The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1918. THE ONLY PEACE TERMS.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 October 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1918. THE ONLY PEACE TERMS.

(With which is Incorporated The 7«i* hape Post and Walnmriao News)..

Every political party in Allied countries, including social democrats, has definitely and firmly signified its determination that the only peace terms possible between the Allies and Germany is unconditional surrender. The war lords who would enslave the world must hand over their swords and military gee-gaws to those they sought to enslave, and for the time being there is a lull in peace manoeuvres. This lull cannot be of long duration, however, as peace is almost as essential to the Turkish and Austrian Empires as the air their peoples breathe. Those Empires have now little or no military existence; Turkey is being triumphantly marched over and conquered by the British, and Austria, unless peace intervenes, will soon have the'Tramp of invading Allied’ armies bvhr her territories, tjoth countries must seek peace or submit to having their lands occupied by force while they are Impotent in offering existence. The British Ministry of Information has disclosed that the two chief motives behind the German peace move were prospective military defeat with the loss of everything gained in earlier stages, and a serious threat in Germany of prospective chaos when the day of defeat arrives. It seems , that even. German military training for fifty years has not entirely killed the democratic germ in Prussian blood. The defeat of the military system with military ineptitude under enemy pressure is ■ furnishing the conditions for revolutionary risings against the whole military, system, and its lords in fear of the people have endeavoured to allay popular anger by pretending to ask for peace on the Allies’ terms. The military peaco move was sincere in that it was intended to deceive the German people who have had trust in military power madp. almost a part of their nature, but the Allies hare a better and truer understanding of the Prussian military character and methods, and they are not deceived . They know, as well as the Kaiser and his ruling classes know, that social revolution is already in the air ,and that it may cover all Obrmany at any moment. The British Information Ministry has made us doubly aware of the socim blackness that prevails in Germany, and it tells us that the peace move i was intended to delay and stave off the horrors that are. so largely looming in that unhappy country. Turkey and Austria, we are told, are racing for peace, both are watching and waiting for developments, but netihep are expected to wait long. Germany has doubtlessly counselled delay until whatever peace schemes she can invent have been exhausted, using her allies as mere stepping stones to her own advantage as she has done from the declaration of war, and will do till declaration of peace. Now that they are of little or no service to her, German newspapers are laying the blame for losing the war upon them. They state that GeTmany is being defeated, not primarily by her enemies, hut by the treachery of her partners in crlm*. If the military rulers of Germany die harbour any thought of success for their latest" act of low peace cunning, that has been definitely killed outright by the Allied attitude towards It; the only peace conditions that can stem the campaign of destruction against Germany is unalterably unconditional surrender.