The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1918. “CONQUER OR PERISH TOGETHER.”

Taihape Daily Times, 30 August 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1918. “CONQUER OR PERISH TOGETHER.”

(With which is Incorporated The Xai* hape Post and Walnmrl-ao News).

There is no longer any doubt abous unification of the command of the armies of the Central Powers haying become an accomplished fact, and that the Prussian Military Party' now control the armies of, at least, Austria, for large numbers of Austrian prisoners have been taken recently on the West front, both officers and men. Chagrined at the utter failure of his secret peace plan, which he had put into operation with France, througa one of the Bourbons, Emperor Karl has abandoned himself and the people over whom he at present rules to the whims and desires of the Kaiser, and hence they are being captured in con-: siderable numbers fighting futilely to

stem the great Allied offensive. When these famous peace plans were laid before the French Premier they received very short shrift, and having become public property, Karl had to set himself right with Kaiser Wilhlm by sending a telegram stating that “Clemenceau’s accusations against me are so low that I have no intention to discuss longer this affair with Prance. My cannon in the West Is our last reply.” In spite of this display of passion it was considered doubtful whether Austria would allow "her troops to be swallowed up in tna western “graveyard.” It is now wellknown, however, that participation in Prance is purely an act of desperation forced upon Austria by Germany. The semi-sophisticated pleasure loving ru»er of Austria is innocent of anything approaching soldierly characteristics, and he easily falls a ready tool to the artful persuasions of Prussia. He has frequently repeated, parrot-like, the utterances of, the Kaiser, and his whole confidence and the future of his country has been placed in German keeping in return for the promises of victory, indemnities and annexations so glibly made by the Prussian military gang_ The once majestic power of Austria has been at last dragged in lowest dust by the lust of power of another. So recent as the year 1860 Austria may be said to be pre-eminent on the Continent of Europe';”'a few years later Germany had persuaded Ita-ly to assist in breaking this preeminence, which was effected at the battle of Sadowa. Since that time, by intrigue and by every subtle ana forceful means Prussia has sought to involve Austria in her plans for world dominion. The very zenith of power it was possible for a combination of nations to reach Avas attained and this great and bloody Avar was as bloodily, corruptly, inhumanly, and cruelly precipitated by the callous murder of the Austrian Archduke, it has been found that the utmost Germany could do in marshalling poAver to force Prussian desires upon the world, is not nearly sufficient for suecess. Since that discovery all the studied arts of cajolery, cunning and subtlety have been exercised by Germany to achieve peace by arrangeraent, but all efforts have failed. The simple Austrian Emperor was put up as a peace dummy by the Kaiser, but Prance and England fathomed his objects and intentions, pulled off his Austrian mask and there was the visage of the ruling Hun. Germany has exhausted very nearly every possible peace channel that presented, and now the only real road to that desperately desired rest from slaughter lies through unconditional surrender to the Allies. No doubt; the simple-minded Austrian thought his threat to put his cannon on the West front might prove a factor in securing a negotiated peace, but to-day he will see that his cannon, together with his men and his officers are going in streams along roads to the rear of the Allied lines

many of the cannon just being turned about, loaded with Austrian munitions and fired into Austrian ranks. Df course, Kari is only a victim of Prussian intrigue; he had no quarrel with the rest of the world beyond that which Germany hypnotised him with, and it seems that he will be kept under that mesmeric influence to the word finis, at the end of the last chapter of the war. This view is supported by a cable message received yesterday, which states that “the Central Powers, at the conference held at German Headquarters, agreed that ' ‘pea'ce overtures were ’ useless accompanied by an admission of defeat; ' ’therefore, the Kaiser and Emperor Karl decided not to concede anything, hut to conquer or perish together.” This is an admission that no offer of peace that does not provide for the utter dethronement and destruction of Prussian militarism will be accepted by the Allies, and IJotb Empires now realise that the word “conquer” might have been utterly deleted from their determination, for they are fully aware that they must accept final defeat, and, if they so will, they must perish together. This constitutes the last word in peace talk, at least, the Kaiser is still fool enough to think his peace jugglery may possibly (receive the Allies. The decision to conquer or perish together has not prevented Prussian politicians from grovelling in peace dust; Dr Solf, of South Pacific notoriety, has crawled a long way down from his wonted junkerfsm, in framing what appears to be the thin end of a peace wedge, but its reception by the Allies ought to convince him that it is folly to , waste his time, t The aims and ends I of' the Prussian military scheme have been laid so bare that there is no possibility of anyone ever, misunderstanding them. The Kaiser and Karl will conquer or perish together, and the Allies will have no peace that does not involve the unconditional surrender of the Prussian military system. The prospects ahead of the ruling twins for conquering are approacn-ing->the irreducible minimum,; , and. those of perishing together, are in a ■ rapid ascendancy.. Earl’s cannon os the West seem to’make but very little difference ,although they are, put, at the service and disposition of Prussia, Unification of th& '.Allied command .produced a transformation which profoundly impressed- 1 the enemy, and they hoped for somewhat similar changes for the better by following the Allied example. They did not realise that there was nothing to unify with but the dregs, of power in Austria; Bulgaria had-.nothing to throw into the pool; Turkey wants something out of whatever pooling may be effected; the Bolshevik hope has failed, and Germany is forced to realise that unification of Command has been resorted to when the door to victory was slammed by the great French general, last month. For upwards of a month German and 'Austrian armlea have been driven and buffeted about until incredible confusion ,and disorderliness pervades their fast fleeing forces, and the end, of Foch’s enterprise is.yet far in the future. There are now ample signs of such disruption in Germany and in the German armies, signs that loudly proclaim that, unification or anything else must prove too late; it is no longer a question of conquering or perishing together, the word conquer has been eliminated by Foch,