LABOR AND PEACE

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1916, Page 6

LABOR AND PEACE

AIR. MASSEY'S VIEWS (From Our Own Correspondent). * Wellington, March 1. "I am not prepared to enter upon ft si raw-splitting; controversy; you probably know, as well as I do, wlio begun the war and why it was forced upon Europe." '•aid the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. \V. F. Massey) in the course of a reply to the suggestion of the recent Labor Conference that Britain should state hor terms of peace. "Peace negotiations at this stage can only be commenced from one side—that of the aggressors, and whatever views you or your organisation may hold upon the subject there is only one opinion among all right-thinking men and among neutral nations, that the present war was deliberately planned by Germany, that it was conceived with the idea of securing for Germany the hegemony of Europe and world-wide domination, and that in support of her ambitions she has stopped short at nothing. It was within the power of Germany to have stayed the war. The official documents clearly prove that, when she might have restrained Austria and submitted the matters in dispute to the tribunal of the nations, as Sir Edward Cirr-y wanted her to do, she deliberately closed the door that led to peace, declared war against Russia, with whom she had no qimrrcl, and launched her troops against Belgium and France."

After quoting the opinions of neutrals with regard to the culpability of Germany, Mr. Mas*ey added: "The fortunes of war have to a certain extent favored Germany. She was prepared for the conflict; the Allies weie not. Germany with her millions has over-run a great part of Europe; , . Germany knows the conditions under which the Allies are prepared to finish the war. Mr. Asqnith has affirmed Britains' intentions in unmistakeable terms. Speaking at the London Guildhall on November ft, 1914, he said: 'We sltall not sheath the sword, which we have not lightly drawn, until Belgium recovers in full measure all and more than all that she has sacrificed; until France is adequately secured against the menace of aggression; until the rights of the smaller nationalities of Europe are placed upon an unassailable foundation; until the military domination of Prussia is fully and finally destroyed.' Germany knows the position. She is the attacking party. The first move towards peace must come from her. It is notorious that talk of peace on our part is hailed by the German official world as a sign of weakness, and is so interpreted in Germany. In the words of one of our most prominent jurists, there cari be no peace or safety for Europe short of the permanent elimination ot Germany from its counsels. 'The safety of Europe,' ho says, 'demands that Germany-shall be crushed

. to powder.' "The- Pope's appeal deserves to he treated with,all Tespect, but when yon ask me if I consider it to be unanswerable, I can-only-refer you to the opinions expressed by such men as M. Briand, M. Cnmbon. Mr. Asqulth and Mr. Balfour. In my judgment," they form a complete explanation of why tile Allies cannot enter upon peace negotiations and why they must persevere with the war until it is possible to obtain a lasting settlement. Were peace concluded to-morrow with Germany undefeated in Europe, I am satisfied that within ten years we would be plunged Into a still more fearful war of aggression on tiic part of Germany, and one in which the aim would be, as in this war, the am»-li-ing of British power and the placing of Germany at the head of the nations of the world. "I can only say this in conclusion, that if the attitude taken up by your conference, and the views expressed thereat, were the attitude and views of British citizens generally, then the days of the Empire would be numbered: but that time will never arrive." i