TREATMENT OF EX-ENEMIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1921, Page 4

TREATMENT OF EX-ENEMIES.

VIEWS OF RETURNED SOLDIERS. NO HAND OF FRIENDSHIP. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The relations between Allied and late enemy nations was the subject of an in- : teresting debate at a conference of the . New Zealand R.S.A. executive on Satur- ‘ day evening. A sub-committee suggested that the association should support the principle of the League of Nations at the Empire conference of ex-soldier organisations at Capetown on February 23: (a) After consultation with the Government /of the country of each association, to support, if necessary, the decision of the council of the League; (b) after such consultation to confer with returned soldier organisations of every coun« try admitted to the League for the pur-i pose of supporting the League to secure the existence of working effectiveness. Mr. R. B. Bell Wellington) said that as Bulgaria was already a member of the League, Austria and Germany might enter later, and tKere was no in* dication that Germany had changed iri heart towards England; indeed, she was( endeavoring Xo evade the payment of indemnities, and was preparing for a war of revenge. He thought the tion inadvisable. Mr. T. Long (Auckland) considered we should not hold out the olive branch to enemy countries until they had made reparation. He hoped the Capetown delegates would be instructed to hold aloof from any proposal of cohesion with Germany Air. E. F. Andrews (Auckland) said Germany had expressed no regrets for the wrongs caused. They could not give her the hand of fellowship while the Empire’s soldiers were still suffering in hospital. The Rev. W. Walker (Oanterbury)i advocated the whole-hearted support of the League. Mr. D. S. Smith referred to the blindness of speakers to the spirit shown towards enemy countries in other parts of the world. He was pained that they, as the executive, should (leal with the question with such levity. The leading statesmen of the Allied nations had decided that the best course was to refopen relations with their late enemies* They should show the world that they had some vision.

The conference eventually decided “to support the principle of the League of Nations.” It was also decided to instruct the delegates to Capetown to use their own discretion in the matter of trading with enemy countries.