Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1917, Page 2

The political results of Germany’s spectacular stroke against Italy will require careful watching weighing and counteraction. As far as can be seen, though, carried out to full fruition, the stroke will be of great strategical it is also being made foi' political reasons—greatly in part with the view of seducing the peoples of the Entente into a favourable attitude towards Germany’s peace proposals. Germany hopes that she is putting the coping stone upon Russia’s partial military, but almost wholly political, subjugation, and that she is frightening the Greeks from supporting tlie programme of the Vcnezolists. She trusts, also, that the. Bulgarians and Turks will he highly impressed at the sight of the German invincibility. To a great degree tlie German strntegsts at Berlin are right. New and apparently somewhat generous, propsals in the light of events, and in view of the uphill struggle with which the Allies are faced, are held out as bait to Italy and France. Theses “feelers” are being put out to undermine the determination and, patriotism of large sections of the peculations of those countries in each of which there is a nucleus of internationals a n d pacifists. Germany wants peace very badly but she wants to snatch at what she thinks the opportune moment to secure a victorious peace. Her apparent generosity is subtle trickery of the Frederick the Great variety, and contains neither sincere nor honourable future intentions. Germany is baiting barbed hooks for Russia and America by making a great show of democratising tbc Government of the Empire. The Yossiche Zeitung is now crying out, “See, Germany has democratised her Government; so there are now no obstacles towards meeting in a conference for peace!” No one knows how far unrest has gone in Germany, and how far the straits of Austria and Germany are compelling Germany to make desperate efforts to attain peace before winter settled upo n the country, hut the fact that Russia is prostrated and Italy severely threatened while Germany is still holding all tlie industrial resources of Belgium and the greater part of those of France tells.a tale. Germany has made a show of power in Italy at a season when, upon a superficial view of things, she could go on to an unlimited degree. Tf she could do so, and if she were sure of herself she would be setting no peace kites a-flying. She is afraid of America and Britain combined .