New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28
No Settlement as Afte1
Waterloo Is Possible
A Bargain Between
EqualS-The lnsol-
uble Pro blemS
Before the
Congress.
Bv FRANK II. SIMONDS,
Author of "The Great War"

cave form TO events. The Treaty of
Westnbalia. which ended the Wars Of the
Reformation: the Treaty of Utrecht, which
closed the struggles Of Louis XIV; the Con
cress Of Vienna, which brought to a term
The Revolutionary and Napoleonic conflicts,
arc the landmarks in modern history. 1t is
Of these that men must think to-day, when
the talk Of peace is more and more spread
ing over the world.
Az the outset It must be recognized In
what respect the present conflict differs
from or resembles the past. We neither
have. nor is there any promise that we are
n have. such a decisive end 70 the present
struggle as Waterloo brought to the Ma
noleonic Wars There is no victory in the
military sense; there is a gigantic deadlock
and & failure on either side to impose its
will bv success on the battlefield. We're
there to be a new Congress of Vienna TO-
dav Germany and her allies would speak
with quite as much weight as would the
members Of the alliance that is fighting
them.
A Peace Of Exhaustion.
On the other hand, we do have some
thing that recalls the situation before
Utrecht. No nation is now as exhausted as
were all the nations that participated in I.
the War of the Spanish Succession. No
nation is now reaching the point where 1t
must make peace because of economic ex-
baustion. because of internal misery. The
suffering is still tolerable. But it is true,
as It was true two hundred years ago, that
the profit for any participation in the war
is not comparable with the cost, and there
ie no promise Of decisive victory for any
ration in sight.
To 90 back TO the Peace of Westphalia
that sealed the fate of Germany for near
Nv two centuries. It gave France hold
upon the Rhine and Sweden a base upon
the southern shore of the Baltic; it de-
stroved the fabric of German unity; il
opened the way for all the Louis XIV and
Napoleonic struggles that were TO come.
Rut the actual territorial changes were
not great. and the real issue of the strug-
Gle. religious liberty in Germany, was set
lied by compromise and by compromise
that endured.
Now. if Europe is to change from the
battlefield to the green table to settle It's
present war it is plain that the question
If the terms must be settled at the very
least between equals. There is no victor
II is plain. if peace is to be made which
will endure. that the evils that flowed from
the Peace of Westphalia must be avoided.
There must be. not a truce, but final
foundation of all or most of the points IN
dispute between the nations involved.
There must be a settlement and no settle
nent such as that at Vienna or in the
Wcstphalia document can be expected
The Questions in Issue.
What, then, are these questions that
must come before the next Congress OF
Europe. if there is to be a congress? They
arc not difficult to indicate. They are,
speaking roughly. as follows;
/. Alsace-Lorraine.
.. Trieste and the Trentino.
8. Poland.
A. The Eastern Question.
8. Colonial Disputes.
Il will be seen that from this list IS.
excluded the question of Belgium, of Lux
emburg, of the evacuation Of France, OF
indemnities. Germany has indicated in
her advances. which are not official,
that she is prepared to waive these ques-
tons. Peace. unless all the western con
quests of Germany are abandoned, is IN
conceivable. The Allies still insist that
there shall be a payment of an indemnity to
Belgium. but it may be doubted whether
even Belgium would choose that the war
with its misery and suffering, so far as 1t
affects King Albert's people, should be
prolonged in the hope of cash payment
hereafter
Let us. then, take up in their order these
.syerai questions, which are the material
obstacles to peace. OF the imponderables
there are several which will play real
part i'm preventing the coming Of peace
for the present I believe; but they are
outside the present field Of discussion
Alsaee-Lorrains.
As it stands at the moment there IS not
the smallest reason to believe that the
French would consent to make peace on
any basis that did not restore to them
their lost provinces" l say this with the
views Of all sorts of Frenchmen, with
whom ! have recently talked, clearly IN
mind. These provinces represent to.
France a symbol Of integrity and national
independence. The time may come in the
future when the French spirit will weaken,
but that time is not in sight.
On the other hand, it is unbelievable
that Germany would give up Alsace I'M
less she was conquered as was France IN
IL. =. q