WORLD'S GREATEST WAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 24 August 1914, Page 8

WORLD'S GREATEST WAR

NO NEJiD KOll. I>i - .xL\us.H. OPINIONS OS Sift .IOS'E.'PH WARD. "The Emipire is engagui in the greatrat wax the world htis .".it known, and he would be a wise -man who* could forbc*j precisely wlmt -tin; iiui iy goiHg to be," said' Sir Joseph to u o\ preventative or tile Otago Daily Turn* on Wednesday. "Lord KiWhfe'ner has the possibility of the struggle proceeding for three year*, and at tlii« dietanoe from i the scene it is difficult to loa-iu a. definite judgment on that point, but any own | feeling is that the financial and ooimmeTj cial pressure of tihe war, upon Germany i particularly, will make it almost imj possible for the conflict to be a prolonged one, although the Imperial authorities J are justified in preparing for all wentualities. f\Vli!ile the wtr is proceeding, 1 the producing countries, New ZteKwiii ' among the rest, need not fear, I think, I thait their trade ia going to bo affected prejudicially. '•Three 'factors make me took for a short war rather than a long one. In th.? first "place, tlie financial hm-clian u.pon Gemnany and Austria will I/", almost unbearable, 'Hi en the stoppago of oversea traffic to and; from Germany and the dislocation of trade irausl kwe a farreaching influence upon the commercial world and Upon German industrialism. The Germaif toilers, of whcin there are j about 15,000,000',' deprived of the food ! supplies /usually receive*! fr<im Russia and elsewhere, must have very great difficulty in providing for their own people. The thirsd factor, the most important in any eyes, is thkt .the naval engagement wfaich m.wt in*-vitai>ljr take plaoe, despite the efforts of the Geiimaiw to fmd shelter in the Kiltie or elsewhere, will result, we are all confident, in a victory for the British fleet. When that engagement has boon f wight, fhie seaways will be clear for the e-ommeroe of {tihe Allies, and the oversea trade of I Britain and France may be '-spectcd to recover normal conditions. That posi- ' tion must influence Germany to seek ' a speedy conclusion of tihe war. "I recogni&e that tlie fcuid war may, |>e prolonged for a, few months by tlie winter which is approacMn? in Europe, but it seems impossible to believe that ■ tlie financial dislocation suffered by the eontenditw countries—Britain least of all —can be enduml for any long period. Then tiliere is the of maintain- ' ing in the field the Btupendous amnfes' that have been mobilised by Itussia, Germany, France and Austria, iw well Ra the smaller armies of Britain <md some minor niatioiiß. .Tf newspaper revolts accurately state the number of men mobilised in the theatre of wa-v, it would seem that the Continental nations must find some new .method of raising monfty at ithe colossal Tate required or must face hanlauptcy. "New Zealand mu.»t be affected inti- , matoly by the tremendous eventsiu Europe, limit I do not think there is need 1 for nervousness on our, part. Apparently. we call loefc forward confidently to tihe .Hea.wa.ysi being cleared very -shoi'th" for ordinary transport between Australia,, New Zealand, arid fiwt Britain. Wten trade is flowing fr«elv, tlie demand for the produce. New Zealand can export will be jrroater (%n -eirer.' I 'Wars' on the grand ««Ue ' always en.uso (higher prices, fl-nd _ though 5 we are all anxious to avoid anvthing ill the nature of umliw infh- - tion of values, the fact, remains that i New Zealand's meat, hitter, and w«>' wSll be in keen demand. A great -var ~ means the withdrawal of enormous numbers of men from, rarodueinj; work, - and tfe practical euspemsion of irtoduc- - • tion in eountriiti that Hinder OTxiin.irv i conditions would be supplying their own - market's arid the of the world. ■ This must mean improved -prices for the countries wihich can ccutimtc. to ex-port , the foodstuffs and materials mpiired by . the 01d World. "Rvei'y citizen of this countir.- reouires . |to I>e prudent and economical at the present time. But it is our good fortune at the present moment tfhnt we are nlmost entirely a producing country, and' - an long as transport services are main- \ tained 'between New Zeidund and the : Motlwirltuvd—and ire have cwry rea>«dii . to 'ibelieve tliev will be. maintained—higher .return* will be scewrad b.v our *xpfirtcre. Tlie inflow of money brought ; 'about by raised prices should enable the Government and even- class in the comrminity to weather thiu crisis successful--1 iy-"