The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY JAN 18th 1923. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1923, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY JAN THE WEEK.

Tin-, political .situation in the Dominion is again in doubt because ol the elections petitions still to he iletetmined. Hi roe or four of these are on the tapis. including the seats of tun .Ministers, so that the net. situation is si ill in solution. .Meantime, Mr Massey remains both silent and inactive as regards the early assembly of Parliament. liy that attitude he is acting iinconstii utionaliy. A contemporary puts tile ease very well when it says it cannot see why the liberals should he called to the rescue of the Mnsseyite- who were defeated at the polls last month. Of this 'there cannot, lie doubt ill any unprejudiced miiid. Going to the country with a large majority. Mr .Massey emerged from the struggle with a minority. He has 38 followers in the present Parliament mid 12 were elected to oppose him. It is being urged in various qmirteis that, tin' Prime Minister being in a minority, ought to take tlie' earliest possible oppnrt unit i ol calling Parliament. tegether. He is sil| posoil. we

believe, to think that he can continue to rule New Zealand notwithstanding that the electors have appointed a

majority of the House to oppose him. The Reformers think, or say they think that sufficient Liberals will join Mr Massey to kee pliim in office. Rut all this is conjecture, and is of no account beside the fact, that"'the constituencies have removed Mr .Massey's majority,, so that lie lias no constitutional right, and no moral right to govern New Zealand at the present time. It now is nearly five weeks since the Government "as defeated at the polls—since ii lost, a .Minister, the Speaker, the Uhaii man of Gnmniittoes. the chairman ol the .Meat Producers’ Board and the only other member of that hoard wlio was in the House. Tim Govern-

ment has, we ieel sure, been condemned l.y i lie majority of the people very largely for its inefficient administra-

tion ; yet. it is proceeding as if the verdict had been one of approval instead of one of censure. It is contended as a constitutional ) rim iple iliac im Governmeiii lias the right to adminis-

ter the affairs of a country without the authority of the House of liepresentatives. and the present Xew Zealand Government has not that authority. Its plain duty is to ascertain if' position without the avoidable loss of a single day. This country is just now being governed unconstitutionally.

I’llK matter of transcendent importance this wees is the attempt of France by

t great display of force to exact icpa

rations from Germany. It is significant that so far as Great, Britain ami ilic' United States are concerned, tho most powerful friends France could I urn to in times of stress, are not supporting the French move. America is 'withdrawing her troops from the Rhine already and it may be expected that Britain will follow suit. The panic in the exchange rate is indicative ot what the financial world values the French franc and the German murk if the two nations should come imo serious conflict, not in a military way. Of course, because Franco has all the advantages from the economic point of

viiw. Tile French franc- worth about lfkl ordinarily of Kngiish money, is now below Id. while the German mark which had a pre-war value of Is is now worth below 2d. Tho financial barometer is a sure index of the gravity of thr position. France however is going ahead with her display of military force. H will perhaps be ■dousing to French vanity to march her : toons across German suit, but it will be with very different feelings that the hill of costs for the escapade will have to he met. It will cost France an enormous sum to make this excursion into German territory. Troops ate being moved in all directions. Colonial •olored troops are being brought over from Africa, and if they appear in Germany, the experience will add to ihe fury already aroused. Sir It. Bradbury has expressed the view that he believes the French policy to he disastrous and events are shaping that nay already. It is a sign of weakness io the French attitude, for instance to find the United States troops are to embark for home front a German nort. Seeing that the troops were in Lurope to do .service for the French, a memorable send-off 7rom a French port •night have been expected. Instead, we <ind the United States forces preparing to leave by a side door as it were. Tt is nit anti-climax, which could never have been dreamt of in the days of the * Great War, f , L edniiftad or. oh i t p * Wr-. ;•

has every right to payment. The Biitish statesmen have- worked as until'’ ingly to that end as the British Navy and Army did to save France from the enemy. France is taking a very reckless step in seeking to fly in the face of the advice of her most powerful friends. We aie told that the entente is not dead. It is certainly strained to the utmost, practically to breaking point, and the demand that is being made for the withdrawal of the British troops oil the Rhine will probably give the situation the coup de grace. It is noticeable that the British statesmen are not talking much publi ■ lv. It is a clear sign of the tension. There is evidently not the desire to say or suggest anything which might precipitate trouble. M. ’Poincare, also, is net as voluble a- heretofore. His reticence does him credit, for Ihe less he says at this juncture will leave the less to mend. Me has embarked hi- loimtryiiien on a very difficult if imt disastrous course. The movement of troops will he a difficult mallei to control once the late enemy territory is more fully occupied. Any untoward incident may suddenly bring in pass a difficult sit uiiUion which the ‘'yea” or ‘'nay” of a talkative politician in Paris will not be able to quieten. The event is sure to have an upsetting effect oil the En-j-epean situation generally. The differences, or worse, of the Allies will b" a good opportunity I'm Turkey to score in another crisis. The elite! of

the armed invasion on Germany it is difficult to gunge at the present. The military pellet rut i■ \i v. ill «i .e- iln bitterest feelings ami that cannot be helpful to the cause ol pence in Europe. The futility of the peace treaty and the League ol Nations are alike demonstrated by the present course of efents mid the dream that there o'n be no more war is but a dream allot all. Our boasted e.i il l isa l ton. war much talked ot humanity, all go h\ the board when brute force determines to asseit itself. I'll,'ll is where Franco is taking Europe to to-day. and a great respoiisibilits rests upon France because of (lie ill-grudged action.. Tin: economic aspect of Urn nee's fatal step, will be lur, reaching. Tile financial results ol the European situation will reflect themselves here. As was mentioned in Thursday’s thought for the time.., the prospects of New Zealand depend upon the prospects of Britain, and Britain's prospects depend very largely on wliat happens in liurope. II Europe goes to work and the curreneies are stabilised by production, the finance ot the world at largo will he helped to adjust itself. But Europe is not going to work. France is bent upon keeping up a state of war in her own country and in Germany. Her nude eligible- are being called to the colors. Warlike preparations are going forward apace, and there is a great waste ami squandering all the time. I lie Germans resent the presence of the armed bailiff, and the working men are going to sulk. They are going to strike, or go slow . or otherwise in). pedo production, that French ambitious will not. lie gratilietl. They will be holding up the industry of their country, and putting off for still longer Gieir ability to pay. The communist and the agitator generally will find a ready audience to the picas and demands for strikes and the negation ol civil rule, [f military rule is imposed the inevitable bloodshed will result. and lives mure or less valuable, the pawns in the game, will he sacrificed. The road France is travelling seems to leatl to a state of national madness, a costly folly, likely to he attended with serious disaster. There "'ll be financial disaster for a certainty, while the prestige of France so greatly enhanced during the period of file war, will he seriously discounted in these newer days of peace, which no less than war time, call for courage am! resource, without blind folly engendered hi- the degree of vnnitv I'i aiire has, attained through her intoxication of jxj wor over a life-long enemy now unable to strike hack with military force, hilt who can hit harder still ee illomieallv.

Opinion in British rountric.s regard-i'lt-i tile at! it mlo lII' till' |H'np]|. of r l,o l-nited States towards (Boat Biitiiin lin.s, in recent ycnrs. undergone considerable modification, dip' in tin' hotter understanding now existing betweon the two countries. An indication. ol the attitude of some Americans and the British peoples i s given In an eloquently expressed passage in a loiter written hy Dr Frank 1,. Korn, formerly oi' the I’niversity of California., to Mr Phil D. .Mansell, of Christchitrch. Mr Alan.xcll met Dr Kern while on holiday last year in Honolulu, and a warm friendship sprang up between them. Dr Kern is a well-known contributor to the newspapers of t!.•. Tinted States, and is editor of the periodical “The Paradise of the Pacific.’’ He intended visiting New Zealand last year, fait had in postpone hi- visit. and hopes to rcaeh the Dominion .some tie this year. Writing from l.os Angeles. under date November 2(Sth last. Dr Kern remarks :—“World affairs are getting to lie intensely interesting, and very critical. too, 1 am sorry to know, and it is time that all our English speaking people must stand close and hard hy each other, and for the good of mankind in general. l.et: the morning drumbeat under the lotion Jack and. Stars and Stripes go on around the world following the sun until Anglo-Saxon heartbeats and brain power will ei'. ili.=e the world. We .imply must stand together, like the brothers we: are. and lay aside aii prejudice and intolerance, and boastfulness. and pull the tiling through. If England is drawn into this fuss with nasty old Turkey, then she will be menaced by trouble with all .her colonies representing the .Mohammedan faith. We must all stand together, for we are ‘our brother's keeper.’. . . Do you know, after I have been with the Canadians and mot you Nov Zealanders, I have broadened out a lot. and can now get wildly enthusiastic over your flag and what it stands tor. It we can only learn to know each other better, then the tinns may come when there will he no more opposition, intolerance. and fighting, and the world will know how to live and let live in penco and comfort and properity. Me are too selfish and greedy—that’s the main obstacle in the way."