THE STATE OF EUROPE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3411, 16 February 1920, Page 2

THE STATE OF EUROPE.

UR B;\l.l*‘OUß P.»-XIl\'TS DARK PICT URE.

l.0NI)0N, Feb. 13%

Mr Balfour, replying in the .House of Commons, declared that neither -the Allied nor German experts were able to estimate what Gertn-any would be able to pay ten or fifteen years hence. The Treaty provided that Gertnany might offer a lump sum within four months. The British Government lixlil always been most anxious to carefully limit its list of war criminals, but it ‘.\:ls not able to examine other lists. The Britislt list included nobody who Carried out illegal orders unless he exceeded .<ucll order-.-. He sytnpathised with the ditiicult position of M. Clezneneeau. who ';lpp='o‘.'e;l oi’ the Bfllliill Viewpoint, but who was mtable to escape the inclusion of persons guilty of individual crinres. Mr Balfour believed thzit no colours wet‘-3 too dark in which to paint a great part of Europe, but the tleplorable situation was 1101 due to the '].‘reaty, but to the outcome of the war, and the application of the principle of selt’~~determina:ion, :'n which new States were ret'using to enoperate with their 11L‘i'g‘llb0u1'>'. Mr Balfour denied that Britain was in any wise responsible for the delayed Turkish peace. He considered the suggested intervention of the League of Nations in regard to Russia would be of no avail, l)ec7¢i'iisé its leading niembers lrad already tiiistiecessftllly tried to discover a solution at the Peace Conference. Broadly speaking, the reason why Europe lacked so many fundamental nee<>;<saries at present was because. labour produced much less than before the war, and credit had been shattered. A great amelioration in the condition of‘ Europe might be possible, if the countries which the war left: rfelter than before-—(Clleers)——ably assisted. Britain's greatest contribution to the solution would be to maintain intact and build up her great industrial system around which the whole :.:eevti'it_\' of Europe re-‘ally revolved.