SHOULD GERMANY BE MADE TO PAY?

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 433, 10 December 1918, Page 1

SHOULD GERMANY BE MADE TO PAY?

(By S. Oldwild, Organiser Farmers' Union.)

Now that the war is over, a declaration of peace is in sight, the Allied nations being at last victorious, Germany, the arch-enemy of civilisation, the deliberate perpetrator of this awful crime against humanity being defeated, by her unspeakable atrocities against helpless non-com-batants and prisoners of war being disgraced, and by the violation of sacred Treaties, and every other diabolical outrage that the arch-fiend and his satellites could satanioally devise being degraded for ever in the eyes of the world, a Peace Conference is about to be held, the deliberations of which are of such world-wide importance that the ultimate resolutions passed will make history, and there comes to us the burning question--" Should Germany be made to pay?" Ample evidence is available to prove that Germany deliberately planned this war. "She longed for the day she schemed for the day, and awoke the day's red spleen." She forced her partner, Austria, into the conflict, and Bulgaria and Turkey being devoid of conscience, degraded in principle, lusting for blood and loot, eagerly joined in the murder of innocents. These nations, calling themselves super-men, believing themselves strong enough to conquer the world, violated treaties and committed countless, unspeakable orimes against humanity, which have so blackened the pages of the world's history that neither time nor memory can efface. Millions of the world's best and noblest manhood, and millions of helpless non-combatants, have been sent to an early grave, their noble careers cut short Millions more have been maimed for life, prospects ruined, or health broken, while millions upon millions of pounds' worth of foodstuffs and material have been wasted. All these have been sacrificed on the altar of militarism, merely to satisfy the insatiable ambition for worlddominion of that fiend incarnate — William of Hohenzollern.

Now that right and justioehave triumphed over might and oppression, and the saoredness of our cause, anuted by the God of Righteousness, has at last heroically defeated the agents of Hell, they whine like whipped curs, wonting the terms of armistioe made easier. They plead poverty and starvation, which is only a fore-runner to the demand that they pay no indemnity. Germany as a military power is defeated but not conquered as yet; they have "thrown down the sponge," because they realise that their ohance of victory is hopeless. They gave up like bullies and oowards when they saw the oertainty of getting a taste of their own medicine. Their hatred of England is not quenched but rather intensified, and if we do not now complete the victory they will in time Germanise Russia, and again plunge the world into a war—many times more awful than this. If the leaders of our nations, through the largeness of their hearts, give way to this whining, whioh is only "camouflage," or if they, through weakness or false democracy, do nofanow strip Germany of her oolonies, oversea possessions, and navy, and make the Central Powers pay the whole cost of the war, then time will see posterity rising up in judgment against this generation for not removing once and for all the possibilities of future wars.

If this war is not to be the end of war then all has been in vain, and if we do not remove from our enemies the remotest possibility of again plunging the world into a sea of blood, then the guilt will be ours. To us has been given the sacred trust to protect small nations, the right for a free people to breathe free air, and Divine Power having given us the viotory it now remains with our leaders to fulfil the trust by cementing victory into a permanent peace. This can only be done by making Germany repay every penny that the war has cost. Full compensation for the lives lost can never be made, but restitution of total damage done and full indemnity she must be made to pay. We can have no sympathy with the people of the Central Powers, they sanctioned the war inasmuch as they applauded the deeds of their rulers and of their armies. An American writer has estimated the allied cost of the war to be about £40,000,000,000. Can the defeated nations pay this ? An English writer in giving statistics at the International Geological Congress held the year before the war, estimated that Germany owns half the coal in Europe, which calculated at 8s per ton at the pit's mouth, would be worth £170,000,000,000 whilst the amount of iron ore in sight is said to be worth £1,000,000,000 while potash, of which Germany holds a world monopoly, reckoned at 10s per ton, would yield £20,000,000,000. Here we have natural wealth in Germany alone, sufficient to pay the total cost of the war nearly five times over.

Then what about the value of her colonies, her fleet and her railways, to say nothing about a contribution from Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey

If Germany had no army or navy to maintain there would be a saving of at least two hundred million per year. To say there shall be no indemnity is utter nonsense and is playing into the hands of (Germany. We talk about a "League of Nations" to prevent future wars, but the simplest way is to make the aggressors who have wilfully plunged the world into war, pay the full cost, and make good all damage done, even if it takes them hundreds of years to do it. This is the best cure for nations of this kind, while an indemnity of 40 or 50 thousand million will help to sweeten their memory " Lest they forget" Sir Joseph Ward estimates the cost of the war for this Dominion at £70,000,000. The progress and prosperity of the country will be handicapped by reason of the enormous amount of interest to be raised each year. Is it reasonable to expect that when our soldiers return they should be taxed to pay the cost of the war that crippled them? Is it fair to ask the widows, the orphans and aged mothers, to pay for the war that robbed them of their only support in life? Is it fair to burden our children with an extra seventy million of national debt, merely to satisfy the craving for world dominion of a mad Kaiser ? There can be no doubt as to the justice of our claim. There can be no doubt as to the possibility of Germany being in a position to pay. Therefore why not ?