1917-09-28 — Page 7

· ECONOMIC PEACE."

THE GERMAN AIM, ANOTHER "TREATY OF FRANKFURT.

Sines the recent Reichstag resolution deprecating an economia, war after the

TER. HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH. 1917.

BRITISH PRISONERS IN GERMANY.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR AMELIORAT- ING THEIR LOT

were to be allotted to invalid combatants, 4,500 officers and non-commissioned off- cers who had been for 18 months in cap- tivity, and 9,000 to civilian invalids, 1,660 of whom would be Germans and 400 British

THE MOST INNOCENT VICTIM OF THE WAR. BELGIAN'S MARTYRDOM..

Hostile critics would no doubt ask why EBY MAURICE MAETKILINCE.).

In the House of Lords, recently, Lord Belgian's martyrdom has now endured mnts, which had been reached with regard and why there was such a greater propor Newton gave a suminary of the agree private soldiers had not been included, The tion of Germans than British. was" and the Imperial Chancellor's re for nearly three years Famine holds to the treatment of prisoners of war as a noswer was that the British delegates ask- result of the conference between Britished that privates should be included among ference to a peace involving reconcilia way; tuberculosis spreads its ravages; and German delegates at The Hague, ie the men who were to be interned in a acu- tion" and give and take? (Ausgleich extortions ever more and more cynical said that in the first place nii existing tral country in virtue of having been 181

succeed in extracting close on

forty have been tailed in some quarters as affording a satisfactory basis for negotia-millions a year from an tinhappy nation, once the richest, to-day the poorest of

tion, it may be well lo consider what earth. In spite of all the promises and shurtly come to su end. The agreements

W-X

the sinister nasurances of the German Government, the monstrous deportations continue and increase; and the repatrin tions of which the Government boasts Government which has raid lying to the rank of a civic virtuere but the return of worn-out slaves, no longer fit for work, for of men desperately sick, who come home

only to die.

time he desired to point out that it was

agreements were to be resumed as quickly maths in captivity. But it was obvious as possible, and the regrettable and dis- that there was not much chance of the graceful state of things discreditable to both Governments would, he hoped, request being complied with, for two rea- sone. In the first place, it would have with regard to exchanges were roughly ben practically impossible to include all under this particular provision, Huxl actly is meant,

these(1) The exchange of civilians over they all been included there would have The Germon succcases in 1015 created

45; (2) the exebange of invalid civilians and (3) the exchange of totally in real reason was that the Germans did not of enthusiasm for expansion

been no room for anybody else. But the citated combatants. Those exchanges utend to part with anyone out of whom eastward, and when Naumann Mittel

would, he hoped, be resumed withous any they could get any work, Officers and In the next place an agreement non-commissioned officers could not be set europa" was published in the asiumn of

delay. was arrived at with regard to more lenient 1915, just at the crest of the wave, public

schedules of disability with regard hotho work, but the men could. At the same opinivu jumped at the conclusion that

to exchange and to interament in antral Hamburg-Baghdad, with or without an

countries, and pending the conclusion of grossly unfair to attempt to make out those mere lenient schedules those adopted opted. Nearly all the 7,500 combatants that the private soldier had been ex-. African annexe, would form a self-suffic

between the French and German Govern

for whom places were provided would in Girb with a triple barrier of baried meats would be utilized for the purpose all probability be privates, and, in addi ing economic area which would free

Additional prisoners were to be sent to. Germany from dependence on indispen-wire, through which run death-dealing Switzerland, and, as the number ibno, privates would be exchanged under

the agreements which already prevailed.

With sable trade relations with her present electric currents, isolated from the rest of Switzerland could accommodate was neces

regard to the disproportion of sarily limited, it was obvious that provi

civilians, it seemed unfair at first sight quemics, blake' ̈

up for her failure to the world in n tameless wretchedness, and sion must be made for new arrivals to be 3,600 Germans and only 400 British free", to control, the seas, and in a distress unreached by any word of repatriatel by repatriating a certain.

should be accommodated; Taking the number of men from Switzerland. He enable her to emerge from the war with hope, Belgium remains in the eyes of the hoped, therefore, that without any delay proportion of the two countries really this arrangment worked out in our favour, domínion comparable with that of her civilized world the greatest and most steps would be taken by our represent because there were something like six or leading rivals.

innocent victim of this way, the martyr of tires to bring back to Great Britain. all

seven times as any German civilians in honour, the mustaiurd and defenceless who were entitled under any agreement Great Britain than there were British to be, repatriated. He was unable to

There was tho lamb, sacrificed for mankind's safety,

further provision that, whereas it might whose piteous agony is prolonged to such give the exact figures as regards the num civilians in Germany,

her of men who would be accommodate e difheult to discover 400, British civi point that it out-tires paly and procain Switzerland he could not say more lians who were sufficiently ill to ·GORIE upon us with the weight of reproach than a few hundreds.

within the agreement it had been stipulat- ed that if that number could not be found the number should be made up to 400 by taking men whose health had been less severely tried.

arenr.

WE REGRET NOTHING.”

we Belgians, both those who exile has It may be well at times to remember But dispersed over the roads of Europe and those who have remained behind in their blood-drenched country, do not over will ingly accept the tearful part of an inoffen- sive resigned victim, seekly bending his back under the blows of the most un righteous, oppressor that the earth has beheld since this invasions of the bar harians. We never have been, are not, and never shall be querulous scared lambs, king mankind to weep over their fate. We do not choose that a commiseration, liwever well intentioned, but in this case mistaken, should make as the mournful sacrifice of an adventure upon which we entered and from which we mean to emerge

heroes

PUNISHMENTS.

Other agreements arrived at related punishments. One question which had

menty occupied the attention of both Govern

This point of view, was not confined to the bourgeois "audience, to whom Nauman's book w addressed. It was wholeheartedly adopted by the Majority Socialists in Germany and by the intel lectual fenders of German-Austriac. Socialism. This is mando very clear by the proceedings at a joint conference Látai en German and Germ-Austria Sociclist and Labour wodies which was held at Berlin to consider the economie isvues of the war on January 9th, 1916, five months before, the Paris Economic Conference. At this important meeting opinion was overwhelmingly in favour of Socialist support for the Mitteleuropa project, the ground that it was in harmony with Marxian principles. The obliteration of Serbia and the conting ance of German-Magyar, andaney Austria-Hungary were defended as part of the process of concentration that Kar Mars taught us to see throughout the whole range of industrial life. As the We regret nothing, we are not sorry for small business goes down before the ourselves and we do not wish others to boments inflicted upon either civilian or factory and the single factory before the sorry for us. We ask only that they military prisoners prior to August 1st should be remitted until the conclusion Kartel, so there is a development in com should do as justice, that they should of the war. He ventured to think this mercial policy" from the old-fashioned remember what we have done and what we mosaic of small States to a few grenare still doing every day. We were the was at extremely valuable agreement, and oue that would give very graat satisfie world-economic sociations

first to dure stand against a Power so formidable that it still holds all the united tion, because many British officers and forces of the world in check. We dared men had been awarded extremely heavy do it with a full knowledge of our duty sentences, and these bad now been remov and of the worrible vengeanos hanging over ed. He was told the other day that orders our heads. We resisted the irresistible, toto liberate such prisoners in Great Bri the last boundaries of our territory, and

It is from the realization of these facts, and not from any change of heart Cr desire for free trade and reconciliation in the abstract, that Germany's present cal for unrestricted commercial inter course springs. The intervention of the United States and of other Importazh producers of raw material has, naturally increased her anxieties and given udderi weight to those whe urge that, however imposing her eastera conquests, she must at all costs secure the restoration of her pre-war commercial relations with her present enemies. As a Berlin professor, Dr. von Tyska, put it in an article written in April, 1016:--|

Germany must not hang Mitteleuropa" like a weight of lead to her feet to retard ber progress in dealing with the outer world; on the contrary, she must discover

WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBCH,

and

We

B

4

THE SELECTION OF FRISONERS- He desired to take that opportunity of warning every one concerned that he had: practically no voice in the matter of sclce tion. The choice would not depend upo The arrange him or his Department. ments could not be made at once, but be was doing everything he could to expedit the

had been the punishment awarUED to prisoners for attempting to escape, and it was eventually agreed. that this punishment should be very much diminished, and that for an ordinary at tempt to escape the punishment should be only two weeks and in aggravated cases should not exceed two months. As it was the ease that reprisals had been exercised on British prisoners of war on the alleged

Lord Gainford-Have the Netherlands ground that excessive punishment had been awarded to German prisoners Government indicated at all when the at Great Britain for attempting to escape commodation for the 16,000 will be made

Lord Newton said that the Netherlands the German delegates undertook to a nue release all British prisoners confined Government had already begun to make ander this particular provision. They preparations with a view to receiving the had reason to know that this had been, and some weeks ago sent an officer to Switzerland in order to study the ar- delegates were for a long time hent ou utilizing Southwold as the place of ex change. A more unsuitable place could not well be devised. The British delegates endeavoured without any success to per suade the Cernian delegates that the ex change ought to take place at a port on the Thames. They left The Hague with out that question being settled. Southwold being pronounced by the British delegates to be impossible, and the Thames having been pronounced by the Germans to be Admiralty and received the offer of the alternative of Holyhead-not an ideal place

under the circumstances. On at- rival in London be approached Sir. E. Carson, who arranged that Hull should be the port of exchange, and he thought that Germina ingenuity would be insuffi cent to discover why that place should nor be utilized. He desired to take that opportunity of expressing the obligation which every one felt towards the Dutch Government for their grent service to humanity in making the offer which had been accepted (Cheers.)

carried out agreed

It was further agreed that

Co punist rangements made there.. The German

only

it

a

It was interesting to note that the chief German delegate, General Friedrich, ad- mitted quite candidly that the treatment of German prisoners in Great Britain was distinctly superior to what it was in any other country Practically no complaint was made all as to the treatment of prisoners it this country.

But closer inspection revealed Hass in the Mitteleuropa prospectus, Apart from the difficulty of controlling the scal policy of Austria-Hungary, Bul- garis, and Turkey in the German interest,

tail bad all LEPRISES impossible, he referred the matter to the the naturel resources of Mitteleuropa to-day all our men who are fit to armig

A further agreement had reference to were found to be wholly insufficient to and who have succeeded in joining our enata Kermany to dispense with ew King are waiting in the trenches, their reprisals, and upon this point both parties hearts ablaze with hatred and their eyes were agreed that reprisals ought to be materials and foodstuffs from outside.

avoided as much as possible. The opinion A two-volume series of studies issued by with hope for the order to take part in was expressed that reprisals were perhaps the Bertin Verein für Sozialpolitik gave the great battles of the great deliverance. At home, in the vast prison which our

more objectionable in the case of defence chapter and verse to the doubters The

less prisoners than any other, and even argument against the feasibility of invaded country has become, the sun tually it was agreed that reprisals should

self contained Mitteleurops can be resistance exists, fierce, obstinate.

take place after at east four weeks stated in two sentences. There are a undaunted. Here we have no arms. million workers in the German textile are as new born babes before the mailed notice. That notice dated from the period industry. Of the cotton and the wool monster, before the rifles, machine-guns when the Note was handed in either at and heavy artillery trained upon our Berlin or in London, It was further imported into Germany in 1013 to provide crowds, who have but their Gists wherewith agreed that in cases of great urgency and them with employment 0.03 and 0.08 per to defend themselves. Their bodies, hostmportance, if necessary, a personal meet cent, respectively came from Mitio reluctantly, yield to the invitable, but not ing should he arranged at The Hague. europa." Some of the figures for other a head bows, not a will bends, not

Other agreements related to the question important raw materials are equally thought of revenge is abandoned, not of parcels, and with regard to this point striking.

recokoning is cancelled, not a curse is both the military administrators had un deflected, not an eye looks upon the enemy dertaken to ensure the speedy delivery of The British delegates having with a smile nor is there a mind but parcels repulses him with diaglist, abbors him formulated many complaints with regard to failure to distribute parcels and to and casts his lot without the pals of man-

much delay, it was explained by the

pris

GERMAN CENTRAL PRISONERS ACTHORITIES. kind, ̈,

cipal German delegate that much delay One impression left on his wind by the arose from the necessity of an extremel Conference was that, in spite of all that strict censorship. It was stated by the wo hour about German centralization, the Well he knows it. He the enemy, lives iau atmosphere of implacable hatred, of Erincipal German delegate that in many authorities in Berlin having charge of sullen but incoercible revolt and of parcels sent to prisoners of war-not nece matters relating to prisoners of waz did That impression con- incessant contempt. He has not found arily British--were found what were not know a great deal of what was going single friend or adheren, outside a few known as instruments of subotage, and it on in the cas

was explained that this had made firmed more or less what was once said to

to exercise necessary

severe hins by Mr. Gerard, late American Am. scoundrels who were sold to him before. haud, With his genius for falsehood,

censorship with consequent excessivebassador to Berlin, that there was much which in the only gouius that we all agree delavn order to obviate this less centralization in Germany than was to concede to him, with his genius for

in futare both Governments had agreed generally supposed; and that the control lying, which can magnify things H to issue notice in their own and the of Berlin ove prisoners of war ad- hundredfold, yet is unable, however shame- less it be, to draw anything out of nothing, foreign Press deprecating any such prac nistration was not so effective as the can you imagine the deafening noise which ice, and as soon as the form of worth central control in Great Britain. At all was agreed upon by both Governments, rents, he had a strong suspicion that a he would have created at the least back then the German Government had under great deal went on in the various German

the smallest sign of submission,

ly relaxed. The British form of words knew very little. That perhaps was 710 ccuce or weakness in the hatred or of

had already been dispatched.

very surprising when it was remembered moderation in the disgust. What paens

Another complaint made by the British that the Germans had 30 times

tames as many of joy and triumph should we not have delegates was that delay had frequently prisoners as we had It is to the discovery" of this heard intoner by the thousand voices of occurred in bringing prisoners to trial in

"If the results of the Conference were "method" that the Chancellor's speech his spice who overran the world at the Germany. Having listened to the British satisipulory the credit raust be shared by and the Beichstag resolution are ad slightest and most-transient symptoms of delegates complaints, the German dele- all the members of the British Mission dressed. They javite us to a commercial a victory over our wills, our thoughts and gates assured them that such practice was The only credit he could chain was that, bargain (Ausgleich), with a view to the one feelings, which is the only victory that quite irregular, and contrary to the Ger contrary to the opinion of sil his signing of a peace on the frues of the counts and is fruitful! That he, the

man custom. It was stated that whenever superiors, tubordinates, and friends, he provision in the Treaty of Frankfurt by enemy who has dared all things, has not the German Government were made ac

had always maintained that the most which Gormany secured the Most Fav- Witherto dared do this proves that he no oured Nation treatment in perpetuity longer dares even bops. He has exhausted quainted with any case of which we had practical and efficacious plan was to enter received a complaint steps would be taken into direct communication with the enemy, from France. The objects of such an ar-everything, massacro, torture pillage to prevent & recurrence. Other com- because more could be done by a few

extortion, incendiariam deportation

plaints made by British delegates had re- hours talk than by weeks or months of imprisonment, down to that which he dis liked most, promises of justice, of repara formimes to notifcation had arrived at fact that while those important conciu- ference to delay in notifying captures: writing. That view was supported by the

he is succumbing beneath the weight of the that all captures should be notified with whthin a week it had taken a month to tion, of good will and brotherhood; for all. Upon that point both parties agreed ions were arrived at by the Conference execration of the earth, and, in the pre- the least possible delay, and that every get them ratified in Berlin. Neither side sence of outraged mankind, needs more prisoner should be provided with the had obtained any advantage over the than ever evidence of human feeling. He means of communicating at once with his ther. The only persons that had bene has achieved nothing. He has no wol relatives In view of the assurances given fited were the prisoners themselves; and over a single mind, tas not made his way verbally and in writing of the German even the most carping and bitter critjes into a single heart, has not bowed a single delegates it might be hoped that there must feel bound to admit that the result head, has not advanced a step in his con- would be considerable improvement in of the Conferens had been to alleviate quest, has made no progress except in the that respect, more especially as it was the lot of many thousands of gallant and hatred borne against hinna

pointed ut by the German delegates that unfortunate men who deserved well of This is what we have to remember, such practice was quits contrary to the their country. (Cheers.) Advocates of an economic peace

Once again, let us ask you not to shed German principle. There were minor He had tried his utmost to induce the German lines need to be reminded that,

tears of pity over our immeasurable disagreements relating to the treatment of German delegates to agree to an exchange of civilian prisoners, limited to whatever ters of religion, and of civil doctors. tember or proportion they would consent Mr. G. L, Beer, remarka în his book just

We ask you only to

to, on equal terms, but he was quite ungue INTERNMENT-IN HOLLAND. published ("The English Speaking recognize that there is no nation in the But perhaps the most important agree.essful. He was always met with the Peoples," p. 217), before the war, the past or the present which would have ment at which they arrived was that which reply that the exchange could only be on German Goverment yas vaging a sys shown greater constancy firmness and related to the internment of a large number the lines of all for all, and he was teratie economic war against all comers, dignity in misfortune, which would have of prisoners, both military, and civil, in prevented by his instructions from making but especialy againg, Great Britain." It done more or better than we have done, or Holland. The Netherlands Government a bargain of that kind. The matter, how is to that species of warfare that the which would have carried its head higher shortly after the delegates met offered to ever, was not forgotten, and in the White Germans are now axious to return,or, raised under the yoke of death a more place 15,000 places at the disposal of the Paper a statement would be found in re Times,

proud, unyielding and jodomitable soul. two Governments. Of those places 7,500 gard to it.

a method which will make possible an sliding, the least pielation, acquies. leken that the censorship should be large camps of which the authorities in Berlin)

economic rapprochement with countries, without prejudice to her economic nosi. tion in the world as a whole,

rangement would be twofold:-

(1) To leave Germany a free hand in the tvonomis exploitation:

*Central of Europe, where she will remain polit cally supreme, whilst at the same time preserving and safeguarding by treaty her commercial position in the outer world. Wala

(2) To leave Germany a free hand to develop her own characteristic methods of economic penetration and aggression, whilst tying the hands of fer present entries from pursuing appropriate

counter-measures. ««

sadistinguished American historian, tresa ich ausly unrty red child. We are

such might thed the fate youthful prisoners, the exchange of minis

nos. children

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