Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-02
German Peace.
BY Carl w. Ackerman.
Omitted Press staff correspondei

Omitted Press staff correspondent
Berlin, July 5-(By mail. )-Germany
wants peace because she believes she
has won the war. The allies don t
want peace because they believe they
will win the war.
The difference is between the "has
won" and the twill win" and so long
as there is this division the neutral dip
tral observers, declare there is no pos
sibility of peace.
The people the world over are encour-
aged by peace talk and at the end of
two years of war they are ready to
make peace, each on its own terms. So
are the German officials, the British
cabinet and the government of France,
but the public terms are such that an
agreement could not now be easily
made.
The great difference between the al
lies and the Cenetral powers is that the
Central powers are open to impartial
mediation while the allies discourage
the idea.
The allies, when their armies were
being beaten back in France. and in
Russia and when Servia was invaded.
said to the public: "Don It mind these
things; we will win ultimately. The
Central powers have convinced the Ger
man people that every great military
advance was step toward victory and
that because there have been so many
of them the Central powers have been
victorious.
That is the peace situation at the
close of the second year of the war, ac-
cording to the view in Berlin. 1t raises
many questions. Would Wilson be ac-
ceptable as a mediator or, if not Wilson.
then the next presdent9 Would Ger,
many insist on the peace terms she has
outlined9
Germany's Peace Terms.
! The answers depend on coming
events. They will be influenced by
military developments The election in
the United States will have its effect
Internal affairs in the various countries
will increase or modify the respective
peace views.
| There is peace party in Germany
J Chancellor Won BethAann- Hollweg leads
it. Some of the conservative members
of the Reichstag are his opponents
They know that if the chancellor makes
peace now he will not insist on the an
neXation of Belgium and Poland and
that his terms will be moderate' The
conservatives lead the party which be.
lieves Germany has been decisively sue
cessful in this war and they think Ger.
many should dictate iron clad terms
They know the chancellor will never
support their terms 50 they are out "a
! oust him.
! The, harder they fight the stronger
the chancellor becomes. Bismarck had o
snap compared to the cbhncellor's IS posi-
, tion today. Bismarck had everything
his own way, but his view of the world
did not extbnd beyond the boundaries OF
the United German empire which he
founded.
| Today things are different. Ger
many needs a chancellor who can see
Germany in her relation to the rest OF
4 the world. Such is the view point OF
Won Bethmann-Hollweg.
Ready for Honorable Peace"
The conservatives have the standpat
view point of Bismarck. The chancellor
is progressive. So is the kaiser. His
tory will show that neither the kaiser
nor Hollweg wanted war, but that
stronger forces did want and got it.
! The chancellor was severely criticized
in the reichstag few days ago because
he postponed mobilization of the Ger
man army three days at the beginning
, of the war;"
! The chancellor replied that he regret
ted that he could not have postponed il
longer.
Even the socialists know that the
chancellor will make peace whenever il
is honorably possible. The people know
it too and they are ready to help.
The people talk about peace. There
are rumors of peace constantly. 1t is
impossible TO discuss peace terms in the
papers, but privately the people are pre-.
pairing themselves for any peace confer
ences that may develop. They will be as
prepared for peace as they were for
war.
So far as Germany is concerned, the
president of the United States, whether
he is Wilson or the republican nominee
will be welcome as peace mediator
provided he does not come forth with
a definite program and demand peace
along the lines desired by people in Am