Welsh Journals

THE WELSH OUTLOOK MARCH, 1921. The Editor does not necessarily identify himself with the opinions of contributors to The Welsh Outlook." Editorial responsibility is limited to the views expressed in the Notes of the Month," and in the unsigned article immediately following. NOTES OF THE MONTH The Indemnity Debate. The Prime Minister's reply to the speeches of Mr. Bottomley and Colonel Claude Lowther, the mover and seconder of the amendment to the address to the Crown, dealing with the fulfilment of the provisions of the Peace Treaties, must have gladdened the heart of every man who tries to think in terms of sane Europeanism. His whole utterance was liberal in spirit and in no way ungenerous in expression. The war has been fought, and it must be paid for; during its whole course both victor and vanquished knew that the loser would have to bear as much pf its burden of cost as his back could stand. In our civilization that is no new rule, and consequently it must be the first concern of the victorious to see that the vanquished is not malingering. No one who accepts the world's order can therefore cavil at the Prime Minister when he gives expression to the sus- picion that Germany is coming to court with ragged clothes in order to make a good case on her judgment summons, and to reduce the monthly payments." His constituents expect him to be suspicious, but it is a great advance in European statesmanship to find that he is not prepared to act on suspicion and prejudice. As he said Before any Government takes that responsibility, the responsibility of calling upon their respective governments to enforce these obligations, to take the stern steps which are necessary to do so, Governments, Parliaments, peoples must be satisfied that the failure of Germany is not due to something which can be reasonably explained, but to a deliberate attempt on her part once more to defy the treaty." The war has cost £ 50,000,000,000, and the Cen- tral Empires have to pay nearly a third of the amount. It was well that the schoolboy financiers of this country, and of other countries, should be reminded first of all, of the difficulties of the collection of this strange debt, and also of what has been done already. The German Fleet has disappeared. The gigantic war material of Germany has been surrendered. The German Colonies have been given up. Very consider- able quantities of material have been surrendered. It is well, as the Prime Minister suggested, that we should pause to think. The war came because Europe would not think; it went on for nearly five years, because Europe could not think; our civilization may end in utter destruction if we now refuse to think. Since August, 1914, one can count on the fingers of two hands all the truly statesmanlike utterances made by those in power and authority. The Prime Minis- ter's speech on the 18th of February is one of them. Egypt and the Empire. "The Report of the Milner Mission to Egypt (of which our countryman, General Sir Owen Thomas, was a member) has at last been issued (Cmd. 1131), and it is a very remarkable document. The Committee was appointed to inquire into the causes of Egyptian disorders, and, further, to report on a form of Constitution which under the Protectorate would be the most effective in promoting the progressive development of self-governing institutions and the protection of foreign interests; but the first discovery of the Mission was that the word Protectorate had become a symbol of servitude in the minds of the Egyptians, and they insisted that it must mean what they said it meant. Argument on this point was wholly useless, and it thus became evident to us that, unless we could get on to new ground, it would be impossible to reach a settlement by agreement. Almost before the Mission had commenced its task it had to disregard the express limitations of its terms of reference, and, roughly speaking, its main recommendation is that England should renounce its claim to a Protectorate (only established in 1914). and enter into negotiations for the conclusion of a Treaty of Alliance. This treaty can effect one of two alternatives,-it may either recognize Egypt as an independent State in perpetual