PREMATURE REJOICINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1918, Page 4

PREMATURE REJOICINGS.

On tlie strength of an unconfirmed cable ! from New York the whole of New Zealand yesterday went wild with joy at the news of Germany's acceptance of armistice terms and* the consequent cessation of hostilities. 'Due contents of the cable were so precise, even giving the time of the formal signature, also of tho cessation of hostilities, that no one doubted the accuracy of the news until an official message from Washington, received about two hours later, notified that tho armistice (had not been signed. By the time the contradiction arrived the people of New Zealand had .been worked up into a state of semi-delirious exuberance, showing how intensely keen tho tension is and how great is the yearning for peace—a peace having the full significance of a decisive defeat of file enemy. How'the New York cable came to be despatched may be cleared up before long, but the point needing emphasis is the danger of accepting any news of this kind that is not vouched for officially. Even if there had been a sufficient lapse of time after Marshal Foch's reception of tho Gorman military delegation, and the delivery of the armistice terms, to have enabled the German authorities to weigh the terms, decide on their reply, and go through the formalities incidental to the signing of an armistice, it would hardly have been possible for the business to have been completed by the time named in the in'cw York cable, and it is not at all likely that the Germans would act in such a desperate hurry, indicating thereby their readiness to accept any terms whatever—peace at any price. If bo. they must have completely changed their whole methods, and there might well be anxiety over some deep and cunnin; move which they had in contemplation. Not yet have the Teutons lost their cuteness in haggling over details in order to get an and it would be too much to expect they would throw aside even the semblance of hesitation in accepting the Allies' terms. Bo that as it may, there is no getting away from tiho fact that those who yesterday lost their heads and accepted an unofficial and unconfirmed press message on a matter of such vital importance should be wiser if not sadder now. The Premier of New Zealand has given a definite pledge that immediately on receipt of official news of peace ihe will notify the fact throughout the country, therefore it is distinctly an act of want of faith :n his word for the people to rush into premature rejoicings, and not to await tho official pronouncement whicih we are all keenly expecting. The effect is most disturbing, and it not only takes the edge off the justified outburst of feeling when the end of the war has been actually reached, but may incline people to doubt tho truth of the news when officially proclaimed. Tihat Germany i must give in sooner or later is inevitable, "But bearing in mind the quibble raised by the German delegates over the exchango of prisoners agreement, which has only just been ratified, it will be necessary to tie her down hard and fast before we can give way to the glorious prospect of peace. Internally and externally. Germany is now suffering the tortures of the inferno, but her .liieart is still hard and her strength appreciable. All the same, it is to be hoped that she will have sufficient sanity not to prolong a hopeless struggle, but to admit defeat and take her medicine in a manner indicating that .?!: o still possesses courage _ and determination. Meanwhile we should be patient and confident that the end is at hand, and when it comes celebrate it worthily and wholeheartedly, and in this connection it is satisfactory to find that organisation in New Plymouth and other towns is already well under way.