BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN.

NO PRUSSIAN TYRANNY. SIR EDWARD GREY INTERVIEWED. REPLY TO THE CHANCELLOR. London, May lb Sir Edward Grey, interviewed by a correspondent of the Chicago Daily iSews, said:— "Our people will not stand Prussian tyranny over Western Europe, including these Islands. We Allies are fighting for ;\ Europe free, not only from the domination of one nationality, but froin hectoring diplomacy, the constant rattling of the sword in the scabbard, perpetual talk of shining armour and war lords. Prussia proposes Europe should be modelled and ruled by Prussia to dispose, of the liberties of her neighbours and of us all. We are fighting the German idea of the desirability of ever-recurrent wars. Prussia under Bismarck deliberately and admittedly made three wars. We want a settled peace which will be guaranteed against aggressive war.

"Germany's philosophy is that a settled peace spells disintegration and degeneracy and the sacrifice of the heroic qualities of the human character. Such a philosophy, if it becomes a practical force, means eternal apprehension and unrest and ever-increasing armaments arresting the development of mankind along the lines of cultured humanity. "We believe in negotiation and have faith in an international conference. We proposed conference before this war broke out. Russia proposed to send the dispute to The Hague Tribunal, but Germany would not accept either proposal.

"Herr von Betlimann-Hollweg (suggests that desire for conquest, lust for revenge, and jealous of economic competftion in the world market were the three driving forces of the coalition against Germany. Before the war there was no coalition against Germany. Before the war Germany knew it, though she now claims the war was forced on her, but Italy, the third member of the Triple Alliance, at the outset definitely refused to accept that view. Nobody thought of attacking Germany, not a measure was taken by any other Power that was not purely defensive. The German preparations 'were for attack. "Her von Bethmann-Hollweg recently referred to Belgium as a bulwark. Bet gium was a bulwark defending Germany, France and Europe. Peace reigned in this bulwark until Germany decided to make war when there was no danger from any quarter. "Presumably Germany would like neutrals to think that England is applying pressure to keep France, Russia, and Italy in the war. We are not doing so. France, Russia, and Italy need no urging. They know they are in the war to preserve everything precious to their nationality. This knowledge makes them determined and unconquerable.

"Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg affirms that Britain wants to destroy a united and. free Germany. We have never been smitten with such madness and Herr von Bethmaim-Hollweg knows that We want nothing of the sort. We should be glad to see the German people as free as ourselves and as we want other nationalities to be. It belongs to the rudiments of political science, abundantly taught by history, that you cannot enslave people and make a success of the job. You cannot kill a people's soul by foreign despotism and brutality. We aspire to embark on no such course of folly and futility. We believe that the German people, when once the dreams of world empire cherished by pan-Germanism are brought to naught, will insist upon the control of its Government. In this lies the hope of securing freedom and national, independence in Europe, because a German democracy will not plot and plan war as Prussian militarism has plotted wars to take place at chosen dates in the future.

"Unless mankind learns from this war to avoid war the struggle will be vain, furthermore the menace of destruction will loom over humanity. The Germans have thrown the door wide open for every form of attack on human life. All their scientific genius has been dedicated to wiping out human life. If the world cannot organise against war, if war must go on, all nations can protect themselves henceforth only by using whatever destructive agencies they can invent, till the resources and inventions of science end by destroying humanity they meant to serve. Germans assert that their culture is so extraordinarily superior that it gives them a moral right to impose it on the rest of the world by force of will. "The outstanding contribution kultur has disclosed in this war is such as will lead to wholesale extermination. The Prussian authorities apparently have but one idea of peace, an iron peace imposed on other nations by German supremacy. Don't you understand that free men and free nations will rather die than submit to that ambition, and that there will .be no end of the war till it has been defeated and renounced '(" MR. HUGHES AT HOME. SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY COUNCIL. London, May 14. The Advisory Council of Science and Industry, associated with the Board of Education, welcomed Mr. Hughes. The council's scheme consists of the coordination of scientific and industrial research on an Imperial basis, notably in the cotton, metal, rubber and wool industries. Mr. Hughes approved of the proposal for an Imperial information bureau and scientific clearing, house in direct communication with a central body formed in each Dominion.

ROUMANIAN APPRECIATION. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, May 14. The Roumanian press pays a tribute to Britain's military effort and admires the new compulsion. _ La Roumanic says: "More significant still is the action of the Dominions, which appeared, before the war only nominally attached to England. These men voluntarily quitted an cxMtence as comfortable as any in the world. They belonged to all classes, enjoyed the greatest liberties, and were not unlmed with militarism,''