TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19890, 20 May 1936, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Germany 9 s Grievances “ The German people to-day have two main grievances. The first concerns individual citizens and their families. The second concerns the nation as a whole. The first is the economic distress which the Germans share, although perhaps in an enhanced degree, with most of the western world. The second is the feeling that Germany deserves as high a place as any among the nations of the earth; that nothing less than complete equality with the mostfavoured nations is compatible with her honour; and that the last remaining indignities or implications of inferiority imposed upon her by the victorious Powers at Versailles should now either be cancelled by the revision of that treaty or else be, as far as possible, frustrated and contravened by her own unilateral action.”—Dr. Maxwell Garnett, in the “ Contemporary Review.” Britain s Responsibility “ Difficulties are recognised, but they are recognised as difficulties to be faced and overcome, not to be accepted as excuses for shirking the manifest duty of endeavouring to rebuild upon broader and surer foundations. In the discharge of this task Great Britain lias a special responsibility. The present crisis is one more manifestation of the age-old distrust between France and Germany of the clash between French fear of aggression and German dread of encirclement. Great Britain, by the favour of geography and history, is exempt from the evil inheritance which divides these two great nations, with both of whom she desires to live in amity. Her one interest in Europe is peace; and in pursuit of that interest it is her duty to lose no opportunity of trying to bring France and Germany together in friendship with ourselves.”—The Times (London). The Tight Little Island ‘‘lt was Napoleon who said that Antwerp in the possession of it hostile nation was like a pistol held at the head of Great Britain” said Mr Dul'f-Cooper, Secretary of Slate for War, speaking in the I House of Commons. “The result of new inventions is that that menace is greater than it was before, because to-day it is a doublebarrelled pistol. It is not only a base for shipping and submarines, but is also a taking-oil ground tor aeroplanes. The invention of flying, so far from rendering us more immune, has robbed us of a great part of our immunity. The sea, as Shakespeare said: ‘The silver sea, whirl, serves it in the office of a wall,’ serves no longer in that office. Morn than ever we are part of the Continent of K,trope; less than ever can we rely upon any special advautago ivjjnx our insiilax position,”