The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1917. GERMANY AND PEACE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 16 January 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1917. GERMANY AND PEACE.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News).

As opposed to the comparative peace and fepmmon accord with which the people ,of Great Britain are doggedly prosecuting war work, the frequent riots and demonstrations against the powers that he in Germany clearly indicate how the progress of fighting is affecting the masses in the two nations. Almost daily we have cabled to us that a food riot or a peace demonstration has taken place somewhere in the land of our enemies, and it is the frequency of them that leads one to wonder what effect they are actually having upon the ruling class. For some years prior to the outbreak of war, a political struggle was proceeding between the military and governing powers, and the masses of the people. While a most unjust system of taxation was crushing the heart out of the people, it gave impetus to the spirit of democracy and socialism that was then commencing to exhibit signs of serious contagion. Political discontent was rapidly becoming widespread, and it seemed that an internecine political warfare was developing so pronouncedly in favour of the democratic forces that some steps of an extraordinary character would have to be taken if the military classes were to retain the reins of government. The overburdening taxation which was increasing the cost of living so disastrously, and the fact that in Prussia the industrial masses had no representation in the State legislature, were the greatest sources of trouble between masses and classes, and the result was that just prior to the war German elections were being fought most bitterly on the question of mass versus class rule. It seems scarcely any time since it was cabled that unprecedented bitterness characterised the German elections. Another source of trouble sprang from Germany being transformed from an Agrarian, a fanning, country into a huge hive of manufacturing industry. This had gone on to such an extent that only about twenty-five per cent, of the German people worked on the land. Factory workers, masters as well as men, were responsible for a third party, who were of opinion that as they represented seventy-five per cent, of the nation's industry they had some claim to a voice in the Government, and they determinedly set to work to wrest the monopoly of rulership from the military aristocratic caste. This great political battle was proceeding in Germany for some few years before

l war broke out, and it had developed into such a bitter contest that it was claiming- the attention ot the veriest tyro among political students of the world. Germany was seething with dissatisfaction; the people had lost faith in a system which withheld from them an enlightened popular Government. The Kaiser saw the writing on the wall, and he deemed it necessary to make the astounding pronouncement of “Divine right,” which only had the effect of increasing the discontent. This was the political condition in Germany when the opportunity came for the Military Aristocrats to precipitate a war that was intended to place their right to rulership beyond all danger. The facts stated are gathered from cables sent out from Germany by German press agencies, and therefore may be taken as disclosing the exact condition of German politics. The supporters of Divine right smugly fooled themselves into the belief that the British Empire had become ripe for revolution, and that therefore the supreme opportunity to suppress social democracy in their own land, and bid successfully for the hegemony of Europe, had arrived. With these thoughts in mind we may ask ourselves, what prospects there are for peace to come about from rebellion of the German masses against a continuation of the bloodshed and famine which the military caste has brought upon them? The discontent is becoming very acute, the nation is virtually bankrupt in everything but women, old men, and young children, and they are, admittedly, well on the way to starvation —in any case they do not need to take Antipon. If such conditions prevailed here, and some great battle went against us, which made it appear that final victory was hopeless, what action would our starving people insist upon? Before the war the Kaiser had good cause to fear that the mushroom growth of social democracy would render ridiculous his “Divine right” claims; is it not possible that the same spirit will move to end the bloody holocaust and famine that has reached to every corner of the land? We do not wish to lay undue stress upon this aspect of peace, rve only give it the importance in the considerations of peace which it seems entitled to. a