The Daily News. TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1917. MORE HOPEFUL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1917. MORE HOPEFUL NEWS.

News from Russia during the last day or two has been decidedly more hopeful. The peace manoeuvres have failed, much to the Huns' chagrin, whilst the Russians have at last realised that their troubles can never be ended by compromising with the enemy within their gates, but only by smashing him once for all, and then arranging terms of a lasting world's peace. Happily Russia has leaders like Kerensky and Brussiloff who are not only patriots but men of discernment and vision, able to distinguish between the false and the true-, the friend and the foe. Even if Russia got all she wished by making terms tyith the enemy, she could never again look the world squarely in the face and never would she be

trusted again. It would he but another caso of gaiuing the world and losing her soul. When the truth of Russia's Inner history is told—as told it must be ill the near future—it will 110 doubt be found that the real reason for Rus #i»'« baickwardnesis—political, commercial, educational-—wtis the machipiitions of tha iwily Huns, who saw in the great giant across tlia border a nation, if aroused, that might some day prove a powerful adversary. Not only that, Russia was a .perfect mine of wealth to the Germans, who, through their high-placed myrmidons, exploited her in every shape and form. They knew the resources of Russia better than the Russians themselves and they turned' them to their own advantage. The war has shown that there is absolutely no limit to the unscrupulousness of the German. He sticks at nothing, either in the field of commerce or diplomacy or in the field of war, to gain his end, and being ready at all times to pay the initial price, he was able to enlist in his service the highest functionaries in Russia, who not only aided him in making money out of Russian industries and resources but kept him in close touch with her preparations for war. So when "The Day" arrived, Germany knew all about the fighting ability of Russia, and all about her plans, and was not alarmed at the prospect of meeting France and England as well. Unfortunately for the Hun, be was governed entirely by material considerations. Russia, he reasoned, was a great, chaotic, ill-led and worse-found giant; France was effeminate and liked pleasure 'utter than the hard conditions of war; and Britain—well, she had a strong navy, right enough, but a "contemptible" little army, neither of which would count. Germany was wrong in her estimate, not only of tff& capabilities of her principal adversaries, but of the attitude of the rest of the world, and therefore failed in her aims and bids fair to pay the penalty, which, if France aiTd Engl aild liaye their way, will be a heavy one. The change of constitution in Russia .was bound to affect the campaigns against the enemy. 'lt gave the socialists and anarchists and German agents a fine opportunity to get in their fell work, with the result that there has been little or no movement on the Russian front, thus allowing the enemy to reinforce the threatened fronts in France and Italy, and enabling him to stay the successful advance of the Allies. It is very characteristic of the Huns, now that they see the separate peace game is up, to turn round and cynically thank the Russians for the truce and threaten to shoot in future all Russians. At the same time it should open the eyes of the misguided elements in the Russan army to the grave danger they have bo narrowly averted, for had they fallen victims to the cajolery and blandishments of the unscrupulous Huns they would have offered themselves to their country as slaves for generations, with no chance of escape from a fate only comparable to a lingering .political and industrial death. But the best part of the news Is not so much the reassurances of General Brussiloff, but the fact that I fighting of a fairly severe character is going on at different points of the Russian lines. If they are attacked, the Russians must fight, whatever their political predelictions may be, and the harder they fight the better for the general cause, for the enemy will then be unable to draw again from this long front) to reinforce 'his positions on the western fronts, where the issue of the war, it is certain, will be decided. Russia has only to do her duty henceforth, and the end of the war wijl not be a question of years. As it is, the Russian inaction of the past three months has destroyed all chance of the war being cleaned up this year, but if Russia can maintain pressure from now onward, there is every hope of the fighting coming to a satisfactory termination by the end of next year,

LIQUOR AND THE WAR. Last session the Government passed the anti-Bhouting Act. It was by way of compromise. Six o'clock closing during the currency of the war was asked for by the Prohibition Party, backed by no inconsiderable section of the public who felt it was a direction in which efficiency and eoonomy could be promoted. Thu Government felt the pressure to be irresistible, so, as usual, compromised by perpetrating the abortive anti-shouting legislation, which, we make bold to say, lias not reduced the consumption of iiquor by one gallon. A greater mistake could not have been niado than to enact legislation that was only irritating and could not be enforced. Better had the Act/ never been passed, for It has only succeeded in bringing the law as a whole into contempt, one of the worst possible things in the interests of law and order, and good government. But the legislators saw in it.a way out of what they regarded as a difficult position. The effect has. been but to strengthen the hands of the Six O'clockers, who this session mean to have their way in this matter. In every part of the Dominion meetings have been held, and resolutions passed in favor of this emergency war measure, and the petitions to be presented to Parliament are such that the Go-Slow Government must pay heed. Possibly, as is its wont, it will compromise again by offering, say, eight o'oiock closing. There is a lamentable lack of statesmanship about all the doings of our so-called National Government. To expediency everything is sacrificed, the evil day being .put off as long as possible. It is not a question of doing what is in [ the interests of the Dominion that weighs

with the Government, but a question of: How is it going to affect the votes? Now, this six o'clock propaganda is not confined to ranting Prohibitionist)*; it it a national movement of economy and efficiency, and for that reason jg rcceiv. ing the wholehearted support of the moderate party whose votes determine every licensing poll. The position was put very tersely .by Mr. f. Wilding, K.C., of Christchurch, a man who has never supported the Prohibition movement, publicly, to Mr, Noswortlty, M.P. He said:—"The country has made up its mind on good and sufficient grounds. It has delivered its mandate to you as plainly and unmistakably as if this had been a test question at a general election. It is a national matter involving questions of conscience and patriotism upon which uve, yoU r constituents, are the best judges. The path of duty and honor is clear -before you. If for any leason you refuse to pursue it you are not truly representative of ua, you will betray your trust, and yon will infringe a fundamental principle, the strict observance of which is essential, if reu csentativt government in tfew Zealand is to be aught but a mockery and a delusion." Whilst supporting six o'clock closing during the currency of the war—we would have the whole liquor trade taken over and run by the State, if we had our way-we certainly are opposed to tho whole burden being placed upon licensees. A portion should bo borne >by the hotel owners, for the most part the brewing interests. We don't suggest compensation from tha public funds/for that would open up the whole question of compensation by other businesses and enterprises that have been affected or sacrificed by the war, but we do say care should be exercised that no injustice be done to licensees who have entered into a legal and legitimate business by reducing their revenue without also making provision for reducing tlielr rents, which in many instances are now crushingly heavy, and a handicap to the proper running of hotels.