Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-15
CAN GERMAN MILITARISM
BE CRUSHED?

IN ALL our thinking OF the war We
should keep In mind that II began be
cause OF o conflict Of interest and that
Il can be ended either by a plan OF nc
commodatlon and compromise or by tho
overwhelming and crushing victory Of
one side or tho other.
The conflict OF interest was 40 grave
that for years prior 10 August. 1914,
statesmen were discussing the inevitable
rupture and hoping that II could be
| averted. only because Il was thought tho
| consequences would be so terrible ns to
make any nation pnuso before bringing
10 great a catastrophe on Europe.
The catastrophe has been greater than
any one anticipated. But, In spite of
II all, no dlbposlton has appeared on
either side To make peace by an accom-.
modntlon OF conflicting intereatR. The
Central Powers nro determined TO seize,
n possible. those trade routes which they
think necessary TO their commercial de.
veopment. and tho Entente Allies Insist
that there can be no peace until Germany
is crushed.
Tho Views Of the Entente were epito-
mzod by Mr. AsqLit., in his famous Guild.
hall speech. Ho announced that the sword
would not be Bheathed until Belgium and
Serbln had recovered all that they had
lost until France was adequately se
cured against the menace of aggression.
until all the small nations OF Europe were
placed on an unnssalable foundation and
until the military domination OF Prussia
Is wholly and finally destroyed"
The persistence of this determination
to destroy PrussInn militarism Is the
distinguishing feature in the comment on
the German peace proposals that comes
from responsible sources I'm the Allied
nations We are told that the Allies
are lighting for a princple-nnmely, the
right OF all nations to live their own
llVes III their own ways-and In the same
breath we are told that Germany's mill. |
tary policy must be modified by outside |
pressure, There is no spirit Of concllin- |
ton in all this. The announced willing. |
ness OF Germany to restore Belgium to |
Itself and to withdraw from France and
to submit the Balkan situation TO the
decision OF conference is treated, per.
haps rightly. as a Mnchiavellian move I'm
.ho game, The agreement between the
Asauith irreducible minimum and the Ger.
man proposals, however is perfect on
he surface up to the point of the crush.
ng or PrussIan militurlsm.
Tho Allies have been attempting to
crush the mllitarism of Germany for
more than two years, with what degree
If success the world knows. II really
must be admitted that the Germans have
ome reason TO be proud OF what their
nilitarism can accomplish In the way OF
latonnl defense If It were less effective
We should hear less about the necessity
# destroying it.
The armies are deadlocked. There Is
little expectation on this side of tho
cean that there can bv II complete and
ecisive victory for either side in les,
han a year. II at all There is a pre-.
alllng hope that statesmen can bring
themselves TO attempt to do what the
rmiea have failed to accomplish; that Is.
rrange for livable agreement among
he Powers which VIII remove so far as
ossible the long-standlng causes of frlc
ION that. In the last analysis, were re
ponsioIe for the terrible catacIysm that
az overwhelmed the continent.