WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

ALLIES' WAR AIMS. StIRRiNG SPEECH BY MB. BALFOUR REPLIES TO CRITICISMS. London, Sec. 20. Replying to Mr. Ponsonby's earlier remarks, Mr. Balfour said it was the grossest travesty of facts and was also agisting the enemy's propaganda to say that our aims were Imperialistic and that ; Btitain had selfish objects irt prolonging I the war, which the Central Powers de- j sired to end upon fair terms. There was no foundation for the suggestion that, but for the blundering of | outf'Foreign Office and the War Cabinet, Rufcgia would still be fighting wholeheartedly. ' Mr. Ponsonby was entirely wtbng in allying that Britain's attitude towards the Russian revolution was so chilling that it Was likely to impair the whole future of Anglo-Russian relations. 'The Government welcomed the end of autocracy-In Russia with warmth, enthusiasm and vividness of hope, for wfaafi, Wlfortunateiy, up to the present there was-little justification. If Britain's good wishes, warm hopes and sanguine expectations could make the revolution successful it ought to be the greatest possible. When dealing with a world-wide war ill sorts of difficulties and side issues fflust neeessarily arise. The Government bad Been tttcwi&l of tarnishing the ccain- ] try's honor and acting a hypocritical i ' part by plunging into the war and boast- ' ing Of disinterestedness, which was de-1 ceiving the British people. The notion - that any arrangement was made about Constantinople for any Imperialistic idea Was absurd. The arrangements concerning Persia were carried through by Sir , Henry Campbell-Bonnerman with Russia in 1907, and were then regarded as a great tijWhpli for international amity. The formation of an independent Poland within, the Russian Empire was the ex-Czar's solution of the question of domestic policy. Britain might have wished that fhfe erf-Czar's declaration should taker*' different form, but the declara-tion-Was explicit. The Foreign Office had never heard of a proposal by Lord Crewe for a new buffer State on the left bank of the Rhine, as suggested in the Petrojrad disclosures, and Mr. Balfour did not believe that such a scheme represented the French policy. There had been no obsciy-ity in our statement of war aims; we stated them truly, and the obscurity was with the Central Powers, who did not state their aims at all. Lord. H. CaVendish-Bentinck (Unionist) said it was ridiculous to hope for a League of Nations while Germany was holding parts of France, Belgium, Serbia and RouWania. If the enemy evacuated those countries we might begin to talk i peace. If the Government wished to assist the armies to pull the nation together it could do more by renouncing the Idea of an economic boycott of Germany. Brigadier-General Page Croft (Unionist) siid that Germany should know that for every month she continued the glutttly, wicked war her raw materials would be excluded for. a year from British fort »J: \

AftfILLERY ACTIVITY. BOMfcS DROPPED ON BRUGES. London, Dec. 20. ! Sir Douglas Haig reports: There has 1 - been hostile artillery activity at Passctandaelc, y The Portuguese repulsed raiders south- ' eastwards of Laventie. The Admiralty reports that aircraft dropped large quantities of explosives en the Brugeoise works at Bruges on - Tuesday night. Direct hits were ob«OM?ABDMENjr OK FRENCH FRONT. London, Dec. 20. A French communique reports; There ma * reciprocal bombardment in the itgions of .Tuvincourt, north of the Cmrierea Wood, at HartsmannsWeilerfc»pf«nd Sdioenhofe.