Evening star., 1916-12-20
GERMANY CAN OBTAIN PEACE
AS VANQUISHED POWER ONLY
Such Is Message Lloyd George Gives the
World, Speaking for Great Britain
and Her Allies.

{ nll1SS.
of the chancellor's speech. Each or
the allies has separately and inde-
pendently considered the mat.ei 60
arrived at the same conclusion. az. ~.
glad the first answer has oeen sis.n "
France and Russia. They haa uIe for
the enemy still is on their SOL. anu
their sacrifices have been grea''
simply stand here to give clear -, a
definite support to the statements 'ne'
have made"
Only Possible Peace Terms.
I'VE feel that we ought to know pe-
fore we can give favorable consioeia
tion to such an invitation, sa'o tiie
premier, that Germany is prepared 10
| accede to the only terms on "hlch IL
is possible peace can be obtained and
| maintained in Europe. Those Terms
have been repeatedly stated by an tne
leading statesmen of the allles. Ihey
outside. To quote the leader OF the
house last week:
PREPARATION and guarantee against
repetition, so there shall be no mis- ne;
and 1t is important that there snooia
be no mistake in a matter OF ll1e OF
| death to Millions
Let me repeat--compiete restitution,
full reparation and effectual suar%h-
tees.
Did the German chancellor use a
single phrase to indicate that he was
prepared to accept such a peace: vas
there a hint of restitution? was there
suggestion of reparation? w as there
an implication of any security lof the
future, that this outrage on ctVillzatioh
would not again be perpetrated at the
first profitable opportunity!
THE very substance and style or the
speech constitutes denial Of peace on
the only terms on which peace is pos
sible. He is not even conscious now
that Germany has committed any Of
fense against the rights Of free nations
Listen to this from the note:
Not for an instant have they lthe
central powers) sweryed from the con-
viction that respect of the rights of
other nations Is not in any degree In
compatible with their own rights and
legitimate interests
Some Menaces to Germany.
when did they discover this? Where
was respect for the rights Of other ma
tions in Belgium and Serbia? That was
self-defense, menaced, suppose. by the
overwhelming armies of Belgium. I
suppose the Germans had been intini-
Ing Belgian cities and villages, into
massacring thousands of the inhabi-
tants old and young, into carrying of
the survivors into bondage. Yea, and
they were carrying them into slavery
at the very moment when this note
was being written about their Vnswerv-
ing conviction as to the respect due the
rights of other nations.
Ara these outrages the legitimate in
terest Of Germany? We must know.
That is not a moment for peace. If er-
cuses of this kind for palpable crimes
can be put forward two and a half
years after exposure by the grim facts,
is there any guarantee that similar
subterfuges will not be used in the
future to overthrow any treaty of peace
you may enter into with Prussian mill
tarism?
''rne note and speech proves that they
have not yet learned the alphabet of
respect for the rights of others. With
out reparation peace Is impossible.
What hope is given in the speech
that the whole root and cause of this
great bitterness. the arrogant spirit of
the Prussian military caste. will not be
as dominant as ever, IL we patch up
peace now? The very speech in which
snese peace suggestions are made re-
sounds to the boast Of Prussian mill
tary triumph. 1t is a long paean over
the victory of Won Hindenburg.
Would Make Sacrifices Vain.
I'VE must keep q steadfast eve ,non
the purpose for which we entered the
war; otherwise the great sacrifices we
have been making will be in vain. The
German note states that 1t was for the
defense of their existence and the free
dom of national development that the
central powers were constrained to take
Yfnn VtnI
to delude the German nation into sup
porting the designs of the Prussiau
military caste, who ever wished to nut
An end to their national existence OF
freedom of development. We welcomed
their development so long as II was on
the paths Of peace.
THE allies entered this war to de-
fend Europe against the aggression Of
Prussian military domination. and hav-
ing begun it. they must insist that the
only end is the most complete effective
guarantee against the possibility of
that caste over again disturbing the
peace of Europe. Prussia since she got
into the hands of that caste. has been a
bad neighbor. arrogant, threatening
bullying. shifting her boundaries at her
will. and taking one fair field after an
other from her weaker neighbors and
adding them to her own dominions.
with her belt ostentatiously full of
weapons of ofYeuse. and ready at q mo
ways been an unpleasant, disturbing
neighbor in Europe. She got thor
oughly on the nerves of Europe; there
was no peace near where she dwelt II
is ditflcult for those who are fortunate
enough to live thousands of miles away
to understand what !c has meant to
those who live near.
Even here. with tho protection Of tn
broad seas between us, we know what
a disturbing factor the Prussians were
with their constant naval menace. But
we can hardly realize what 1t meant to
France and Russia. Several times there
were threats directed against them
even within the lifetime of this genera
ton. which presented the alternative
Of war or humiliation. There were
many Of US who hoped that the internal
influence in Germany would be strong
enough to check. and ultimately to
eliminate 1t.
Now that this great war has been
forced by the Prussian leaders. 1t would
be folly not to see to it that this swash-
bluckling through the streets of Europe
and this disturbance of peaceful citi-
zens was dealt with here and now as
the most serious offense against the
law Of nationa.
eve Will wait until we hear wnat
terms and guarantees the German gov
ernment offer other than those. better
than those, surer than those, which
she so lightly broke, and meanwhile we
shall put our trust in our unbroken
army rather than in broken faith.
For tho moment I do not think II
would be advisable for me to add any
, thing upon this particular invitation.
A formal reply will be delivered by the