Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-28

5n.
negotiations. because Germany is stu
,, the victor. and victors do not give up
their own territory for peace.
1t is just conceivable that German
craftsmanship might consider the re :
PROCESSION of Metz and the little strip of
Lorraine inhabited by French speaking
| people, if France, on her side, were
equally ready to renounce forever the
/ gospel of revanche and accept the de-
| cision of the treaty of Frankfort other-
| wise, holding French territory IN Al
| RIGA a guild pro quo. But TINS Is
wholly unlikely in the present temper
and condition of Germany.
AS for the French, there is no mlsta h :
| ing the fact that majority of French
| men believe that Germany is already
beaten and that the war, however long
| can now have but one end. 1t is con-
| BILE that they might consent to
make peace on the terms that Germany
might offer-evacuation of Belgium and
France with no indemnity. 1t is Just a
Thionville were thrown in France
i would lay down her arms. ] do not be-
| lieve it, but most Germans do. At all
events. there is certainly no German
| necessity or readiness at the present
| moment to return the provinces won in
1870.
The Trentino and Trieste.
Sn what terms would Italy make
peace? Manfestly she has not yet
| won Trieste or the Trentino. Her
] minor successes so far leave her still
| far from the realization of the dream
| that carried the arms of Savoy up the
Adige valley to Botzen. annexed Go
riZla, Trieste and the lstrian PENN
sula. and then swept south, gathering
/ in Dalmatia, the Adriatic islands and
! the chaotic 4 lbania
! Before the war Austria offered Italy
/ the Trentino, without Botzen. and the
Gorilla district along the 1sonzo, to-
gether with few islands in the Adrl-
/, attic and Albania. Italy preferred to
| take her chance of winning Trieste by
battle. She has failed, and since there
| is no present prospect of success, would
| she now take what was offered at the
outset?
| The situation in the Balkans would
| exercise decisive influence upon
| Italian action. for if Austria means to
annex Serbia and Montenegro, if Bull
garia and Greece are thus to become
AuStro German raSsalS, and Turkey a
Teutonic colony, then the Italian dream
| of reviying the empire of Venice van
| ishes and Italy's safety is imperiied
Teuton's Dream of Concessions.
1t is hardly likely that Italy would
desert her new allies to make peace
on any terms that did not include
Trieste, Istria and Dalmatia, but Italy
would not be able to force her allies to
continue the war if they We're prepared
to make peace and could obtain for her
the ThentIno province, which is abso-
lutely essential to her safety. and per-
haps, in addition, the Albanian pro-
tectorate, which would give her some
thing approXimating the supremacy OF
the AdrIatic.
But if Germany persuaded Austria to
cede the Trentino region, this is the
extent of the concessions the Germans
would now be willing to see made, for
! Trieste is the port not alone OF Aus
tria. but of the greater Germany OF
Berlin dreams. 1t viii be remem bered
that in all talk of peace so far Berlin
has never even taken the trouble to
suggest any concession to Italy. Aside
from the Trentino, there is nothing in
the present situation TO indicate that
Italy can hope for any reward for her
efforts if peace comes this winter
Fate of Poland.
AS to Russian concessions, all Ger
man discussions of peace have insisted
upon the freedom of Poland, of all of
Russian Poland. with the suggestion
that Austrian Poland and perhaps
tiny bit-this last highly problematical
of Prussian Poland. would be erected
into "A state administered by Germany
and Austria jointly. In addition II has
been foreshadowed that Germany eN-
poets to annex the Courland and pof-
ton of Lithuania.
The real question is of course. Pc
land. For Germany, Poland under
Teutonic guidance would be buffer
state against. Russia. The Slavs would
be divided, n-Slavism abolished. Po-
land would be a splendid field for Ger
man economic exploitation: would sup
ply army corps for the Austro-German
armies; would be a colony. not i'll
Africa. but in Europe
To such a condition Russia would
hardly consent now, if the situation in
the Slav empire is correctly reported.
lit is conceivable that Russia, having
promised Poland autonomy, would con-
sent to a really Independent Poland,
reconstructed by mutual sacrifices of
AUSTRIA Prussia and Russia, by an un-
doing Of the work of Frederick the
Great. In return she might be paid
by the eastern half of Gallcia, peopled
by russians, if Austria would consent
ITO such sacrifice and take her pay
in Serbia.
Yet there is small reason to believe
either Austria or Germany would now
consent TO retire from Poland and give
complete freedom to this state. AS for
the Courland, Russia Will not give that
UP until she has been thoroughly beat
en-. Germany. now occupying most of
it. will hardly retire, unless, in fact.
her desire for peace passes all present
belief. But if peace in the east is pos
sble on any terms. it is hard to see
how these can be other than the COM
plete emancipation of Poland and the
guarantee by all three of its neighbors
that il shall be Independent
The Balkans.
There remains now the question
which is most important 1t is con-
ceivable that Germany will consent TO
retire from France and Belgium. aban-
don the hope of an indemnity, and even
agree to the erection of an independ-
ent Poland and the cession by Austria
of the Trentino region to Italy. These
things, although unlikely, are conceiv-
able, but they are only conceive
able if in return Germany obtains for
herself and for Austria a free hand
from the Danube to the }Igean and
from the Adriatic to the Golden Horn.
Unquestionably Germany and Austria
will insist in any offers for peace they
now make that Serbia shall be put I'M
der Austrian control. that Germany
shall be permitted a free hand in the
Turkish empire-in other words. that
the two central empires shall be per-