The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1918. PEACE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

Taihape Daily Times, 31 October 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1918. PEACE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

(With whicn is Incorporated The X*l« hape Post and Walumii-jo News)..

"Despite all contrary reports," states the "Daily Chronicle," "the Germans have recalled their submarines, there being no submarine warfare for four days. The impression in j British Parliamentary circles is that I the war is rushing to a close, and I peace before Christmas is highly probi able.'" There need be no surprise , about the "Daily Chronicle's" statej ment, because it is precisely in accordance with the war situation. It | was obvious a month ago that Bul- ! garia, Turkey and Austro-Hungary | were just about beaten to a standstill, I and, although Germany had systejji- : atically saved her armies by the sacrifice of those of her Allies, it was recognised that the zenith of power had well passed, rendering it impossible to escape the punishment and loss that a much superior force can easily inflict. Cables gave the impression that the German military command, as well as German politicals and newspapers, fully realised the truth of the war situation when the Crown Prince was driven from the Marne. Prom that time there faded from German operations almost every vestige of strategic plan; German armies were from that time compelled to move, retreat or attack solely in accordance with the exigencies forced upon them by the Allies. It became evident that an army, German or otherwise, that had lost complete control of its going, not even knbwing : where it's uplifted foot was going to descend, was 'doomed to be quickly defeated by the'increasingly powerful forces arrayed against it. German military pride and arrogance alone has been the cause for the last month of the inhuman sacrifice of many' thousands of German I lives Chancellors rose and fell like i ! the puppets they were to the pulling of military strings, and now t\e Hohenzollern string-pullers have gone, let us hope, for ever." The greatest curse, military and otherwise, the world has knowledge of is now no more; its power for evil over the German people has gone for all time. Right up to the last, military arrogance- endeavoured to control the German Government, but it failed, and now the Kaiser, we are told, is calmly watching events over -which he has ceased to have any control, ready to abdicate if events necessitate. He has no more use for German democrats than German democrats have'for him; ; he has absorbed the worst of what the environment he has surrounded himself with into every fibre of his nature, and he must either be an autocrat or nothing, and events have decreed that he is to be nothing. The self-uplifted idol for the German peo- ! pie to worship is fast crumbling and ! its high priests l are beseeching the destroyers thereof to stay their hand while it is dethroned and hid away in oblivion. But what concerns the people of Allied countries most is the coming cessation of war; an armistice is being discussed by an inter-Allied Council of Ministers, generals and admirals, and it is suggested that the terms offered to Germany will amount to complete capitulation, or unconditional surrender. The war situation must sway the conferring minds; peace must only come in accordance with the war situation What is that situation? All Germany's Allies have been completely defeated, and are no longer able to continue any pretence even of the struggle. Germany stands" alone, her armies everywhere fleeing before the Allies, fast approaching a stage when they can no longer offer any potential organised resistance. Even now their leaders are sacrificing men and war material in almost unbelievable quantity, in trying to save the Hohenzollern neck. There may arise some check to the delicate negotiations now proceeding, but there, is the unrelenting, infallible war situation that must ultimately govern all peace negotiations.. The German retreat from Belgium is proceeding at a break-neck pace; at two exceedingly vital points wedges are being driven into the defeated and dishevelled German lines, which at any moment may result in super-disaster. The Germans are anticipating an offensive along the' Moselle, in the neighbourhood of Metz, which they know will bring the doom of capture or annihilation on the. erstwhile grand army under the Crown Prince. This army was denied a rush for Paris and now it is to be denied a rush for Berlin. Looming as blackly for the German superMilitarists as the war situation is the internal situation, the political situation; Liebknecht the Socialist has

been released .from prison and is openly and fearlessly, preaching revolution "The German Slogan,'; 'he says, "is world revolution or -world destruction; the time has come to act" Capitalist rule must be overthrown and a Socialist republic established, and thousands of German listeners shouted. "Long live its first President, Liebknecht!" From prison to President is a long hail, but historic records disclose that such happenings are not impossible, or, indeed, improbable. Our concern at present is limited to consideration of evidences of the complete defeat of the greatest military power man, with all his science and knowledge, could conceive, and we are justified in saying that all evidence, military and political, completely damns the German case. With the surrender of Turkey and Austria, Germany must militarily and politically collapse, and the Allies can dictate what terms of peace they please. On all fronts the Allies have wiped out serious resistance, and the war that covered nearly half the earth is to-day confined to a few paltry square miles in France and Belgium, and it is fast being driven towards German territory. The war situation has only reference to the Western front operations, and there the last of the world's enemies is being rapidly destroyed. Peace must come; it is forced upon Germany by the war situation, which was the erstwhile boast of her blood-lustful, arrogant, blatant military leaders, who are to-day dismissed in disgrace foy the people they were going to make a race of gods. Self-styled super-men are begging mercy at the hands of' the Allies, and nothing but the war situation is responsible for the poetic justice that has overtaken German murder, brigandage, and slavery. British newspapers, evincing pessimistic tendencies in the past,; now defy contradiction of their statement that'submarine war is over, and that peace before Christmas is highly probable.