The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1916. BRITAIN'S REPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1916. BRITAIN'S REPLY.

The reply of Jirilain (o the alleged pence otirr of (Joriiia!iv is characteristic of the i;al : on. It i, accompanied by no theatrical display. Rio special summoning of numbers of Parliament. 110 trumpeting IVr ilie benefit of the outside world. It is brief, but pregnant with moaning, which it is to be hoped will not be lost or, the world's great criminal power that is row bleating so loudly for a cessation of hostilities it so wantonly provoked. 11l the absence of the new Prime Minister, who, unfortunately, is still confined to his room, Mr. Bonar Law made the pronouncement. He simply reminded the House that Mr. Asquith, when noving the last credit \ote, declared that the Allies would require adequate reparation for the past, and adequate security for the future. "That is still our in licv and that is still the determination of the Government," said Mr Bonar Law. There is 110 mistaking the attitude of Britain in respect of peace. Even if the war lasts for another ten years, she i? pledged to see it through until the n.ms for which she took up arms are attained. It is profitable to iook up the passages of our statesmen respecting ti.e peace settlement. Speaking at the Guiidhall, London, in November, 1914. Mr. Asquith made the following raemoraHe declaration:

"We shall never sheath the sword, vhieh we have not lightly drawn, until Belgium recovers in full measure all and more than she has sacrificed, until France is adequately secured against the menace of aggression, until the right of the smaller nationalities (i Europe are placed upon an unassailable foundation, and until (he military domination oi Prussia is wholly destroy, ed." Four months later, Mr. Asquith repeated the same declaration. In a speech del'vcrecj March l'Jla, Sir Edward Grey sail; "One essential condition of peace must h* the restoration to Belgium of her indii'nidence and reparation to li.t for tin? creel wrong done to her:' Tn March of this year the Bi'lisii Foreign Minister said:

"Nobody wants peace more than we vant it. imt we want a peace ihi,t does justice and a peace Unit re-establishes respect of the public law of the world. , . The Prussian authorities appai. flitly have but one idea of peace—an iron peace imposed on other nations by German supremacy. They do not understand that free men and free nations will rather die than submit to that ambition, and that there can be no end to the war till that aim is defeated arid renounced."

The statements made in this interview by Sir Edward Grey elicited a direct ie]dy from the German Chancellor 011 Jay 22, in which he said: "[ have twice publicly stated that Germany lias been ami is prepared to disniss the termination of the war upon a. basis that oilers a guarantee against further attack from a coalition of her enemies and insures peace to Europe. One thing 1 do know—only when statesmen of the warring nations come down t; a basis of real facts, when they take the war situation as every war map shows it to be: when, with honest and sincere will they are prepared to terminate this terrible bloodshed and are n-ady to discuss the war and pea?D problems with one another in a practical manner, only then will we be noaring peace." On >[av 2-1, lfllfi, in the House of Commons. Sir Edward Grey replied 10 the German Chancellor. He said: "Willi 0111 Allies, deeply «j we desire lo see the fruits of pence established in a peace that shall endure and save the world from such a catastrophe as this war in future, ever again, J believe the duty of diplomacy at the present 11101111 lit is to maintain, as it has completely maintained, the solidarity of the Allies, and to give the utmost support it can to the military and naval measures which arc necessary, and taken by the Aliies in common, to bring this war to a stage, which it has not reached yet, at vliicli that prospect, of a secure and durable peace will be made a reality."

Tie second statement of the German Chancellor, given above, made after the mnal battle in the North Sea. reflects the result of that battle in its more defiant tone. In general, he stat"d that Ci-rmany desired peer 1. 1 011 the basis of tiie war map as it stands, and he laid upon the Allies the blame for continuing hostilities. Sir Edward Grey, oil the c:her hand, told the House of Commons 011 llav '24 that all peace talk was idle because the German people were being

■ l'i-d will) lie-." In substance In: said: 'The Allies are not going to be beaten. 'i.llo iirst step toward peace will come nnen the Herman Government begins to ritoguise that fact." Premier Briand, n f France, like President Poineare, dccinred that lasting peace could come only through Entente victory. Mr. 1 loyd (leorge said that a crushing militiiiy defeat of liennany alone could ensure lasting peace. President Wilson's tentative offer of American mediation, recently made in his address before the l eague to Enforce Peace, called forth a storm of comment both favorable and unfavorable. Strong objections to the United States as a medium for peace i.egotialions came alike from British and freni German leaders. The present Prime Minister told America last September: — "In the British determination to carry liii; fight to a decisive finish there is -Miiething more than the natural demand fnr vengeance. The inhumanity and j■jiifulness of the fighting that must unit before a lasting peace is possible , not comparable with the cruelty that would be involved in stopping the war ■utile there remains the "possibility of

civilisation again being menaced from the same quarter. Peace now or at any time 'before the final and complete elimination of this menace is unthinkable. No man or no nation with the slighest of llie citizen Army of PtiluiK. which look ils tfrribh' hammering without a whine or "-nimble, will attempt lo call a halt now. There is neither clock nor calendar in the British Anuv to-day. Time is the least vital factor. Only the result counts, not the lime consumed in achieving it. II took England twenty years to defe:;'. Napoleon, and the first fifteen of those years were black with llritish defeai. It will not take twenty years to win this war but whatever time is ve<|uircd it mil lie done. There are and there will hi no quitters among the Allies. 'Never again' Inn become our battle-cry." ' i e pact of the Triple Entente, accord.:.{T to a statement issued by the British Foreign Ollice, un September 0. v as as follows: "The undersigned, duly authorised thereto by Hit respective Governments, hereby declare <ts follow:—The British, French and Russian Governments mutually engage not to conclude peace separately during the present war. The three (i'o\eminent-; agree that when terms ol pence come to be discussed, 110 one of the Allies will demand terms of peace wii'"'nt previous agreement of each of iii iei- Allies. In faith whereof the rndersUincd have signed this declaration, -iid i; \n affixed thereto their seals. Done at London in triplicate the ofh day of S.ptembcr, lfil-l.''

All the Allied Powers endorsed this agreement. From the above position none of (lie Allies will depart, no matter the consequences. The end will be attained in due course, and if German;,' likes to continue her resl-ta: so much die worse for her. She threatens, die toasts, she cajoles, but it is all to no pi rpose. She is going to lie puni-hed for her calculated, atrocious crimes, and the clanger of her militarism removed for ail time.