The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1918. THE EASTERN PERIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1918. THE EASTERN PERIL.

At last Germany has thrown aside the mask and revealed her aims for obtaining an Eastern Empire, even at the cost of her colonies. The realisation of this dream has been and is an obsession, but for many years past the pan-Ger-man strategists have been actively promulgating their plans for grasping the largest block of territory that over any nation desired. Yet at Brest Litovsk the German tiators made an elaborate pretence of subscribing to the Russian formula of "no annexations no indemnities," and even the Reichstag went through the farce of passing a similar resolution, which, however, was speedily abrogated, with the results that annexations are wholesale and indemnities the rule. A Junker regime is being spread wide over new lands extinguishing racial liberty and equality as it goes. German armies and detached forces north and south are operating from Finland to the Crimea, while from west to east they have penetrated hundreds of miles into the richest part of Russian territory. Already Germany and her partners in crime, have effectively annexed—openly or under different disguises—about 500,000 square miles of territory and seventy million people, forming the inhabitants of a number of client States well chained to the interest ol: their Teutonic masters. A settled aim is to get into direct continuous touch, with all the Moslem population of Asia—with Turkestan and the Central Khanates, with the Chinese Mahommedans just beyond, ami through Persia with Afghanistan and India. Already the Ceistnil League controls far over two hundred million of people. That is the scope of the design,.,and until it is understood and thwarted for ever no possible terms, which might W made ,n the West oouJrl. pnrclm.se "von tolerable for the Allies or bring lastkg peace to the i world Finland* fa practically »

German dependency, to be ruled by a Teutonic nominee. The same •,iiay be said of what are called the Baltic provinces, which are to be planted largely by a couple of million or more of German settlers. Poland is to be attached to the Hapsbnrg Crown, which is equivalent to being under German rule, and puppet-Poland is to have aft the Kho'lm province as well as Eastern Galicia, so that undying hale may be sown between the Poles and Ukrainians.' Polish landowners in Lithuania and the Ukraine are to be supported against the Lettish and Ruthenian peasants who are in a large majority. This is the witches brew of dissension, bitterness and unrest that is being prepared in the name of Polish freedom. Bourn ania has been firmly bound down to severe German interests, while the oilfields, coalfields and forests (the latter being said to be worth one hundred and fifty million sterling) are seized by Germany and Austria as indemnities in kind: Tn face of this gigantic scheme of territorial acquisition by force and fraud comes a cable stating that the Spanish Government lias received from Germany suggestions for a peace conference based upon the declaration that Germany wants no annexations or indemnities in the West, but putting forward the monstrous claim that the treaties with Russia and Roumania must not be questioned. In the light of the Brest Litovsl' fiasco this demand is the most colossal impudence and effrontery that has ever been perpetrated even by Germany, for despite the statement that Germany wants no annexations in tjle West, she proposes that the fate of Belgium may be settled at a peace conference. This is on a par with the other terms stated, which are too absurd to mention. The key of the position is Russia. India is already being organised to meet the peril, and nothing but utilising the opportunities for bringing the enemy to ruin by the excess of his ambitions will save the situation. The salvation of Russia will be the death knell of German hopes and dreams, and that is why both by diplomacy and military force the Allies should help to build, up disintregated Russia and free the country from German despotism, and then break the power of Turkey for ever, for unless Germany on all that side of tlv; world can be resisted by some means, her campaign of penetration and organisation will go on. Because of this Eastern dream the franchise reform is being refused or evaded in Prussia and Hungary. Because of its reaction, caste ascendency and conquest are triumphing to-day from the Allied line in. the West far into the heart of what was once called Russia in Europe, and further towards the Asiatic East. If the Central Empires could secure peace on the terms put forward by them through Spain, sooner or later there must lie a new worldwar, so that it is a matter of life and death for all the Allies to secure in this war the reconstruction of a free Russian Federation and thus eliminate the Eastern peril which now looms large and menacing to the world's peace.