NO SHAKING HANDS WITH GERMANY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1902, 12 November 1918, Page 4

NO SHAKING HANDS WITH GERMANY.

LORD DERBY ON TRADE AFTER Till'] WAR. Lord Derby, British Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary In Franee, made an important pronouncement at Liverpool on July 22m1, when he was re-elected President of the Chamber of Commerce. Speaking of the war, he said that the greatest of modern battles was now being fought in a way that was, he hoped, bringing the end nearer. The brilliant eounlerslroke of General Foeh had resulted in it great change in the prospect. and he Imped they would note I hilt, in this "Teat battle the unity of command 'was being exemplilied with great advantage by the fact that, although (he Du lie of the fighting naturally fell on the French troops who were situated in the area where the battle was now raying’, (hey were being; assisted by Americans, English, and Italians. In tin 1 position to which, about four months ago, he was called, he fell that the first principle he had to adopt was; "Does the country to which you are accredited thoroughly understand the country whose representative you are.'” and "Does your own country understand the country to which you are accredited'" Tie asked himself those (wo questions, and he could, in the main, answer in the allirmative. lie could safely say at the present moment that there was an excellent feeling in France towards England, and a great belief in ail England was doing to bring the war to a’succossful conclusion. (Cheers.) If he might say so, it was a little 1 extraordinary that they should have that feeling, because we were a very curious nation. Our mentality was something extraordinary. “We know," be continued, "we are doing a big tiling in the Army, in the Navy, and in munitions of war, and yet ilie, one thing everybody seems to set themselves out to prove is that we are not doing a lug thing. In other words, to try do gel another ounce out of the country, a great many people are engaged in belittling our efforts. \\ e see thro-, ugh it a, 11, lad oilier mil ion-- do mu see through it so clearly. They lake us at our word and then we are rather angry beenuse they do so. But, notwithstanding that, I am perfectly certain that Franee at the present: moment realises all that. England is dome." He not think it was quite brought home yet —lie was not talking of educated people, hut of the masses of the cotiidry —what our Navy had meant lit the war, lie was not sure whether they realised what our women were doing in the war, and he was md quite sure, for he had not. realised it himself until the last three or four days, that they realised wind in the way of-re-strictions we were willingly and cheerfully undergoing so as to have enough food and ships to keep the wav going to the biller end. THE SPIRIT OF FRANCE, In this count ry we did not realise the picture in Franee, and what a. blessing it was to us (bat the invaders bad never set foot in this country. If limy saw, as he haul seen, stream after stream of refugees with their poor little belongings mi their carts, men, women, and children leaving the homes which they know by the time they came hack would he destroyed hy tin 1 lire of either friend or foe, they would have intense sympathy with the French people who were tindergoing such hardships. The Germans, with their usual wrongheadedness, thought that the shelling and bombing of Paris would unnerve the people of that city. Not a bit of it. They thought that the driving out of the people as refugees would embitter them. Not a Dil of it.- What it had done, aad what it would continue lido, was to harden French opinion to go mi until a victorious peace was secured, and he had absolute eon(idenee that Ju>l as we were with France to the bitter end. so wa~ France with us.- (Cheer.-.) Referring to lrad( after the war —"the war after (lie war" —Lord Derby said that there were some, people who thought —there might be some people who Imped —that avc should bo able to shake hands with the Germans after the Avar and go on trading with them. No, no, he added. There have been some foes who fought cleanly and with whom avc have been able afterwards to make up oar differences, Iml I hope and believe that in this country nobody will ewer forget, and that every

one Avill hand doAvn to his children nnd his children’s children the memory of the sort, of fighting that the Germans have indulged in. Do not let ns forget it after the war, and let us hope that some of those gentlemen who arc uoav, or Avho are being, interned may find that” they have a happier home on the other side of the water in Germany than they are likely to have in this conntry after the Avar. I tint perfectly certain that this Avar has been a revelation to one and all as to the a.mount of peaceful penetration into our businesses Avhieh the Germans had obtained. Well, avc have obtained the information, obtained it in time, and I sincerely hope that peace, Avhen it comes, will not Had us as unprepared as war did Avhen it came to light the battle of conimeree with the Germans after the wav. In (he Allied nations we have (he monopoly of raw materials. Let us make use of that weapon. Let us make the Allies of war the Allies of peace, and do nil avc can to cement in peace the friendships and alliances that Avar - has brought us. (Cheers.)