The sun., 1916-12-20

Commons appears In the folIotcsno
newspapers this morning.
washington Post-"Peacc without
reparation Is impossible Thus the Brit.
'sh Empire through Its Premier knocks
over the house Of cards set up by Cham
eellor Won Bethmann-H oIiweg. speaking
Tor tho Central Powers. Mr.. Lloyd
George has made the only answer that
could be expected from the Allies.
" The Allies will fight on. They
VIII listen 10 Germany when she is ready
10 yeild and not before. Rumania's
downfall Is a mere incident In this death
struggle OF Europe. TIT issue In not
the gain or loss Of pieces Of territory.
IT Is not the crushing Of tho German
people. 1t is the humiliation of Ger
many's ambition to tyrannixe over Eu-
rope and the world by pystematixed
brute force. In trying TO achieve that
ambition Germany has appealed to the
sword. The decision will be made by
the sword.
springfield tMass.) Republiean-Mr.
Asquith would have been the better
spokesman. Lloyd George has plenty of
force. but in tact and iucIdity his prede.
cessor is Incompatible. In substance.
however. Lloyd George says much what
Asquith must have said, and what
baron Sonntno did say. that the note
oilers no adequate basis for the OPEN
ing OF peace negotiations. II
the terms which Germany keeps 80
~1ealously secret include the spollation
OF Russia. Serbia and Rumania. 1t will
not pay to produce them. II they are
terms which all the Allies can accept In
good faith to each other the British re-
ply does not shut the door upon further
oilers. though Its tone expresses consid-
cradle doubt as to the sincerity Of the
German proposals.
Chicago Tribune-The British knew
that a military spirit cannot be broken
down by an enemy edict. II there Is
"a dominant Prussian military spirit the
only way 1t can be destroyed from the
outside is the way the Polish military
spirit was destroyed, by destroying the
nationality Of the people. . The
apparent things Great Britain needs to
conclude a paying peace are the restora-
ton or Belgium to protect the British
coast and waterways from the menace
OF a great power. an agreement with
Germany to escape costly warship build
ing rivalry. the protection of France
that a Continental allies can be pre-
served, the retention OF all OF Africa
and protection against the extension Of
German influence through "A dominated
Turkey In the direction Of Persia and
India.
Louisville Courier.Journal--Less than
such a response than this of the British
Prime Minister would have disappointed
that part Of the world which sympa-
tlzes with the Entente Allies. because
It has taken them at their word and be-
lieved that they were fighting for the
things which Lloyd George demands as
conditinos of peace. Less than such a
response. furthermore. would have been
construed by the friends of the Entente
Allies as p~ortentous to that approach to
exhaustion on their part that they have
attributed to the Central Powers. .
There Is nothing In German official
~utterances or In the expression Of opin-
ion which the German press Is allowed
to make to Indicate that Germany is yet
ready to como to anything like Lloyd
Georges terms.
~. LOul Globe DemOerat-The tenor
OF the speech of Lloyd George was In
harmony with the expressions OF the
English press and the u%tterances OF Gov
ernmental leaders In Great Britain.
france and Russia. Lloyd
George would have stultihed himself in
the eyes of the nation II he had said
less than he did. without ~reparation."
he declared. peace Is impossible"
. But what Is meant by repara-
ton. and what is meant by n complete
guarantee against Prussian militarism?
. Yet It lis not impossible that
their 1.-THE Alliea) Interpretation OF what
they consider The fundamental basis of
peace may be reconcilable with the Teu-
tons, whatever the latter may he.