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Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1922, Page 4

subjection to foreign yoke of millions of Germans, hostile in every fibre to French rule, will be a constant source of trouble to the French Government, whilst not merely an incentive to Germany to renew the war, but dignify attack by converting it into a war of liberation. All that had no affect on the Theniun school of French politics. This school is as powerful as ever. Jts real danger of fifteen years occupation, may on one pretext or another be indefinitely prolonged. When it comes to the end will there be a .Ministry in France strong enough to withdraw troops or resist the press plant our that the occupation should be made effective. Upon an answer to these questions the peace of Europe and peace of the world, and perhaps life of our civilisation depends. Pressure to do an evil thing that will onto more spill rivers of human blood is an insistent temptation. The growing resistance is getting leeblcr. Ameiku and Britain are standing together and can alone avert the catastrophe. They can only do it by making it clear that the aggressor whoever he be, will have the invincible might of those two Commonwealths against the nation threatening to embroil the woild in another conflict. There are men m Germany who preach revenge. 1 here are men in France who counsel annexation. They must be warned that such a stop will alienate the sympathies of Britain and America, that when the inevitable war of liberation conies, the syi'uoaUiies of America and Britain will he openly rai. S «l on the side ot those lighting for national freedom. The time has come for saying these things and if not said in high places, humanity will one day call those occupying such places to a reckoning, lhe pact°was designed to strengthen -M. Clemoncenu’s hands against the aggressive party in France who are anxious to commit the colossal error of annexation.

STORY OF THE PACT. LONDON, Dec. 8. M CTemeiiooau knows full well Britain’s roplv, that at any time during the last, three years up to a »o« months ago. she would take upon herself the burden of the pact, with or without United States. At Cubiims, early in the year, 1 made a definite proposal to that effect. It was a written offer made on belialt ot the British Government to -M. Bnaiul, -that I was anxious to secure the cooperation of France to establish a leal peace from the Urals to the Atlantic seaoard. French suspicions and apprehensions constituted a serious dilticulty. I thought if I made ii .clear to France that the whole strength <>i Britain could be depended on in the event of a threatening invasion, that French opinion would be in a better mood to discuss questions agitating Europe. With a great nation like France, to which the war lias given a towering position in Europe, in a condition of fretful ness, it was impossible to settle Europe. Hence the British Government’s oiler. M. Biiand was prepared to welcome it, and agreed to summon a eoutereiiee at Genoa. It was also resolved that an elfort be made to establish peace in Russia, that would bring that great country within the eomumnity of nations. Germany was invited to send her chief .Mini-tor to Cannes and Ratlieuaii reached Cannes in time to lake part in the discussions. The negotiations were proceeding hopetnlly. and another week might have produced results which would have pacified the tumults of suspicions nations. but alas, Satan had not done with Europe and a .Ministerial crisis in Franco brought our hopes tumbling to the ground. Suspicion once more seized the tiller, and Europe just as it seem- i ed to be entering the harbour of goodwill. swung back violently into the broken seas of international distrust. The offer of ibe British pact was rejected with disdain. We were told quite brutally that it was no use without a military convention. This we declined to enter into. Europe bad suffered 100 much from a military convention to warrant a repetition ol such a disastrous experiment. The pact with Britain lies for the moment in the wastepaper basket, but we have never (lung it there. M. 1 lenieneenii ought to have made complaint in Baris against the men of bis own race, not in New York against Englishmen. With the pact went our effort to make, peace in Europe. The history of Genoa is too recent to need reenpitiibiti**u. The new Ereneh .Ministry did not play the part ol a Giivrrinneni responsible for pressing too successfully any of lhe objects of Cannes, but rather that of a captious critic who bad to be persuaded along every ineb of the road, and who threatened at every,obstacle to turn back and leave the rest of Europe to struggle with the burden, amid the mucking laughter of France.

A GRAVE, WARNING. LONDON'. One 7. Mr Lloyd George continued:—*•[ am not complaining of M. Bnrthou. Me did bis liest under tlie most humiliating conditions to remain loyal to the con fere nee, winch his Government joined in supporting, making his task an impossible one. Me was hampered, embarrassed and tangled at every turn, whenever he took a step forward he was lasooed by a despatch from Paris. I am credibly informed that he received eight hundred of these communications. What could a |>oor man do under the circumstances. The other European countries were perplexed and distracted. They were anxious and passionately sincere that Genoa should end in a stable peace. The European nations could not help seeing that one of the great powers was working for failure. It. is a marvel that in spite of the unfortunate attitude adopted by the Erencli Government that the pact was signed, which at any rate preserved the peace of Europe for several months. Genoa at least dispelled that cloud, but a permanent peace is not yet secured, and the pact with Russia will soon expire. I however, am hopeful that the spirit of Genoa, will stand between the contending armies and prevent a clash of swords. All this, however, is leading me away from M. Clomcn-c-eau’s suggestion that Britain had not kept faith by guaranteeing the French against German aggression. The offer was definitely renewed at Cannes, hut M. Poincare has not accepted it. I have my own opinion why he has not done so. Tt is not merely that lie! does not wish to set the seal of ap- j proval upon his predecessors’ achievement. T am afraid the reason is of a ; more sinister kind. if France accepts | Britain’s guarantee every one excuse and anxiety of the left hank of the Rhine disappears, ff this is the ex-, planation, if the French ministers have' made up minds that under no circumstances whatever, at the end of the period of occupation they will with- i draw from the Rlifne, then a new chapter opens in the history of Europe and the world with a. climax of horror, such as ma,kind has not yet witnessed. The Germans will never rest content with millions of their countrymen under the foreign yoke on the other side ot the Rhine. The only question is the time when a war of liberation will begin. Wo know what the lost war was like. No ono can foretell the terrors of the next. Is it too much to ask that America should in time take an effeofc-