The Daily News. THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1919. A MOMENTOUS GATHERING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1919. A MOMENTOUS GATHERING.

Paris js now the scene of the most momentous gathering of delegates that has even taken place. On the issues to be decided by the Peace Congress depends the future saJ'ety and security of the nations, and to reach this goal the Allies have for over four ./ears striven and suffered, always with the determination Jo win through and make an end of war For this they counted no sacrifice too great, and now the world is to reap the fruit of this hardly-won victory. It is only natural, therefore, that the proceedings at the Congress are being watched with exceptional interest, although its real work has not yet commenced. The chief centre of concerii is foeussed on the treatment that will be measured out to Germany, and while there have been at various times statements made by leading statesmen of the Allies on this question, no indications of the terms to be imposed on that country have leaked out, although it is generally considered that adequate punishment for launching the war, and for the crimes committed during its course, must be imposed. It is not necessary to conjecture what sort of terms Germany would have imposed in the «reri of being victorious. The riv"!i' i"i ; .'.inx comprised in the

not bring themselves to such a depth of degradation as would be the case if Uiey acted in the sa.me way as Germany. They have befci fighting a barbarous, unscrupulous and tyrannical fee and championing the cause of liberty and justice. Therefore it is incumbent on tli em to impose such terms as are consistent with strict justice, free from all tinge of vengeance. .It is their business to ensure pciace in the future, and in order to do 1 this it will be necessary to demonstrate, by the imposition of substantial indemnities, that war does not pay. Civilisation, humanity and justice also demand the punishment of those responsible for the crimes, outrages, p : '!nge, wanton destruction and devastation committed by the Germans in carrying out then- policy of unrestricted terrorism. It is also essential that conscription shall be ended and effective measures taken to uproot militarism. Under the armistice terms Germany had to surrender her navy and submarines, but that was merely a precautionary measure to prevent the armistice period from being converted into a preparation for resumption of hostilities. There is actually only a continsren! con-j nection between the arn.r:" 1 " fi~<7 the peace terms, and tbi» • ' J

terms were made dras'nc is • _j tfon of the fact that Utrmany conld not be trusted. For the same reason it will be necessary to make the pe,ace terms drastic. Hence the Peace Congress has its work, so far as the Teutons are concerned, divided into three main portions apart from the question of punishment, namely, compensation, restoration, and restriction. Compensation should include the cost of the war to the Allies, the'repayment of all fines and levies made on occupied territory, the losses occasioned by the victims of submarining and air raids, payment for forced labor, for outrages on women and children, and for every crime committed. Restoration involves the giving up of all loot and exactions, the rebuilding of damaged or destroyed structures (public and private), the replacement of merchant and passenger ships sunk by submarines, and the reinstatement of all furniture, effects, cattle and other belongings of the people in urban and rural areas so ruthlessly devastated by the enemy in all the war theatres. Restriction deals vnlh the measures for preventing another war, and in this connection all the nations will have to come under the terms settled by the Congress. So far as Germany is concerned u would seem, to be necessary io provide for the surrender of the Kiel Canal, and tcY confine the Germans to the country east of the Rhine. That practically means the annexation by France and Belgium of all German territory west of the Rhine, thereby giving those nations a natural frontier. Tiie 1< tench. press strongly supports this process, whereby France would obtain the territory from west of the Rhine to the Moselle, while Belgium would secure that part of the Rhinish province of Prussia to the north of the Moselle and west of the Rhine -one of the richest parts of Europe. This arrangement would not only be an act of justice to Belgium and France, but would form a guarantee against future hostilities, for it would provide a formidable barrier against invasion and deprive Gmaany of a jumping-off place if ever again she were in a position to make a warlike demonstration. It is not suggested that the Germans occupying the territory 'in. question should remain there, as that would certainly be a dangerous experiment, but that they should be provided with new houses in Germany. With this safeguard, the retention of the German colonies, the abolition of militarism, and the imposition of such other safeguards as may be deemed necessary to prevent the arming and equipping of large forces, the German menace would be stamped oat. The question of punishment will probably cause considerable care and deliberation, but it has to be faced and settled. There can be no doubt that the expulsion of Germans on the west of the Rhine could be regarded as part of the penalty that Germany might justly be called upon to pay, but it "partakes of the nature of a seizure of territory and it is quite possible objections may be made thereto. That the map of Europe will have to be altered is certain. There are no Central Powers now, but it will be necessary to provide against the contingency oi: future coalitions. The future of Turkey, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Arabia will also have to be settled, f„nd the aspirations of the Czechs and Slavs taken into account. On the main points to be discussed at the Congress there seems 1o be unanimity among the Allies, but it is obvious there are numerous subsidiary matters that may evoke differences of opinion. There never was a conference yet

promises on minor essentials-, bat we are trusting that on all the main points there will be unanimity and that the decisions will be worthy of the enormous sacrifices made in the cause of peace.