The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1918 THE PEACE MOVEMENT

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 344, 11 January 1918, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1918 THE PEACE MOVEMENT

•'We nothing extenuate, nor »rt down auaht in malwe."

The clear statement of the Allied aims, as formulated on behalf of the British nation by Mr Lloyd George, is a fitting reply to the speech which Count Oernin, Premier of Austria-Hungary, delivered at one of the recent conferences with the Russian delegates. It was a most important speech, designed to attract worldwide attention, and obviously addressed not so much to the Russian delegates as to the Entente Powers. As was remarked by a London paper, the special significance of Count Czernin's utterance consisted in the fact that it presented a concrete proposal instead of the loose and ambiguous talk which had previously cloaked the peace aims of the Central Powers. For this reason the speech called for a reply, and the call has been answered most effectually by the British Prime Minister. Mr Lloyd George's statement is perfectly frank, and shows clearly and definitely, not only what the Allies arc fighting for, but aN(/ what they :;re not fighting tor. In this latter particular his statement must* surely help to open the eyes of the German people to the woeful manner in which they have been duped and misled by their military overlords. "We are not fighting," says Mr Lloyd George, "a war of aggression against the German people. Tile destruction or disruption of Germany or the Ger- j man people ha-> never been one of our war aims." And so, too, with regard to the Allies' attitude towards tlieir other enemies. The Allies are fighting tor truth, justice and liberty, and the plain meaning of the British Prime Minister's statement is that no peace will be acceptable to them which does not assure these things. It has been noted that in some respects Count Czernin's declaration of the enemy's peace ! aims is of such a character as does not exclude the pts.sibility of successful negotiation between | the belligerents. In thi.-. connection, a southern contemporary particularly instances the statements that the Central Powers j have no intention of depriving of | political independence any nation ! winch had independence ■ tint the problem of deciding to wheh Power any State which did not possess political independanee should belong should be solved j internationally, but mtisi in . some cases be decided by the individual State : and that as to the safeguarding o\ minorities, it must be the right of every j nation to decide its own destiny. !

These are statements over most of which no serious difficulty is likely to arise, fa principle, they may be accepted by the Entente Powers. Tne application of the principle in particular cases will probably be the subject of a difference of opinion. But the difference of opinion may prove amenable to settlement by negotiation. It is, however, around the question of annexation and indemnities that the chief obstacles to peace arc to be found. Count Czernin's unpromising allusion to these difficulties may not constitute the last word of the Central Powers on this subject, and, if not, then, they should be able and willing to present a more reasonable basris for negotiation. It is evident that in this particular Mr Lloyd George has stated the minimum acceptable to the Allies. For Belgium there must be restoration and restitution, and similar justice must be done to Serbia, Montenegro, and the • occupied parts of France, Italy and Roumania. As to these conditions, so far as the Allies are concerned, there is no room left for bargaining ; they constitute the irreducible minimum, for, as Mr Lloyd George puts it, " reparation for injustice done is a fundamental condition for permanent peace." On this point Germany must give way Defore there can be any really hopeful negotiations for peace. What will she reply to the clear-cut statement of the Allies ?