The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1918. UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 October 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1918. UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.

Though President Wilson is figuring so largely in the peace discussions it does not follow that America will have all the voice in determining the basis of peace when the time arrives for doing so. The Allies are quite satisfied to leave the discussions with the President meantime; if for no other reason than that it affords an opportunity of testing the sincerity of the enemy powers, and ascertaining if the aims of the Allies can be attained without further bloodshed. The Central Powers have only just discovered that the speeches made by President "Wilson from time to time provide a basis for peace, notably that of January 8, in which the President set forth, in eighteen points, a programme likely to bring about an enduring peace. It is not that they had no opportunity of arriving at this conclusion before, for the points have been elucidated on several occasions. The fact is, of course, that the enemy powers did not desire a peace on the lines laid down by the President. They Avanted a German peace, whereby they could pursue unhindered the Prussianising of the East and South, retain all the plunder in their guilty hands, and secure from their victims indemnities that would recoup them all their expenditure in connection with the war. War to the Germans is a business that in the past was very profitable, and they meant it to be so in this case. They were then confident of winning. They had Russia under their heel, Roumania was helpless, and Italy bad sustained a severe set-back. Tliey were able to transfer r. million men to the west front, and with this immense addition to their forces they were confident they could crush the Allies. And how nearly they succeeded is now being realised. Lately, however, they have seen the armies they regarded as beaten turn and send their forces reeling, their "impregnable" Hindenburg line breached, all their strong points taken one l>y one. and an invasion of their beloved Fatherland a possibility of the immediate future. Then, and _ only then, did they recognise merit in President Wilson's speeches, and they hastened to take advantage of them. In many respects President Wilson's programme is vague and indefinite, admitting of ;> wide divergence in the interpretation of the principles laid down, and the Germans, no doubt, felt that if they could only get an armistice and commence a discussion of the terms around the table they would still able to escape retribution for their awful crimes, if not gain by diplomacy what they have lost by arms. But President Wilson was not to be caught napping in this way. He told the Germans that they must immediately withdraw their forces from the invaded territories, that they must recall their submarines, and allow the German nation, and not the criminals guilty of starting and carrying on the war, to speak. Meantime the Allies pushed on more vigorously with the war. _ To Austria's hypocritical plea lor peace the President now says that certain events of the utmost importance have occurred since his speech in January last which have necessarily altered the attitude of responsibility of the United States Government, going on to say: "In T i ew 0 f fj ie re * cognition of the Czecho-Slovaks the President is no longer at iibaccept tlle luere autonomy ot these people as the basis of peace, but is obliged to insist that tiey and not he shall be judges of what action on the part of the Austro-Hungarian Government will satisfy their aspirations and then- conceptions of their rights and destiny as members of the Jamil y of nations." This reply 'a 11 t -^ le - ua^ure °i' il knock-out. Austria is a polygot nation, and without her subject races, which she has consistently ill-treated here would be little left of Aus-tria-Hungary. President Wilson tnereiore asks Austria to commit han kari" as a nation. The world, would be better and stronger were the "ramshackle" empire to disappear. If peace is to be secured—and the past sacrifices would be in vain if it is not—the Czecho-Slovaks, the Poles, and tne other races forming AustriaHungary must be given self-gov-ernment, not in the sense suggested by Count von Burian, but an independence that is complete and absolute. There would have w war but for the Hohen-

zollerns. The Hapsburgs are little better. Both, have been a curse to mankind for hundreds of years. Both should go. The Allies should refuse to further discuss terms with the Central Powers until they rid themselves o? their ruling dynasties. No mere change of Kaiser or Austrian Emperor should suffice. The people, and not the ruling houses, should rule, and deal with the world they have so grievously wronged. Meantime "unconditional surrender" should be the slogan of the Allies.