, is intended to draw attention to his view on the war, particularly in regard to the western front, and to reprint portion of the text of a remarkable speech lie delivered in London three weeks a so, a full report of the address having come to hand this week through the Australian press. He went on to say:—With one or two exceptions, tlio enemy is everywhere on the defensive—everywhere slowly (retreating before us. This movement is necessarily slow, from the nature of tlhis new! form oft wuYfare, which requires enormous transport of heavy artillery, mechanical apparatus of all kinds; but even an advance of a mile by us involves tremendous enemy losses comparable with those sustained in great battles of former wars. Such losses and de feats are now continually inflicted on the enemy. Take the Western front, over which the flower of the German army is gathered. One continuous retir<e)nent has Ibeen proceeding ' frdm the summer of last year. It has been very slow, but very sure at Verdun, in the Champagne, at Vimy, Arras, Messines, .Latigemarcke, Westhoek, and Zonnpbeke. On that almost immovable line the. German manhood is bleeding to death, and a tragedy of slaughter vs being enacted which is probably unparalleled in the world’s history. You need not. advance to the Rhine to defeat Germany. One strip of country is as good as another, as long as they will only stand. Believe me, long before the Rhine is reached Germany will have sued for peace. Our military predominance on the western front is no longer questioned. Remember, that the issue of military predominance is the very one on which the Germans challenged the world in August, 1914.”

Retaliatory (measures in Regard to the enemy air-raids on defenceless Engfish cities are now in progress. Evidently they are not operating as condignlv as some of the more eager parliamentarians and press men of Britain would wish. It is wise, perhaps to apportion the dose; to endeavour to be as humane as possible. In the circumstances this is the policy evidently of Great Britain. Here again let us quote General f>mnts who referred to the subject of reprisals in the epochmaking speech we have .'referred to above. Tie said: —We aVo derfling with an enemy whose culture has not carried him beyond the rudiments of the Mosaic law. Therefore we can only apply the maxim ‘An eye for an eye’ ‘a tooth for a tooth.’ Consequently we now most reluctantly are forced—we no longer have any choice in the matter. In the cirepmslffuces X wish to emphasise two points, hoping they will be remembered--When It Is found my

words are not bluff. Firstly, wo do . not .begin this business of bombing i populous centres. Tho. enemy began it, i [is ho began the uso of poison gas and many other contraventions of interna- ' e tional law and we reluctantly are forced ( to follow suit, after a long delay which , has severely tried tho patience of the 5 British people. Secondly, I regard j these developmnts of the art-, of war ! j as utterly bad and immoral, and while Ido not fear them, yet I should in- . finitely prefer both sides to desist , from the cruel practices. Wo shall I endeavour to avoid the German abom- 1 . inations, sparing as far as humanely . possible the innocent and defenceless in | our air offensive against the military | and industrial centres of. the enemy, but it is inevitable in the extended aerial offensive against the enemy upon which we are forced, that they will suffer to some extent. This war is already cruel and horrible beyond any in the known history of mankind. Its sorrows and anguish are slowly breaking the hearts of humanity. It is almost unbearable to think that another chapter of sorrows must be added to the awful story, bu we can only plead that it has not been our doing, and the blame must rest on the enemy, WII9 apparently recognised no laws, humane or divine, who know no pity, or restraint, who sang Te Dennis over the sinking of the Lusitania, and to whom the maiming and slaughter of innocent and helpless women and children appear a legitimate means of warfare. In the face of such an abomination it is not for us meekly to fold our hands.” The war news this week indicates that the like the British, are fighting for higher ground for winter quarters. Colonel R-epington Meviews the French military situation very optimistically, and tho fact that the Americans are now ready for t-lie fray and are still held back ho make doubly sure, indicates that the French forces are able to hold their lines still to the best advantage. Probably when the French have reached the objectives in view on the offensive now in hand, the Americans will be launched upon the troubled enemy. This would be a decisive stroke if the French can maintain their present advantage, for tho new troops would catch the enemy at considerable disadvantage in the matter of organisation, and a substantial retreat would be inevitable. The Colonel’s cheery review of the situation appears to warrant expectations as to material results in the immediate future. General Haig is holding his gains on the Ypres front, and renewing the pressure on the much troubled foe. The western outlook is therefore one of very great satisfaction. The Italian operations are of more than ordinary in tcrest for they bespeak a new offensive. The latest news from the Riga front, gives the impression that the Rus sians are showing their metal, as they can when decently organised. The oppressive feature of the naval victory menacing the Gulf of Finland, is however still not discounted. There is the suggestion that the .Japanese will be fighting in the Fast next spring, and this is not an unlikely feature. Submarine l'eats h.v the enemy are still of paramount importance, and are the most /disturbing feature of the progress of the war, but at best they but delay the final victory.

Parliament promises to close its four months session next week. As has been customary the principal work of the session has been crowded into <t>he latter half of the time the House has been sitting. Parliament met* prematurely in that Government, owing to the late return of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward from England, did not have the legislative programme ready. The outstanding feature of the session has been the taxation proposals and the readiness with which the country endorsed the war loan proposals. All along it has been made plain that New Zealand is ready to loot- the t>ill in. all legitimate effort to win the war. On this point'*the Government have had every encouragement! to uphold the credit and honour of the country in the support it has given the land in’(this time of great stress. Legislative action has savoured largely of war subjects, with occasional excursions into domestic matters which were outstanding in their need for redress. The actions, however, have fallen far short of expectations in some respects, and there is still much to do to satisfy actual public demands in various matters. There is. likely to bo a very important session next year, when finance will again be the principal subject for attention. It will carry with it other important aspects which will be much more acute then than now. The country must still go along the financial high-way, and demands will have to be made beyond present expectations probably. For this reiw son this difficult and complex question should have the fullest consideration during the recess.