New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-25
peace Kites


present agitation for peace and the cor
related movement for American action IN
the direction Of peace is to them the most
serious and may easily be the most dan
gerous Of all the various agitations Of the
sort that have so far been carried on in
the United States
There are three well defined forces at
work over here TO move President Wilson
TO intervene. even in the face of the most
definite information coming from the other
side that such prefer Of good Offices would
be distasteful and unwelcome. These three
forces are the pro-Germans, the pacifists
and German-American finance. 1t is the
recent accession Of Communications
finance to the peace agitation which gives
it new vitality and fresh strength.
It has long been recognized here in
America by those who we're well Informed
that the German agents and sympathizers
were busily and eagerly at work trying to
contribute to the end desired by their gov
eminent, namely, peace permitting Ger
many to harvest some portion Of her pres
ent profit in the war and retain the power
to complete the larger task hereafter.
This latest German propaganda is built
on the constant assertion that the war is
a draw and that Germany can never be
defeated. 1t rests its case upon the map,
upon the recent German success in Ru-
mania and the relatively insignificant
progress Of the Allies at the Somme. The
conviction that gained ground in this coun-
try among the less we'll informed during
the summer that the Allies were winning
has been destroyed by the Rumanian cam
paign, which is held to be a final proof Of
the invincibilty of Germany.
The pro-German propaganda finds ready
hearing all over the country among those
who believe war to be a sin. the present
war to be the most sinful of all wars, and
all contestants to be fighting in defiance of
humanity and intelligence and to be the
victims of a collective madness such as
President Wilson has charged them with.
There are literally millions of such Amer
leans, and they believe it would be a high,
holy and peculiarly American service to
mankind if America could compose the
quarrel, as they regard the world war.
This very large element Of the country
would not forgive Mr.. Wilson for declin-
ing to offer to mediate, even if he knew in
advance that such an offer would be re-
pulsed by the Allies. They believe that he
should make the offer without regard TO
anything else, and he would materially
strengthen himself with precisely the ele-
ment in the country and with the regions
in the country which are mainly respon-
sible for his reelection. He might thus
be moved to make the offer purely as a
matter Of domestic politics and without re-
gard to the international consequences.
But it is the intervention of German
American finance, made unmistakable in
recent days, which supplies the wholly new
element. Since the early days of the war,
since August, 1914, finance, like all else,
has been national. not international, but
every one knows the connection between
Frankfort, Paris and London up to the
very last moment of the crisis which pre-
ceded the war.
Anglo-German finance endeavored TO play
the German game by keeping out England,
and Englishmen know better than any one
else exactly what happened in the very
critical hours that surround a day still
called BLACK Sunday" To-day interna-
tional finance, so far as it is represented
in America, is profoundly interested in
having peace.
The thing that Frenchmen and Britons
must now recognize is the possibility Of
action by the President of the United
States in obedience to forces and influences
at home. 1t is more than likely that Mr..
Wilson will be moved TO make peace pro-
posal in the next few months. 1t is prop
able that he will be aided in such a move
by some very definite, if wholly misleading,
proffers and concessions made by Ger
many, and made with that show of gener.
osity that could follow a successful Ger
man campaign in Rumania.
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