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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2013, 23 February 1907, Page 4

PEACE AND THE EMPIRE. (N.Z. Herald.) At about the same time that the Colonial Conference opens in London, April 15, the International Peace Conference will ho opening at the Hnguo. Professor Do Martens, representative ofßussia and president of tlio Permanent Board, has recently boon touring Europo for tlio purpose of consulting representatives of the loading Powers as to the matters to ho discussed at tlio Peace Conference. Ho is reported as stating that fortyfive States will ho represented and to he hopeful of good results. Whether any good can aviso from any project ill which Russia, tlio most reactionary and aggressive State in the world, displays the most active interest, remains to ho seen The difficulty is not that Russia, which is not throatonod by any European power takes such a vast amount of trouble to persuade its neighbours to reduce their armaments, but that only the United Kingdom, of all tlio Great Powers, seems to take tho Hague Conference seriously. This has an important hearing upon the work of the Colonial Conference. For wlrlo tlio great self-governing colonies of Britain have no voice whatever at (lie Hague gathering, tlioy are most deeply and vitally affected by such of its resolutions and recommendations as may bo accepted and adopted by t'lio British Government. This lack of colonial representation is duo, of course, to the fact that we do not constitute Sovereign States, From one point of view we have therefore no right to claim representation at The Hague, oven if wo should desire it, but, on the other hand, it should bo borne in mind that no other nation has anything approaching the British colonial system, no Sovereign State in the world having, as an over-sea dependency, any colony which is sovereign in everything but its foreign relations, as the various States- of Greater Britain actually are. Wo cannot declare war it is true, but we can and "do arm and muster troops, can own and man battleships if we please, and along the lines of our present development must 1 necessarily count considerably among the minor factors in international politics. For of all tho fortylive States which are sending delegates to The Hague loss than a dozen can, by any strotbli of the imagination, be regarded as able either to disturb or to maintain the peace of tlie world. Russia, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France, on the Continent of France; England as an insular Power; the United States; Japan, and possibly China; fill up tlio list of tho nations that count heavily in world-politics. Of the remainder, Guatemala and San Domingo to Spain and Denmark, there is not one which is more potential than Greater Britain if our colonies found themselves thrown on their own resources and had t’o take stops to defend themselves. Yet all these petty foreign States swell by their delegates the' attendance at Tho Hague Conference and take part in discussions which may easily affect tho unprecedented self-governing colonies of Britain. This condition of affairs is another argument for an Imperial Council. Among tho most important questions on tlio Order Paper for tho Colonial Conference is that of defence, which is inseparable from the chief topic of Tho Hague Confonence. In tho whole world there are no States which have so completely adopted a policy of disarmament as those which are peopled by our 12,000,000 colonists. Relying bn British naval protection we have devoted our colonial energies to the occupation of new lands, and to the social and industrial problems to which this occupation gives rise. When our delegates gather to discuss and consider onr common interests they primarily put forward such matters as judicial appeals, penny postage, reciprocal admissions to the professions, tlie unification of the navigation laws and of merchandise marks, with preferential trade, Imperial Council and other purely internal questions. The defence questions is vastly important olid is recognised by all slirowd colonial statesmen as vastly important—hut is being forced upon us from the outside. Wo are being driven to its consideration and being forced to assume additional burdens by tlie action of tho very nations who send representatives to Tho Hague, for, as wo have said, only Britain favors a genuine reduction of •armament. It is very pleasant to agree with peaceprotesting jiropositions, but it is still pleasanter to feel safe and secure. And we may well ask one another how any acquiescence by tlie United Kingdom in disarmament suggestions will affect us when we are already feeling uneasy at the military and naval strength which foreign Rowers are arraying against our Empire. It is true that we nominally contribute nothing to tho British army, and only an insignificant trifle to the British navy, hut for all that we depend upon the United Kingdom for tlie security of our coasts. And, however much we dislike to admit it, it is matter of common knowledge that the over-sea Empire of Britain is tho great incentive to the vast military and naval preparations which are being mado by countries like Germany, and that any reduction in tho comparative strength of the British navy increases onr danger at an inverse ratio. If the great Powers of the world would actually disarm so much the hotter, but they will not. While Russia prated of peace, she was marshalling her legions for tlio seizure of Manchuria, advancing her outposts upon India, and preparing her “volunteer fleet” tb prey upon peaceful commerce. Within the past few days Germany has decided to support tho martial ambitions of the Kaiser. Travellers report Japan to he “like a great arsenal.” The Washington Government is getting ready to hold the Atlantic against Germany and the Pacific against Ja.i pan. Only in London do statesmen talk of peace and accept The Hague Conference as a genuine exhibition of human intention. It is time that tlio Empire organised itself, that the great colonies were admitted to tho Imperial Councils, and ’ the tremendous danger that overhangs the British peoples was fairly mot. Wo should have to pay for this, whether in ships as Australia intends, or in money as Now Zealand would prefer. But if the United Kingdom, refusing us voice on tho scoro that wo do not contribute, decided to reduce her armament in response to a Hague resolution and thereby to “sot tho example” of trusting rivals, wo should have to pay on our own account far more. For whatever tho International Peace Conference resolves or recommends, there Is quite no guarantee of peace excepting effective preparation for war. ' Our Colonial Conference, in discussing defence, is doing more for our Imperial peace than will ever be done by tho forty-five States whoso delegates will soon be assembled at The Hague.

A MONSTER TIGER. A young officer stationed at one of tlio small cantonments in the Central Indian provinces describes in the Field an exciting hunt for a monster tiger. Tic had never before seen a tiger outside the Zoological Gardens; but it is a curious thing, he adds, incidentally, how often the absolute tyro is successful in his first attempt at big game shooting. Three days were spent in unsuccessful search; although other game was met with, and the big beast was found to have killed animals close to the camp. On the fourth day the monster tiger was found to have killed again; and so a careful search was made of all cover. The officer was in a small tree surrounded with high grass, while a companion—equally a tyro—stood about 200 yards away on higher ground. Suddenly a tiger was seen walking slowly down the nullah straight for the tree. His head was low and covered most of his body; “and I remember,” adds the officer, “how bored he looked.”

When the tiger had come within about sixty yards the hunter covered him with his rifle. Something then caught the animal’s eye; for he slowly turned and took a line midway between the officer and his companion. When lie had reached a spot about forty yards distant the officer fired. The tiger reeled to the shot; but, recovering himself, he went at a lumbering canter right under the other tree. Three more shots were required to kill him. He proved to be the reputed monster —a very heavy tiger, measuring 9ft. lOin. in length.