AN OPEN LETTER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 257, 9 March 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN OPEN LETTER.

TO HERR VON BETHMANNHOLLWEG. My dear Bethmann-Hollweg,—Allow mo to introduce myself. A mere Canadian, but a professional peacemaker and an cuthusiasvim peace-lover, as all Canadians are. You will understand, therefore, how my heart leaped with joy the other day, when I saw tho head-line in one cf the London newspapers, "Germany Oilers Peace." We j Canadians ardently long for peace. It Is for peace some thousands of us aro on tho war-path just now.. For 2-3 years our .sky has been disfigured by a dark cloud-TTank on tho horizon, which wo recognised as tlxe German Menace. Wo grew tired of that cloud-bank, and now that it has broken into a fiery halo of war we are hero to do what littlo we can to cnange the world's sky into tho bright, sunlit blue of peace, Canadians we aro; do you know us? Ask your boys who were at Ypres, once, twice, thrice; those ,also, who were at tho Somme, determined to "hack through." We aro some of the chaps that took your " hacking"; but you didn't get "through," and —a friendly warning—voir won't. You can't imagine how bitterly you disappointed me by your l speech, in which you introduced your " world- historic" peace olfer. You may earnestly desire peace; I firmly believe you and your people do; but as a preliminary to peace negotiations your speech was hardly a success. In short, if you will pardon my blunt, alliterative way of speaking, your speech, at this distance, sounded liko blazing, bombastic, bullying bunkum. The dove of peace is supposed to coo; your dove pawed tho earth like a bellowing bull. MAPS AND MEN.

You say "look at the map." \ou have been changing the colour in spots, and so pleased are you that you summon tho world to admire your handiwork. "hook at the map," you say. Wo answer, Look at the men." .daps don't win wars —men do —men, my dear Betiimann, men, uo yen hear? loir can roll up a map with one hand; but can you ro.[ up men? LooK a,t the men on your every front: tlio-e hosts oi Russian men, of Italian men, those steady, stern-faced, enduring men of trance; and those cool-headed, cheeryhearted, dogged men of British breed. Have you rolled them up? You thought you had rolled up tho men ol little lielgium, gallant little Belgium, and tho men oi Serbia; but they are coming back at you again. True, you have rolled back those men on your every Iront, but you lumn't rolled them up, and to-day there are millions of us unbroken, unbeaten, and —not*. this ea.rofully, my dear Hollweg —when next they como at you they will conic with | tho machinery of war, and will meet you on something like equal terms; and tuey ask nothing more than a fair field and no favour. Vow know this i-j true. You learnt that at Verdun—disastrous, glorious Verdun —you learnt this on the Somme. I cannot sj>eak for r.tiicr armies, but throughout that section oi tho Hritish Army that met your men on tho Sonune there is only one conviction, j and that is that they have "got you j beat." They may be mistaken, but I am telling what j know, that tlioy are absolutely convinced that iliey have got you beaten. -S<>, my dear Holly, when | you am writing your next pca"o 'peeeh, I get your eyes < If maps for ;i time and j let theni nst up- n men. 'I hen vour dovo

of po.ro will utter itself m notes more in keeping with iU own gentle nature.

No, inv <!<■;»r Heir v:.-»i HotliiuannMollweg, lieeause we earnestly and continikjiisI v* l< l ;iiid pray lor pe.no, we lilt.'.'!"! 11> press this l.)ii<<d-'-«"L pith id' w ■ r for months, or for years, it. matter's not, until your people are ready t i a'"ept the in-1 and honourable peace that v. e and our Allies si and ready to < fir ;>, peace that 11 aI! for ever 'lililin.Ho from the world the mad menace of Herman Miltiarieiii. I am. of,-.. CHAItLKS \V. HOIMXtN", (Major.)

The ReV. Major (Jordoll. tile writ T of th'- ahove letter, is a. chaplain with the Canadian forces, and lias been n Franc.i for nearly a year and a half, sharing the life of the men at. the front. He is now returning to Canada, to do two months' recruiting work. Major Cordon is letter known to the litorarv wor'd a-? Rahdi Connie', the author of tho "The Sky i'lh.t'' and many other sitorie.s.