THE ALLIES CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1917, Page 4

THE ALLIES CASE.

The supplementary despatcl sent by the British Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. A. J. Balfour) to President Wilson, as published in yesterday'.: cables, will lie read with considerable interest. and not a little enlightenment ft ' U described as a masterly presentation the Allies" case, and this designation is fully justified. The German authorities have, been vigorously mendacious in tlr presentation of their ca*se to tiieii own people arid to neutrals, so. that it is necessary, especially in view of the xcent misrepresentations in the Germsfn press, to fully and plainly set forth Untrue meaning of the Allies' reply. No one can possibly dispute the basic, fact, emphasised by Mil'. Balfour that the durability of peace must largely depend upon its character. Germany, '.n face of all the known evidence, continues to accuse France, Russia and Britain with having combined together for hor destruction. Envious of her greatness and prosperity, these Powers, she protests. inspired by Britain, the most powerful and unscrupulous (as history shows; of them all. and in contempt of ail international law Mid in the most inhuman of forms, have striven to crush Germany and to secure 'the enslavement of Europe and of the seas." She also casts in Britain's ;ace the Hmrgc of Inst of conquest, particularly referring to Turkey. Mr. Balfour admits that the expulsion of the Turks from Europe is a complete reversal of Britain's national policy, but he emphasises the t fact that circumstances have completely changed owing to the Young Turks, under German influence, being as barbarous, unit far more aggressive than Abdul Ilamid. How true that statement is may be gathered from the terrible atrocities committed on the Armenians. Turkey has gone from u;:l to worse, until she has become absolutely unbearable, uiul it is quite time her iniquitous career was, ended. She is iu congenial eompajiy with the other Central Powers, whose brutal aggressions can only be restrained by force, and to whom treaties are but. mat:; for their feet. The graphic picture presented of the outrages and terrorism wliiclj have marked tho German occupation of Belgium is in 110 way overdrawn. Terrorism and barbaric practices have, been consistently carried out by the Huns on land and sea. as iveli ar, from the air. The sensational accounts of the Atlantic raider point to this phase of German warfare as being the outcome of desperation. The three conditions ■'or a durable peace mentioned by Mr. Balfour are absolutely imperative—the removal of the existing causes of international unrest, tiie denunciation of Germany's aggressive aims of unscrupuous methods, and. an effective international arrangement to prcvfllt another war for domination. It is idle and hypocritical for Germany to pretend that the Allies' -'intention; are in any.

way influenced by an,; factor other than that of s'pcuvinj,' c real and permanent peace. Prussian militarism will, it is tvue. be crushed because its existence prevents a durable peace, otherwise Germany will he free to work out liei own destiny, hut .not to interfere with any other nation. The ".-owing anti-Herman fooling in Austria is eloquent testimony to the justice of the Allies' ease The German nm»k is oil', and she now stands revealed to the world as .1 monster it relentless cruelty and ferocity whose power foi i.vil imi-1 be c.'.docl by a crushing viclorv.