HISTORIC PARALLEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1941, Page 5

HISTORIC PARALLEL

DEFEAT OF “GREAT OGRE” RECALLED,

“If you turn up ‘The Times’ of a hundred and thirty-five years ago, when the battle of Austerlitz had settled the fate of Austria as decisively (it seemed) as the fate of France was decided a year ago, you will find,” said Mr W. J, Brown in a recetn broadcast talk, “a leading article which ran: ‘lncredible as this sudden and unexpeetde termination of the war is, we are compelled to give it reluctant credit. From the Baltic to the farthest extremity of Italy there is not a sovereign or prince who at the moment may not be said to hold his power by sufference from Bonaparte. What this frightful state is to lead to is in the womb of time. The victor may be merciful on the Continent, but we, who despise his power, are not to expect peace from his moderation. He pledged himself to his troops that he would make peace in Vienna before Christmas, and in London before Easter. He has redeemed his pledge in. the first instance: we are persuaded that he will endeavour to do so in the latter..’ It would be difficult to conceive of a closer parallel to our situation today than that. And yet within a few years Europe had risen against the tyrant. British arms had defeated the final flower of his army at Waterloo, and the “Great Ogre.” whose very name had been used to frighten the children with, was an exile at St. Helena, eating out his heart in the bitterness of defeat,”