The Washington times., 1914-09-14
THE ALLIES DEMANDS.


to believe, will demand from Ger,
many, # the allies win, at least the
return of the billion-dollar indemnity
that Germany cxacted from her ir
1871. Bismarck regretted his owr
moderation in asking so little at that
time; and, rs Germany now has
about twice the population France
then contained, it will be remarkable
if e victorious France does not re-
call the regrets of the Iron Chancel-
lor and hoist the figure.
Alsace-Lcrraine will also he taken
back by France. If French demands
end here, the world will have a par
ticularly fetching exemplifcaticn of
the futility of war. After two wars
that rank among the most terrific
the world has known, and an inter-
vening generation of stupendous mil
itary preparation at ruinous cost,
France and Germany will be restored
to the status they occupied before
the first war.
Or rather, to state it more accu-
rately, they will have invested bill
lions upon billions of wealth, hun
Greds of thousands of lives, and the
mind-peace Of a generation, without
having anything whatever to show
for it, on either side!
Not only that. AS a result of
their frightful expenditures of treas
ure, of marhood, and of legitimate
opportunity for natural development,
they will both be relegated to minor
places among tire powers. and Rus
sia and Great Britain will step for
ward as the undoubted dictators of
the future Of Europe. These two
countries will be tie gamers in
every direction. They will profit by
the misfortunes of Germany and
France.
A few days ago The Times point
ed out that Great Britain could not
accept peace that did not contain
guarantees against resurapticr of
effort in Germany to achieve naval
equality. In other words. Britain
will not have cononerei telling vic
tory in this war until the German
war feet shall have been destroyed
or dismantled. For Germany to get
off with her navy intact, and her
heart filled with the grim purpose of
revenge, would mean another test
CT strength, perhaps a generation
hence; another generation. mean
while, of strenuous and expensive
preparation, of increasing conpeti-
tive naval programs. Britain, it
was suggested, cannot afford peace
on terms that do not guarantee her
against that menace in the future.
That this view is taken by the
British government has been irdi-
Gated by the expressions, from the
very beginning, of Grey, Asruith,
Kitchener, and other leaders. Now
comes from London an ANALYSIS of
British public opinion, which states
exactly the sam" case: the British
nation stands firmly for a program
Of forcing he war to the roirt of |
complete suDjugation of Germany,
Of utter destruction of the German
militA-ist system, of destruction or
jismantlement of the German fleet. |
Britain stands b. be the greatest |
gamer by the war, because her
moral position has been least ques-
tionable, her demonstration of the
atent power Of her empire has been
and inspiring. and her
and industrial establish
nents cannot fail to profit immense
y by the wreck Of Germany's newly
'reated foreign commerce. Bet, in
,rGer to reap these advantages, Brit
ain must insist on War to the final |
est. That is not only fcarfully ex-
,cns:ve. hut highly dangerous. Her
lilies will lose enthusiasm after they
discover that their own Individual
.nds can be attained. They will see
title of selfish advantage in fighting
n for the aggrsndizcment OF Brit
ST commercial and maritime liter
.Sts
Belgium will get her huge iadem-
lity readily enough, if the allies
vim; France will get at least her
nc derate demand, the repaymen. of
he indemnity Of 1871; Russia can
,ot be denied important territorial
Gvantages, especially if he: atti-
Gde toward Poland shall continue
IS reasonable rs is now promised.
3r'tair is he one cunt. V whose
iIhstantial gains must conc latest
nd in least definite form. Britain
5 the rock Of firm purpose in the