The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14th., 1922. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 October 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14th., 1922. THE WEEK.

Tiik Xe-i i' Hast Mou I tie appears to lie allayed, it' not actually settled, liy the agreement roaehed at Mudania. Ihe settlement seems to lie complementary to tlie Lord Ctirzon- -M. Poillcaiie confers nto in Paris about a week ago. Since the tall; at Paris, France has lieen nn.ie amenahle. The French Representative at Constantinople, M. Hm - illon. has h:en recalled and General Hnringtoii at the head of the British forces has been the chief spokesman. It will he recalled too, that M. Yonijjeli.s, on behalf of Greece discussed the position with both British and French Ministers and that “talk” made the way clea.ier lor the terms ol the Allies to go before tlie Turks. Tie Turks are to ha\e •Thia.-e ictiirned to them unopposed sunjeet to good he. haviotir in promptly evacuating neutral zones which are to he more distinctly defined hv mixed commissions. In this way the Turks will gain a great deal at very little cost, whereas if they went to war they would attain much le~s at very great cost. The oeeasion is one where discretion is the better part of valour. It is not unreasonable to assume that the French authorities have been tdvising tlie Turks to accept the slice of good fortune which is thus being received at tlie expense of Greece.

If Mr Lloyd George opens his mind to-day in his much discussed speech at Manchester, we shall he a good deal wiser as to the t.-no state of affairs in thi> Near Fast and the near approach wo had to war. It must have been touch and go at- one stage, or the Prime Minister would never have sent out his appeal to tlie oversea dominions. It would appear that it was necessary to impress more than the prospective enemy with the unity of the Empire in facing national difficulties and Mr Lloyd George could give, we are persuaded some interesting facts on the inside situation. However, Mr Boil or Law, free from the yoke of office, spoke in general terms and no rlouht in the confidence of Ministers as to the situation affecting Great" Britain, and the ultimate policy to he pursued. It is not a counsel of weakness to s»y that. “Britain, for financial and social reasons cannot afford to net as the world’s policeman.” The position defined bv Mr Bonar Law is in all res’’e sound. Probably there is no better wav of enlisting the sueport of France than hv telling her that the questions raised in the 'Near Fast are as much a part of the general peace settlement as those raised with regard to Germany. France certainly should ho made to understand that she cannot oxroct at her own sweet will to demand Allied c'-opcn-tion at one point and make it imnossifiP at, another. Tf h"s to he considered, also, thrf rn unjleo readiness op

Bi Rain's part to undertake the responsibilities of the world’s policeman is one way offcnoouragmg the United States to persist in an attitude of polite hut rather selfish detachment Irom international affairs.

The situation which suddenly aiose in respecF to Near East affairs should be a lesson all round and to the Allies in particular that more genuine co-ope-ration in regard to the peace settlement is necessary. America elects to remain outside the'Allied circle though the United States was a dominant partner in ttie making of peace. America seems to solve the public conscience by gifts and relief for the refugees and the desolate ones, but if the United States would t-ake her proper place beside the Allies in enforcing the peace she helped to make, there would lie no refugees or desolated ones to succour. By imposing peace with the force the United Allies could bring to hear, we would witness a state of international good conduct which would not only allay causes loc war, but would mean the return of the recalcitrant nations to the task of repairing the ravages cf the war and rebuilding their broken fortunes, which is the cause of so much suffering and unrest in Europe to-day. There is a great Obligation cast upon America at the crisis which is continuing because of her national limpness of doing the bold thing in the right way. Britain at oreat national risk certainly saved the European situation by her late action, hut at. her own cost and at her own peril in regard to war. Yet it were better that duty should he done than shirked.

The political situation at Home is said to he electrical. The situation has arisen out of the Near East embroglio, in regard to which the various branches of the different parties are at variance. No one in England wants war, hut Englishmen are built in such a way that when their country’s prestige is touched, they are prepared to defend it. That was the position in regard to the Near East. Mr Lloyd George is a pacifist up to a certain point. He will avoid war as long as he can do so honorably, but a. time will come when the fatal decision has to be made and that was the case ih the Near East matter. It was so in the Great War. Britain took a stand up to a certain point, hut when her authority was questioned she resorted to arms to uphold it. America stood out of the war up to a certain point but came into it in the end only because conscience impelled her to fight on the cause of right. So with the latest situation, the whole development of the crisis showed Britain was not disposed, to fight readily. There was no preparatory preparation. Only a thin kb ark i line held the neutral zone for some days. Britain did not want war, was unprepared lor war.. But if Britain had not. taken the stand she did what would have been the plight of eastern Europe to-day? The Turks would have had ft free hand to pursue their excesses, and there would have been a deluge of blood and riot-and from that great disaster British statesmanship has saved Europe.

The eonlliet of political parties at Home can be well understood .and there is the desire on the part of the •-outs” to seek for a. general election on any pretest- which might give them mi advantage. The separate parties all have their newspaper organs which are not slow to fan any flame which promises a I'avourabl* conflagration. Political thought is largely centred and greatly moulded from London, where the party press is in greatest prominence. Very few provincial papers wield material power in the matter of public opinion. So it- is that- too much credence is not to be given to the vapouring* of the London press, the comment. of which is so often prompted by party rather than national well-being. AVitli such an outstanding figuie as Mr Lloyd George to whom tlie whole world is indebted to great- international services, the press even as a whole could nut do a great- deal to discount his personal worth. Able as lie is to stand up four squnie to every unfavourable breeze of press opinion, he can give his version which is usually most acceptable to the public at large. If a great political fight is at hand, Mr Lloyd George is quite equal to the task of taking lii.s own part, and of coming through triumphant. The developments in the Near East have come to pass in a manner which is creditable to British diplomatic ordering in the face of grave difficulties.

The rising financial barometer mentioned by our Wellington correspondent, mi Wednesday, was good readme. 'l'ae improving condition of affairs indicates that the corner has been well turned and New Zealand is on the highway to better times. The good season prevailing throughout the Dominion will give further assurance as t ;! the better times being well-sustain-<d. That they will not be a (lash in the pan, but will leave behind them something substantial in the increase.l flocks, and herds and the enhanced ijuantity of produce available for export. Every additional million in value of exportable products means so muc'i more solid prosperity, and in that way tin' country will the f|uiekor ictrieve its tina'neial position. The occasion is one for optimism as to the future. With the passing of tile war cloud in the Near East of which there now appears to he tangible evidence, confidence in the future can be more firmly founded. "While it is satisfactory to note that the good season will anoint for a greater production of produce, it is also gratifying to note that m respect to dairying, good prices are promising for both butter and cheese. This fact will increase the inflowing wealth in the aggregate by these o'tra millions which will help <o directly to. turn the financial balance in ih-- right direction, and make assurance doubly sure that the better times anticipated are in fact likely to ho a happily arrived reality.