Smuts' Straight Talk

Taihape Daily Times, 20 May 1918, Page 8

Smuts' Straight Talk

ABOUT DEFEATING THE BOCHE. "LOT OF DAMNABLE NONSENSE." HOW PEACE WILL COME. IRELAND'S PROBLEM SOLUBLE. Received 8.45 a.m. LONDON, May 18. General Smuts had enthusiastic reception when visiting Clyde shipyards. Addressing the workers 'at Foirfield, he said: "The Germans had achieved a success that few had thought possible. We used" to talk a lot of nonsense about defeating the Boche, but Brother Boche had knocked this kind of damnable nonsense out of us. If we strained every nerve I don't feel a moment's doubt about the result. We suffered in men in the great battle on the West front, but the results 'compensated the losses." The Government asked General Srffuts a year ago to visit France. He reported the most necessary thing was a big army of manoeuvre and an army jof service reserve for contingencies. I Americans were now coming in hunI dreds of thousands monthly, and sudmarines were powerless against their transport. The enemy will come within an ace of victory, but will not secure it. The situation will be most anxious for many days to come. If Jhe last of the British soldiers be driven out of France the Germans still will not have won, because they must win on both sea and land. General Smuts said he did not believe an out-and-out victory possible for any group of nations. He considered tlfey had fought to the stage where the enemy was now ready to consider and concede terms. It would be a most dangerous thing to go to a peace conference before they knew the principal terms to be considered. The Government will do its duty, knowing what we are fighting for. The conference to be ultimately called will settle peace after the principal combatants have agreed on the main issues.

General Smuts, at Glasgow, thanking the University for conferring on him the degree of Doctor of Laws, said, referring to Ireland: "We wouldn't admit that anybody should be

an exception to the common obligation of the common duties of a common empire; If was the Empire's aim to solve the long, dreary Irish problem, and it should prove ns soluble as the bigger problem of South Africa. We find some talking hysterically of a republic, and others appearing as an enemy or of having wrongs righted at the peace conference. Ireland need not goto the peace conference to get wrongs righted. He advised her to apply to the Empire's highest court of appeal, namely, the Imperial Conference.