The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-08
GERMAN PRESS STILL
TALKS Of PEACE
Interest Conferred On Discussion
Which VIII He Begun In Reich
stag Thursday.
IN NEGOTIATING HUMOR
But Enemies Must Know That They
Are Dealing With Victors, and Not
With Nation At the End OF Its
Tether.

i Berlin, via Amsterdam, Dec. T.
The Berliner Tageblatt announced the
order Of the proceedings OF the forth
coming peace debate in the Reichstag.
! First, according to the paper. the
/ imperial chancellor, DIR. Won Beth
mann -Hol,weg. will deliver a speech.
Then deputy Schedemann. spokes-
man of the Socialist representation in
the Reichstag. will explain the Social
list Interpolation about the peace
terms.
Thereupon the chancellor is ex-
pected to reply, according to various
journals.
The selection OF Herr Scheidemann
as spokesman OF the Socialist faction
Is in itself victory for the moderate
section Of the Socialist party.
| Vorwaerts. the Official Socialist
organ, comments on the fact that the
Berliner Tageblatt is the only journal
which expressed approval of the So
cialist Interpolation. In Wow Of the
Tagebiatts close connection with gov
eminent circles, this Is regarded as
significant.
Say Little Now.
| vorwearts quotes the following
from the Berliner Neuve Nachrichten:
We were always of the opinion
! that silence il to be imposed as to
the details Of our war aims. our chan
cellor should do no more than an
nounce his belief in long duration OF
the war, and the necessity OF obtain
! Ing. by "A peace which will come at
/ some later date, powerful and real
guarantees for Germany.
1 las for the rest he should permit
/ no semi-official interludes and ambis-
I uities or occasional peace sentiment
talities which. to use his own words,
we Ell supposed to have dropped. For
this reason we felt regret when. after
the splendid pronouncement OF the
Emperor at the end Of the first year
OF war and after the chancellor's pow
erfui Retchstag speech In August OF
this year the Nord Deutsche Ange-
meme Zsftung, fthe official German
government organ) came out with dts
cussions OF English speeches In which
the word peace occurred, and In which
were discussed hints in the Socialist
press at home and abroad. and rumors
/ OF peace efforts on the part OF the
Pope and Herr woodrow Wilson.
Make Pronouncenents Lees Effective.
These discussions can only make
less effective among our enemies the
powerful pronouncements OF the EN-
peror and the chancellor. We could
have wished. for example. that Under
Secretary Zimmerman had not said TO
Danish Socialist; We arc ready for
an honorable peace
with enemies who do not even see
that they are beaten, who continus
| to threaten that they want to destry
us, or russia, or Pot.deu. or militar-
+! ism. and the HOUSE Of Hoohenzollern
the time for ine words has gone.
/ The German radical press app, owes
/ OF the forthcoming Reichstag debate
ON peace, and denounces the argument
+ that official mention Of the subject OF
peace on Germany's part would be In
terpreted abroad as a sign OF weak
ness. One paper representing this
view says:
! We need not take the least notice
| OF the stupid cry OF our enemies that
we are at the end Of the tsther, and
that we see with trepidaticn the APP
preaching day OF our collapse. That
/ It 10 not Germany who has ground
/ for fearing the future 10 best know n
/ by our enemies who see US IN possess
/ sion OF almost the whole Of Belgium, q
| great portion OF France, and largs
tracts of territory Of Russia-
| May Properly Talk Of Peace.
| las to our reserve strength still
available. our enemies have learned to
| appreciate II In the glorious triumphai
march of our own troops. and those
/ of our allies through Serbia They
know. then, that We are strong, aud
| 1t seems to US Germans that the Reich
stag. with the calmness which be-
Ats the strong, can now speak about
Germany's aims for peace.
! In the British Parliament, serious
speakers have pointed In serious
| words to the necessity of considering
at last the question OF peace. These
constantly seeking to confuse the mind
of the people with hollow phrases and
worthless bombast.
| What the British Parliament can
afford to do can certainly be done by
us"
+ Professor Oswald A. n Flamm. =
| well-known naval Instructor at Char.
| Iottenburg, dfscusses the peace debate
In the Tagiiche Rundschau. "Ac-
says. Sir Edward Grey announced
that upon the conclusion Of peace Eng
land will be ready to negotiate about
the freedom OF the seas.
| Statement . Swindle.
| This statement 10 swindle. II tho
expression freedom Of the seas IL not
to become . mere shibboleth. the idea
of negotiation on the subject after
the war must be entirely repudiated.
Such q subject can never be settled
| by treaties. national or international
1t can be settled only by the destruc-
ton before peace Of England's sole
mastery.
| Events of the past and present
show clearly that England never OBJ
| serves any agreement of any treaty
! IL her interests are endangered. and
one can predict with mathmatical GER
tainty that she never will.
"A nation that concludes treaty
with that country without possessing
the power to compel her respect, will
be the victim Of hopeless dreams that
lead to ruin"