The Washington times., 1914-09-12
CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.

From both Britain and Germany
have come most positive assurances
that there is going to be no COM
promise, no quick peace. at is our
life or Gerrany's," is the rather
bombastic statement of Britain's
attitude by Mr.. Winston Churchill;
fair rhetorical matching of the oft
repeated German ultimatum that
Germany will win if it takes the last
life.
Neither side quite means these ey-
treme things. Neither Germany nor
Britain is going to be destroyed.
The losses will be fearful; but the
real estate and most of the people
will be there when the war ic over.
Nevertheless, there is a large sig
nificance in the Churchill speech.
Lord Kitchener talked at the very
beginning about a three-years war.
He has done more; he has taken
measures to put a million and half
of British soldiers in the field. That
means more than rhetoric.
Britain is the one country that
can best bear a long war, and that
has most to gain by it. A quick
collapse of Austria, followed by a
severe check to Germany in France,
might open the way to mediation
and perhaps an end of the war.
Britain probably would decline to ac-
cept mediation in such ci-cum-
stances. She would want more war;
she would insist on her allies going
or with her to 4 more decisive re-
suit; and, from the viewpoint of her
vital national interests, she would
te right.
Russia is on German soil and AUS
triar soil. She is already postured
to demand very substantial conces-
sions, territorial and otherwise, from
those countries. She could look
amiably enough even now on peace
proposal, secure in the expectation
Of being we'll paid.
France stands to regain Alsace
and Lorraine, if a peace should be
made soon in favor of the allies.
That is about all France will gain
in any event. The burden of the
war is on French soil; its destruction
is borne by French people and in
stitutions and wealth. France mighs
we'll be friendly enough to an early
peace.
Germany, started IN the way to
defeat, would likewise have reason
for desiring peace before utter dis
aster should corne to her. To save
her army, to keep intact the navy
that is being so carefully safeguard
ed, to save her territory from dis
memberment, and from being con-
verted into a vast battleground-all
this would begin to appeal to the
German people, even if not to their
rulers, once it became obvious that
long war could not gain them any
thing.
But a peace forced in such circum-
stances would give Britain 10 bene-
fits. The tone Of everything that
has come from ASquith, from Kitch-
ener, from Churchill, suggests that
Britain, having reluctantly been
forced to war, is going to insist on
some of the solid benefits Of the VIC
tory for which she is prepared to
pay dearly. Those benefits, to her,
mean destruction or surrender to
her Of the German feet, the capture
of German merchant ships and the
wrecking of the German peace
marine; the wreck of German indus
try and commerce, and the scatter
ing of the wrcckage where it can
be salvagcd by Britain.
That is what Britain wants. 1t
can be gained only through a long
and decisive war. There will be,
of course, some colonial gains; but
they are of ye-y minor concern
They would not justify Rritain in
continuing the war week. The
breaking of Germany's naval power,
the destruction or surrender of her
battle fleet, would end all posi-