The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1920. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3435, 15 March 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1920. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

With which is incorporateil “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News-.”

There is a portfon of .1110 evidence given at the Naval Scandal Inquiry being held in the United states which should‘ prove of more than passing interest to the British Empire, and particularly to that pafrt of it which is now widely distributed in the South and Eastern Pacific. It is well known that when Americans decided for war against Germany their navy was supposed to immediately co-operate with that of Britain, in the North Sea; it is equally well known that it was an inordinately long time in getting there. Now we have the testimony of an American admiral, who was in command, that the American kiovernnlent withheld its Ships from participating in the war, as agreed upon, by a dual fear, they were afraid of risking the loss of their warships. and they were afraid of an attack by Japan. .1‘; is difficult to assrerlitain to exaclitude which fear the .~‘rnleric:l.ns were most hardly struck with, but we should say they were anxious to retain their nary undamaged and unimpaired, and the fear from the yellow people may have been quite at subsidia:-_v rnattur-__ for there were wanting signs at that particular time that Japan was munitioned 'suificiently for 2. great singlehanded war in which Japan ’s all would be at stake. The indica--tions are that America was pursuing :1 strategic scheme of her own making for securing ;~.uprelnae_v among the nations; with such a purpose in View it is understandable why Americans withheld their war-sliips for weeks and months during the most distressing period of ruthless. sulnnarining. Admiral Sims definitely 'alnd deliberately testified that the American naval system was l:l(‘,l{l!l\’_1‘ in ils duty to the Allies, and in hunmneness to the world; whatever the artifice. America is the only nation that has come out of the war alrnosi, inralclilably richer than she went into it. Let. it be assumed that. the fear of an attack from. Jliapan was well-founded, we may be quite sure that the casus belli is not removed, but, on the other hand, that it is more real than before. and that it has sunk more deeply into the Japanese heart. The two tears mentioned by Admiral Sizns were apparently but one fear, for it is impossible to think that a great nation would be guilty of a peddling fear about losing :1 few dollars’ Worth of ships. We may rlismiss the idea of tirnidity about enterin_:;' the light, against German submarine.~', and take it for granted that there was real cause for anticipating an attack from Japan; that the great, long-promised struggle betweiin Occident and Orient might lnclually be on the threshold of Western peoples, brought to ltheir very doors by a de.<e(‘nt- upon the Pacific coastline of The United. States. Suppose Aniericans were in fear of so momentous :1 happening would there not be cause for deepest concern by the whole of Anstralasia‘? Undoubtedly there would, But no suggestion of any such calarmiry was made to the people of this Dominion. or of Australia. Such an attack would have placed Japan as an Ally of Germany, for it could only be made with the full -knowledge that it would completely stop America from putting either mmn-_'s'. munitions, or men against the German menace, and with ‘that intent. li‘ ri‘othi:;~_:: else, the ’r'e;lr of Aineri-'::i

is some clue as to how Japan is re-

gurdcd as a Power, and to the serious nature of any war in which the Japanese Govcrnnlent may decide to risk the national fortune. The Dominions are kept in comparative ignorance of what steps Britain is taking to maintain her world position, while a revision of a map of the world is feverishly being sought by the nations, but We are well advised that America is striving with all her resources to have a navy that Will oV'€l'slllldoW all others in power as well as numerically. We are kept WOll POSTOG with news of Japanese Warship building, and taking 3,10 mg View of the hurry in. dockyards of €V'ol“illGl'€flSing magnitude in the 01‘'1011t.- 3-8 well as in the Occident, we cannot avoid the conviction that war III?-r9‘11‘-I“3I‘}' would not be required if war were not feared and intended, and it may very well be wondered whether Armageddon is in the past or is yet to be faG9d- The bustle and tum.ul7t in shipyards and arsenals continues to threaten humanity with butchery, ravagement, and sla.vcry_. merely that the rapaeity and ravenous lust for power to dominate in rulers with brutish and brutal instincts may be gratified. Well may it be asked how men with such instincts come to be rulers, it is because they have acquired power by dishonest seizure of the people's estate, and by the process of robbery known is commercialism. These men have unjustly become the law—mnkers of the world, hence all laws favour their satanic wills and pleasures. These men set up a puppet, who is kept under their influence, to rule the people; we have them as czar-s_. kaisers, aye, and as emperors and presidents too. War is cleclared at their dictation over some trumpery trading difference, and half the world is bathed in human blood; widows stalk the land homeless and penniless; orphans sink to degradation, servilcly pandering to the whims of the brutes who precipitated the shambles in which their parents were butchered. Is it not natural that the ‘(non who have acquired power dishoncstly will become more and more slaves to the passion. of greed until they will not hesitate ‘to cast all civilisation into the hellish vortex set up by their devilish lust’? The idea. of a. League of Nations was to be the commencement of placing humanity first and money second, but the conmiercialist fiends are determined to use the last ounce of power they can weild to strangle the conceived League before its birth, or at least to ensure anything but 8. normal growth. .=-Xinericans are building; upOn ll2L\’lll‘f_]‘ the :lSSiSl’,flnC(} of the Allies against an Eastern trouble, however that troublc may arise, but all this miserable scheming is overcast with the blackest uncertainty. Germany, combined with Russia, may yet manage to keep Britain, France, Italy, and otlior friendly iTl‘i“iolls too busy (0 permit them to help Aniericu ag;ai.nst a presumably Sought yellow In'rril.. Be that. as it may, the furiousness with which warships, airships, aeroplanes, iurmitions, and all accessories of war are being built and manufacturer] is an undeniable indication that war is very seriously conteinplated. Gernmny cannot. pay war indemnities, but the German Government can go On, \\'ithOut C-C-‘i‘Sllllioll, building] a.irsllip.s and means of equipping them at :1 rate hitherto unprecedented, and undrenmt of. The formation of a League of .\T:ltions appears quite a secondary matter to preparation for war, in fact, the legislature of the United Staies is merely tinkering with the League while it is spending many millions of money in I'uslling' t'or\\'al‘(l construction of war lnachinery. Wlrether

A111e1'i<:a11 Slllggishll<-ss‘ill 011tn1'i11g the war against Gcrmaiiy was d0111in:1te<:l l>_'.' fr-211' of Japaii, or of losing some wzlr.=llip_g in the North Sea, 01' both, as :\<lllliral Sims ’t<{.~tlilie.~', we liavc no 1110:1115 of du(:i:,lillg, but that UlO liisl for };ow«>l‘ is still 1'a111p:111t 03111101" be t.lo:1i('(,l. Vflint is of 11101110111’ to HlO penplo. who are rushed into wzir, is to deterixiiiio, before it is too lafc. upon \'.'l.lom will the great .<t'l'vs.<, loss of life, and hardship fall; will it be upon the mcii ob:~:.oss_cd with lust who willed 1110 War, or upon the class that" in the end will be composed of li.tlt.o olse than \\'i<,lm\'s. orphans, imbocilos, and old men? ..-‘is it is in milit:lri.<lll, so it is in vollm<.e-‘l'l-i:1lis111. 011:1 :~‘ll)_\'g by ‘Che sword, rho Mlllol‘ by slow .<.’rarvation. Fear, or not the people mus’: ‘take keeiior inforest in their wo.lf:lJ'e. or r*onsmlt to bocmne slaves, 110 maffor what nation tlmy may think they urn‘ <:ifi;'.ells of.