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Among the diverse classes at Home one is not surprised to find a bandful of pacifist cranks of the "forget and forgive" order, Bat one hardly expected that there would be people of this kidney in Hongkong. Some of the remarks made at yesterday's Council meeting, however, cause na to have misgivings on that point. It is said that the terms of the motion are contrary to the idea of a lasting we are to understand that peace. If by the term "lasting peace no policy of post-war discrimination against the enemy is to be. considered politic, then the bulk of the British people most decidedly want no anch peace. Objection was also raised to the resolution retaliation." Its sponsora will probably because it was based on
What is the present agree that it was. But why should it not be? Anglo-French offensive in the West but retaliation? What was the recent British raid on Freiburg but retaliation? And what will the decisions of the Imperial Conference-probably including dia criminating tariffs against the enemy-be but retaliation: retaliation after the war, too? Are we, in face of the Hune' atrocious barbarities, to “stand aside, with stopped ears, folded arms and averted gaze -to use Mr. Asquith's pungent phrase-and not retaliate? The whole civilized world must join in the punishment to be meted out to the Bune, and Hongkong, as one of the biggest porte in the British Empire-and one which has proved that it can very well do without German trade—has a decided right to indicate what penal. ties it thinks that punishment should inclade. Whatever the Legislative Council may think, we know what the feeling of the Colony is on this subject. And ways and means whereby it can freely express its opinions are, happily, not yet exhausted.
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