The Washington times., 1914-10-11
PREMATURE PEACE TALK


Both the British and American
governments frankly admit that they
nave been embarrassed by unauthor-
lied reports of efforts to open the
way to mediation in the war. From
London comes the suggestion that
business and other relationships be-
tween this country and England are
threatened with some undesirable
stress by reason of persistent intima-
tions that the Washington Govern
ment is getting ready once more to
offer mediation.
1t is very easy to understand the
reason for this. No one of The allied
nations entered this war with light
heart. They all wished to avoid war
if possible with honor and safety.
/ They are warning now, not against
the German people, but against the
institution of German militarism.
That institution they are determined
shall be crushed, if it is within the
bounds of possibility, before the war
shall erd. Having put their hand
to the plow, they are not inclined to
turn back; and however fearful the
sacrifices of the war may be, their
feeling on this point is easily un-
6erstocd.
From the American State Depart
ment comes now the assurance that
these suggestions about mediation
cffer are unauthorized, and that they
come from persons whose object is
something other than the promotion
of peace. Just what that may mean
is matter for speculation. Perhaps
some of the suggestions about peace
moves represent interests that real
ize the possibility, by this proceed
ing, of straining relations between
the American people and the allies;
but more of them undoubtedly come
from busybodies who have good
enough intentions, without any I'M
derstanding of what they are doing.
The fall of Antwerp is tremen-
Gously significant for two reasons.
First, the ease with which it was ac-
cotnplished emphasizes the impress
sion created by the affairs of Liege,
Namur, and Maugeuge, that thore
are no fortified cities in Europe that
may be considered even reasonably
secure against capture if once they
are invested by the Germans. No
reliance may be placed in defensive
works. Paris is supposed to be the
most powerfully fortified city on the
Continent; but then, Antwerp was
regarded as the second in strength,
and it fell in a period So short that
it is counted in days WHARF the allies
had pretended to believe it could hold
out for mcnths. The failure of the
allies to defend their fortified cities
is, however, offset somewhat by the
fact that in the open field they have
given excellent account of them
selves. The kind Of artillery that
wrecks the great turreted forts and
re-enforced concrete works Ct city,
does not lend itself so well to attack
on great line Of infantry stretched
along a hundred miles of fighting
front. In this kind of open-field
fighting, by all accounts, the French
and British artillery, especially the
French, is accounted the equal if not
the superior to the German.
Thus the Germans have both an
aGva 1tage and a certain weakness in
their monster guns. They are able
TO capture cities; but to capture
cities ir the enemy's country, while
the army Of the enemy escapes and
remains active and effective j! the
field, is poor SUCCESS. The fate of
fortified cities IS decided after all
in the open field. Every hostile city
that IS taken, and that is required to
be garrisored, detracts to that ex-
tent from the mobility and the indie
pendence of the army in the field.
On the other side of he ledger is
it to be set down the very real ad
vantages that accrue to The Germans
from holding a strong base on The
North Sea, facing England. Already
London is in terror over the posi-
hility of an attack. 1t is not pos
sible for a German feet bottled up in
the Kiel canal to make the attack. But
suppose that, established firmly in