WHY ARE YOU IN BELGIUM?

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

WHY ARE YOU IN BELGIUM?

SOME REPLIES TO TALK OF PEACE. London, August 13. "So far aa Britain Is concerned, there can >be no talk of peace and no thought of peace so long as a single German soldier is on Belgian soil. To German peace overtures coming through the 'Pope or through the King of Denmark, or any intermediary, Britain's reply wi 'Why axe you in Belgium ?'" —The Star. Four overtures of peace are said to have been made by the Germans recently—through the Pope, through the King of Denmark, through the King of Wurtemberg, and through the Imperial Chancellor. SIGNS THAT ALL IS NOT WELL. "Napoleon never opened pourparlers directly or indirectly with his enemies unless tilings were going badly with ihis armies,'J says the Star.' "As it was with Napoleon, so it is with the Kaiser. There are signs that all is not well with the Central Power*. "The first sign was the Pope's peace rescript. There is not the slightest doubt that this curious document was inspired by Germany, acting through Austria. It was designed to pave the way for the peace feelers which would be put forth as soon as Warsaw fell. Those peace feelers have now been rather clumsily put forth by the German Emperor. "The Bourse Gazette states that last week the Emperor William made an olTer of peace to Russia through the King of Denmark. The answer of Russia was that there could be no question of peace pourparlers at the present time." NOT SCRAPS OF 'PAPER. The Novoyo Vremya says: "Russia does not desire peace, but victory. So long as victory has not been attained peace is impossible. This is , speaking for Russia herself. Furthermore, Russia has signed an agreement with her Allies that there will bo no conclusion of a, separate peace. The treaties to which the signature of Russia is attached are not like German 'scraps of paper.' Nothing more need be said." The King of Wurtemberg sent a telegram to the Kaiser congratulating him on the fall of Warsaw, The Kaiser answered: "Many thanks for your congratulations. In Warsaw we may see an important step on the road on which Almighty God has mercifully led us. "Relying upon Him, our splendid troops will battle on for an honorable peace." '"GERMANY HOPES," SAYS THE CHANCELLOR. Most remarkable of all is the statement by the Imperial Chancellor sent to the United States in reply to a request to the Kaiser to telegraph a message "at this moment of Germany's great triumph." The Chancellor replies:— , "His Majesty the Kaiser regrets not being able for reasons of principle to comply with the request of tho United Press for a personal proclamation 011 the occasion of the success of the allied German and Austro-Hungarian armies. "While having the honor of thns advising you, I may add the declaration that Germany before all hopes this victory will hasten the termination of this! war.

"At the same time I beg to remind ,vou how the Kaiser in all his proclamations, and recently on July 31, Jim declared that Gt'rma-jiy is fighting for a peace which will guarantee her—and with her the Powers which are fighting the great battle on her side—such firm safeguards as she needs for a lasting peace and her national future. "Far across the frontier of Germany this pence for which we arc striving wiil guarantee to all nationalities the freedom of the oceans, and will offer possibilities to every nation of serving the work of progress and civilisation by means of a free wold-wide commerce.— Bethmann-Hollweg." x "Germany ds now at the top of her military power and prestige," says the Star. "She holds Belgium, the Industrial districts of Northern France, and the shell of Warsaw. It is her hour, and it would suit her very well to dictate terms of peace based upon her con l quests. It does not suit the Allies,

"It ia strange that after a year of German horrors the Germans are still unable to understand the spirit of Britain, of (France, of Russia, of Belgium, of Serbia, and of Italy," adds the Star. "They imagine that the world of free Pitions will makt terms with the deadly enemies of public law and public faith and puMio liberty. They delude themselves with the delusion that their unparalleled crimes can be glossed over by a bargain which would be worthleßß, seeing that the 'Ptrussian despots have openly destroyed their own power to make any treaty. "Europe trusted them before they attacked Belgium. Europe strove for peace until the Kaiser chose war instead of a conference. It is curious that the Germans do not realise their position. They have put themselves outside the region of law and treaty and good faith. How can they enter into any contract with the spoils of their broken contracts in their hands? No peace is possible with Germany except a peace based, not upon faith, but upon security;" A. QUEER DIPI/OIiAT. A Times special correspondent at Amsterdam sends extracts from an article in a Dutch newspaper, the burden of Which is that an immediate peace ought to be quite possible, not to say easy, and that it is the "fine task" of the Press in neutral States "to mediate, to reconcile, and to remove errors." It is not hard to surmise the nationality of the diplomatist to whom this suggostSon is attributed, says the Times. "Germany, in her present position, c«3lnot propound any terms of peace that neutrals could approve," says the 2'elegraph. "The Chancellor is conscious of this. What seems to have escaped him is the singularity of the figure cut by a statesman who, after all the utterances which have given his name an immortality of its own, talks about guarantees and safeguards for lasting peace. Whit right has any one of the criminals responsible for the act of a year ago to mention tihose words to honest men? What can he expert, if he does, tat the laughter of contempt? "The Allies in this wai are fighting to secure justice and liberty, to exact retribution, and to make such another planned outrage upon civilisation impossible for the future. Unless Germany will yield these points voluntarily, the peace that she gets in the end will be such as seems just and politic to her conquerors. What else are weighting