PROGRESS OF THE ARMISTICE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10273, 7 May 1919, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE ARMISTICE

The announcement that a copy of the Treaty will now be handed to the German representatives brings us closo to the great final settlement. That they will»be instructed to accept—they are not permitted discussion—in spite of all the protests that have been cabled out, may be regarded as certain, for it Is certain that the German is not. in a condition to resist the dictation brought on him by overwhelming defeat. As it was unlikely that this decision would be taken without the assent of Italy, it seems fair to conclude that the Italian difficulty has been settled. If this iB correct then the proposal to let the Italians hold Eiume for a time subject to self-determina-tion, and help the Jugo-Slavs to build "another port at one or other of the suitablo places in tho sheltered Dalmatian coast, must have, been accepted by all parties to the recent troublesome dispute.

To British Empire a very important feature of the Treaty is the acceptance by all the Entente Powers of the British Protectorate over Egypt. The commerce of not only; the British Kmpire, but of the whole world, requires the stability of Egypt, and that stability the Egyptian people are not able to secure. On their side thoy are. by the British Protectorate secured a government vastly better than anything in their previous history, since the days of the old Boman Empire. 'They enjoy a full measure of freedom and justice such as neither Saracen nor Turk nor Mameluke nor Khedive have ever imagined, and their prosperity is beyond anything known for many centuries. The vast territories of the Soudan anterior have been rescued from the rapacity of Khedives and slave traders, Mahommedan fanatics and predatory Arabs, and their populations are advancing by leaps and bounds. All jthis vast betterment is not, the Powers have determined, to be destroyed becaiißo of a few riots engineered by Turkish disappdintment, obstinate fanaticism, and dishonest officialdom. When the twelve millions of Egypt really desire self-government and show themselves capable of practising its principles' without disturbing the peace of the world, they will get it, through the League of Nations. At present the vast majority are perfectly happy and quite ready to enjoy the personal freedom and the just laws of the Power that holds' their country for the. benefit of mankind, as well" as the inhabitant of Egypt,

Another satisfactory feature, <me of dramatic completeness, is the return free of burdensome conditions and debts to France, of the lost provinces of Alsace-Lorraine. Tho people are to resume their nationality, discarding the preteuce of Germanism imposed on them by the enemy who misgoverned them for forty-eight years, savagely repressing every sign of sympathy for the country they had belonged to and fought for" and loved so well for so long. The impudent pretence which sought to oppose restoration with the fi|eti,on that these people had grown to love the hand of the oppressor, the band which covered their land during the war with desolation and massacre and summary execution, has not availed, and the "lost provinces are handed back.

Other points will be better indicated later and can bo better discussed, later. For the present the great point is that the Armistice stage has been bridged and permanent peace is in sight.

There is no contradiction of tho recent reports of Bolshevik reverses, and (retirements in Russia. The Soviet Government of Hungary is reported w be offering terms to tho victorious army of Ifoumania. The Spartacist .outbreak iu Bavaria Is being stamped out. One outstanding feature of the latter episode, is tho execution, after trial by court-martial, of two of the Spartacist leaders for the murder of hostages. This treatment of hostages was a. favourite with the German commanders everywhere throughout the wa*. That is proved beyond possibility of contradiction by their numerous proclamations, giving the names of the prominent citizens seized as hostages, and threatening their execution, and that evidence stands corroborated by the witnesses of the executions which frequently followed. The Spartacists and Bolsheviks who hive taken to tins form of murder have taught the German commanders how crimes, like (chickens, come home to roost. Of course, thev regavd it as a crime—and quite right too. But how about their! <wnt murders of flvoistagesei? There is an article of the Pe,ace treaty which will demand an answer to that question, and tho murderers are known.

The news, therefore, from the disturbed ports of Europe looks much better as the end of the Peace preliminaries is reached. Tho ground is getting ready for the influence of the League of Nations to make itself felt.