The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1915.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4008, 14 August 1915, Page 4

The Gisborne Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1915.

It is to or trusted that there arc not many people ill our midst who arc so misguided as to believe that peace is already within sight. The enemy would, no don lit, he pleased io he relieved of one of their principal ar-t-agonists—Russia. Rut such a state of affairs, if can he taken, is not desired by the Huns in the hope that it would load to an immediate cessation, of hostilities all round. Ibe Huns have something very different in mind. Jf they could get Russia out of the way it would, they know, place them in a fair better position to proceed with their programme against Britain. France, Belgium, Italy and Servia. On account of its extensiveness and its possible resources Russia, the Huns must realise, is impossible of military occupation to any great extent by an adversary. Thus even if the Russians be not ready to resume a strong offensive for a considerable period they will put the Hums and the Austrians to the necessity of keeping a huge force on the Ha stern Front. All the same, it is very gratifying to find that the Russians have not the slightest intention of playing into the'hands of the enemy. But if it were otherwise the prospect of a general peace, it cannot be too strongly stressed, would still be quite out of the question. "With Russia and her other Allies, Britain is, happily, not in any mood to slacken her preparations to thwart the common foe. The day of reckoning witli the. Jluns must be to-day and to agree to a cessation of hostilities would, of course, simply be to invite the renewal of the struggle when flic enemy bad made good wliat it lias found to be defects in. its preparations on this ooacsiou. In other words, then, Britain is not likely to consider any peace compact at the present, juncture, no matter how many pleas for peace be made nor from what quarter they may emanate. It is a ease' of war to- the bitter end and if , wo be not greatly mistaken the enemy knows this just as well as it should i be and is known by the people oi the j

Beware of the Peace Cry !

died countries. As far as Britain in particular is concerned tlic present situation is similar to "that which arose a hundred years ago, when Pitt, uttered these imperishable words—“l need not remind the House that we are come to a new era in

history of nations; that v/e arecalled to struggle lor the destiny not-of this country alone, hut of the civilised world. We must remember that it is not for ourselves alone that we submit to unexampled privations. Wo have for ourselves the great duty of self-preservation to perform ; but the duty of the people of England now is'of a‘ higher and nobler order. We are, in the first place, to provide for our security against an enemy whose malignity to this country knows no bounds. .

. . . Hut our still higher exultation ought to'be that wo provide not only for oqr own safety,- but hold out a prospect to nations now bending under Hie. iron yoke of tyranny of what the exertions of a Jrce peoplr ifffn cffldTl«>. then, is no time (as .Mr As-

jiijjni pointed out in the; course of bis jjpflliaiit Declaration speech) to c-n----;otirage either.apostles of peace or the aint-hearled. The task before our nation is assuredly very great, but

saying put its hand to the plough verv effort must be put forth to scare the inevitable triumphant cud vitli as little delay as possible. Sir ‘idward Carson, the new Attorneyloneral. in Ids anniversary message, also struck the right note, when lie levin rod that the- word “peace’' should mt. and will not, appear in the British people’s vocabulary until li.c Jf--juirecl glorious triumph has been tchieved—

“The v.ord ‘peace,’ ” be said, “has boon banished irom our conversations as spniotni ng immoral and impossible unoer existing eu-c-umstain-os. Britain hates win,

and no nation enters reluctantly upon its horrible- devastating opciations. At the same time, this nation, when driven by the machinations of foes who desire* to filch from it. or from its co-champions of liberty, any portion of their inhoiited freedom, is resolved to see tinmatter through to a successful issue at whatever cost.” t

fa the (-ircuiii'stanccs talk o> our early peace will oil no acocunt be se-ri-otisly enteriained. Time so spent would, indeed, be much belter occupied ji; discussing ways and nu-aus of thwarting our unscrupulous foe, who is the foe of civilisation as a whole. Our dulv is to push on and on ami on

and. when the enemy is completely crushed, it will he time enough to speculate as to the terms on which tin- present great struggle should be brought to an end.