Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1918. A PEACE DONE.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1918. A PEACE DONE.

; Tiik Kaiser, deep-dyed as the Emperor | of Germany was in the starting of Die ! war, at last unbends, and has sent out ■ a peace dove to find a resting place in a troubled world deluged with the blood of millions who have been victims ,of the Kaiser’s machinations. The war | did not begin without an internal conspiracy to spring the dire event so suddenly upon the world. There has been a long wait for evidence to fix the responsibility for engineering the present war. There are two German sources of information, which leave no possible shadow of doubt whatever as to one of the prime movers, working secretly, in thi s desperate drama. The two sources are, first, Prince Lichnowsky, who was German Ambassador to Britain at the time of the outbreak of war, and second Dr Mnlilon, an cxdirector of Krupp’s. The latter make s a. second very strong indictment to the Kaiser in a communication first published in the “Berliner Tagcblatt” in March last while in a personal letter to Herr von Betinnnnn Holhveg in May. 1917, lie severed himself personally from Germany, and now lives in Switzerland. Before the war broke out lie moved freely among those in high places, and gleaned of the Austrian ultimatum before it was sent to Serbia, He was aware of its contents in auvnnee, and knew that- the Kaiser in conference with Austrian emissaries, sanctioned the rigid terms imposed on Serbia knowing the conditions to be provocative of war. The Kaiser acted without the consent of his Ministers and had committed himself so far, that when his Ministers did know the truth, the Kaiser had so deeply committed Germany that- there was no turning hack. Throughout the long duration of the war the Kaiser lias hol'd on his mad way. For four long years and more the war has fluctuated, and whenever the balance wa s in favour of the Contra] Powers, the Kaiser was not slow to rush-into the limelight, and with his bombastic speeches, make the most of the situation. He has sanctioned every evil practice to win through by fair or foul means. At last he realises that for him victory is impossible, and so comes his peace offer. However liberal his peace terms might be, they cannot wipe out the criminal wrongs ho luis done or instigated. As the War Lord supreme of the German nation who had and exorcised the power to put this devastating war on the world, so he should he the first called to account for his evil action. It is no| for the Kaiser to offer term.s of peace so far as the Allies are concerned, but for the Kaiser to accept whatever terms the Allies in their united wisdom might sanction. For the sake of unity there is joint control of the Allies, and as if has been very successful in the military sense, no doubt the same degree of consultation will determine the actual terms of peace. The essential point of the Kaiser’s proclamation is not that, he lia s offered liberal terms, but that he has offered peace at all. It is a confession to his Army and Navy that victory by force is impossible, and lie i.s prepared to give up the attempt. Reaching such a decision himself, if can lie imagined what effect such an admission will have on his forces, Tt is now only a matter of time now, how long the war can last? -