The Washington times., 1915-12-09
oERMANY's PEACE TERMS

dERMANY'S PEACE TERMS
Chancellor Won Bethmann- -Holl-
weg's talk on Germany's view Of
peace conditions, in the reichstag
today, will be disappointing, it may
fairly be expected, to large Sec
tion of the German nation. 1t will
hardly disappoint anybody in other
countries, because there has been
no serious expectation that Germany
would at this time admit willing
ness to concede anything in order
to make peace.
The chancellor assumes, definitely
enough to impress the German
people at least, that Germany is
definitely a conqueror and able to
retain her position as such; there
fore that she must make peace on
her own terms. He still stands on
the record of German military sue
cesses, and of course continues. to
justify Gernany's part in the war
on the outworn theory that Germany
is the virtuous victim Of conspiring
enemies that must be punished be-
fore lasting peace can be effected.
No matter what the rest of the
world thinks, Germany has been
made by its rulers pretty sincerely
to believe this notion about the
British-born conspiracy to destroy
Germany. If it doesn't believe it,
it is at least determined to go in
definitely pretending to believe it.
Thus there is on both sides the de-
termination to "punish" the other;
and while that attitude persists,
while there is still blindness to the
fact that all the belligenents have
been frightfully punished already,
the prospect for peace is poor.
It will be observed that in dealing
with the questions of Belgium, Bos-
mia, restoration of Serbia, Alsace
and Lorraine, Poland, and Turkeys
continuance in Europe, the chancel-
lor deals rather in conundrums
than in specifications. His tone is
defiant, but he does not leave it
impossible, with dignity and self
respect, for Germany to return to
consideration Of these proposals and
negotiate with them among the
basic considerations.
Manifestly the German govern
ment does not fancy the disposition
throughout the country to insist on
talking about possible peace. Re-
ferring to the great expectations
among Germans, and the satisfac-
tion in enemy countries, caused by
the prospect Of a peace discussion,
he said it was to him incomprehens-
ible that such feeling should pre-
vail, in view of Germany's success in
the near East. This can only be a
notice that Germany need not ex-
pect their government seriously to
consider peace so long as 1T is vic
torious. The alternative to that
and it must be gloomy one for the
German people-is that only if and
when Germany is definitely over
mastered in power, will she be ready
seriously to consider peace.
1t is a dangerous gamble; but it
is the one that could have been ex-
pected of the Prussian military
party. There have been no overtures
for peace from any'enemy, the chan
cellor said; and his tone indicates
that there will be none from Ger
many. 1t is not a cheerful outlook;
yet on the other hand the mere fact
! that the question has been discussed
at all in the reichstag, the fact that
the discussion followed a long con-
ference between Kaiser and chan
cellor, is suggestive of a possible
brighter construction. Talk of peace
in any terms whatever, is better than
talk of nothing whatever but con-
tinuing the war.