Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-08-12

Never since the outbreak of tho
Great War was there more need for
caution and circumspection at Wash
ington than at the present moment.
President Wilson must be completely
on his guard lest an honest desire to
assist in restoring peace in Europe
may lead him into a grave and costly
blunder.
There is not the smallest chance OF
a restoration of enduring peace in
Europe now. Any peace patched up
today would not mean real peace, but
the victory Of Germany. NO conceiv-
able basis of agreement could fail to
take cognizance of the great conquests
of Germany in Europe. and any such
recognition would be periious to the
future Of all the nations now allied
against the Germans.
On the battlefield Germany has fall
ed to get a decision while conquer
ing provinces and winning campaigns.
She can no longer hope ror that great
triumph which was IN the minds OF
her whole people one year ago. She Is
now precisely in the position of ia
pan when the appeal of President
Roosevelt led to the peace of Ports
mouth and no one of the powers fight
ing Germany can consent TO FOLLOW
the humiliating course of Russia
which was induced py internal revo-
luton.
The main purpose of the grand al
lance against Germany is TO break
the power of Prussian mllitarism. The
French having lived for more than
forty years under the shadow CT Ger
man aggression are now resolved to
end the menace, II Il costs them three
times as much in life and treasure
as they have expended The British
are determined. as they were in the
Napoleonic time. 10 remove a threat
to their imperial existence which they
have been slow to recognize, but will
be equally slow to forget. For Russia
peace now means a generation of hui
initiation and the end OF the dearest
dreams of Slav statesmen and pat
riots for centuries For Italy peace
now means a new. perhaps a final
postponement of the vision Of a fully
reunited Italy.
Only Germany can now turn from
war to peace with perfect readiness
She has conquered Belgium, North
ern France and Poland. She can de-
mand indemnities for territories she
| is willing to exacuate and these in
IDENTITIES will do much to defray the
cost of war. She has wrecked the in
dustrial regions of her neighbors
while her own factories and mines
are intact. All the gain of war is
hers and by no means imaginable sue
cess can she add much to the victory
she has won by superior prepared
ness and better organization.
II President Wilson should be per-
suaded to lend his influence to the
making of peace now there is not
one chance in a million that he
would help the situation There is
not one chance in a million that any
of the foes OF Germany would listen
| TO him. But there is no mistakine
! the fact that since the profit in peace
is wholly German. all the opponents
! of Germany would regard the act as
| unfriendly and see in the course o.
Mr. Wilson the successful operation
OF German intrigue and German man
ipulation.
The Kaiser and his ministers hav,
promised the German people peace
this fall In Germany and out Ger
man sympathizers have busily ant
confidently proclaimed the certaint,
that Russia would be disposed of be
fore snow flew. German diplomac,
has already perceived that this can
not be accomplished by any negotia
ton with the governments of her enc
mics. But the hope that skilful man
ipulation and agitation may persuade
the peoples of Russia and France, 8,
contrasted with their governments
10 favor peace Is disclosed in all tn,
recent sOcialistic documents which
have been permitted to see the light
The statesmen of the nations al
lied against Germany perceive clear
" that there can be no peace wit
Germany while Germany is victorious
They recognize that such a peace
would be but truce. yielding Il
the Germans most of all they sough
to obtain and leaving them in an ad
mirable position to resume the bat
tie for the rest hereafter. They rec
ognize as did the foes of Napoleon
that peace of the permanent sort ca
be had only when the true menace Z
peace is removed, and the true men
ace is the purpose and spirit OF IN
whole German people at the presen
time
This sentiment in Allied quarter
the German perceive. But they cher
ish the hope that the people Of tn
fighting nations. as opposed to tn
statesmen, have become weary of tn
s-.z.ss-...-ss........' -