Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-29
NO pEAcE,N SIGHT.

Homes for bringing peace W o'ooN'
stained Europe, rise up with each eA-
change of notes and suggestions oe,
tween either of the belligerents ah':
Tho reutrals. Three definite peace
moves have been made; Germany .lst
proposed an exchange OF views 'hen
president Wilson addressed the war
ring nations, calling their attention !.
the worlds desire for q cessation o.
hostilities and now the latest Is Ter
many's suggestion that peace con-
gress be called. Any or all OF these
PROPOSALS may bring about the desire"
end and yet ou,.
The entente allies have not ofilclaiiy
spoken but if the press or the var ,ous
nations truly represent popular ava oi'
fetal sentme there is no reason 10
hone that the allies will talk peace at
this time. There can be no luestlol,
hui that peace at this time is once"
as nv the victor to the vanquished. me
German proposal is not couched IN
terms 10 indicate that the struggle y
a senseIess one or that neither SIDE can
win. On the contrary 1t says very
Mainly. "Wc have won and can gam
further triumphs it the war continues
hut we are anxious that you see thr
folly Of YOUR efforts and rellnqu sh
your hopes and expectations.
The allied governments recognize
that for them to quit at this time
would be most humiliatng to them
and would leave them without crumo
to hold out to their various peoples as
rcccmrers> for the terrible sacr hces
that have been made. For the ailles
ia talk peace under the present clrcum-
stances is tantamount to admitting
that thev have abandoned those prin-
cin]es which they announced the!
would die for. and that they no longer
hope to attain the goal which theS
held before the eyes of their peoples
MS necessary to attain for their future
security. In fact to quit now Is 10
fiscredit tie governments when asked
such tremendous efforts and sacrlhces
ln~yiews Of the fact that the allies
are far from being defeated or con
ouered. car you imagine them dlscred-
itir. pnJ h.-mil a.ing themselves?
While the dove of peace is towering
around in the neutral countries. trylns
TO attract TIE attention OF the britons
and the French and the Russians ana
Italians. those people are buslly en-
gaged in making plans for greater
I campo gns and in exhortins each othe!
Mo endure even greater hardshlps ana
TO make even greater efforts to WIN.
A responsible Russian publlcat on
saws peace is impossible while not one
Of the aims Of the allies has been &C
complished. The socialists of france
several DAYS ago. rose up and cheered
speakers who secuted the peace idea
and who called upon their hearers 70
win the war and dictate the peace
terms. rather than accept terms from
the ercmy. The British press scorns
the pace overtures and makes some
wha, sarcastic references to MT. W J.
sons putting in" on the game. They
advise the government to use, in reply
ing tc Wilson, the words which Abra.
ham Lincoln used in telling England
10 keep her hand out of the American
civil war And Italy calls ont new
glasses OF young men ard prepares &c
.,csustnen her military forces.
Peace at this time is poss bic bu1
ONLY at the expense Of the pride and
ambitions of the leading men and the
governments that make up the entente
allies. Unless they can swallow the
fact that thev have failed to win the
war--that they have sent thousands t.
death and piled M debt mountain high
without result-then there VIII be nc
reace until they have won or lost III
this awful struggle.