Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-16
i Third Year of the War.

Though Germanys repeated illusions to peace
show her eagerness for mediation there is nothing
TO indicate that she is yet in state of mind to
cept terms that would be satisfactory to the AL
lies She realizes doubt the futlity of her first
vaulting ambitions The conquest of France, the
vsnquishing of Russia, the reduction of Great
Britain's world power. the establishment of vast
Teuton empire stretching from the North Sea to
the Tigris-these shining dreams have vanished in
her sobered vision. Her leaders longer talk of
huge indemnities to be wrung from PROSTATE foe.
Her people see that the great expectations on
which they pampered at the outset were delu-
sions They feel the cost and pinch of the
which they entered with confidence of speedy vic
g,-y and gorgeous treasures. Knowing that their
lies have achieved the utmost to Ve hoped, they
-=;ard the earliest peace the most profitable to
them. AS conditions are. Germany could di-
rect if not dictate terms Of settlement. But year
or six months hence. she may be constrained to sue
instead of suggest. Naturally. she wishes to get
out of the game while she do with credit and
grace.
This, however, is quite different thing from
recognized and acknowledged defeat. Though the
Teutons may not venture another great offensive,
they show no sign of despair as regards their de-
fensive strength. They have failed at Verdun.
but in the judgment of some observers the fact
that the Germans unable 10 break the French
lines indicates that the French and British will be
unable TO break the German lines, except at
prohibitive cost. That being the case, Germany
could steel herself to prolonged resistance, and
trust in the terrible of the conflict to bring
the Allies TO conciliatory mood before her own
resources utterly exhausted Her reckoning
on this point may be mistaken or, perhaps, she is
not so confident as her tone implies But as far
. as appearances suggest, Germany while ready to
make peace on terms of her own. and terms far
more moderate than those she had in mind year
and half ago. is not ready for peace basis of
the enemy's probable demands.
The British attitude, and that of the Allies as a
whole. was stated emphatically by Lord Robert
Cecil some days ago. following Chancellor Won
Bethmann- Holweg's broad hint for American me-
dlation Said Lord Cecil:
We drew the sword unwingly. We shall
Gheathe il gladly. But should be untrue to
our trust; we should be betraying civilization
IL we abandoned task until we have re-
established in Europe the supremacy of law
the sanctity of treaties and the right of all ma
tons, great and small, TO live their lives to
fulhn their destnies. free from the ntolerabIe
menace of Prussian militarism"
Beneath the rhetoric of these WORDS is plain and
lmmovable purpose. The Allies scarcely can wish
to continue the war merely for the sake of glory
grudge; it is costing them too t-sgicalIy for that
But they committed, sinGly and together TO the
yindication OF certain principles the plotting out
Of certain world periIs the redress of cruel wrongs
IL is unthinkable that they would abandon their
cause until Belgium and Serbia were restored I'M
til France requited and clear assurances set
up against the renewal of this agonizing war
Nothing short Of conclusive defeat or homeless ex
haustion can be expected to swerve them from that
purpose.
They will hear to peace. doubt as soon as
Germany is willing to surrender Belgium and
northern France, guaranteeing the absolute sover-
eighty of the and due indemnity for the havoc
she has wrought upon both France no doubt
will insist upon the return of Alsace-Lorraine or
upon its freedom from German rule Russia will
refuse to deliver Poland to Prussian domination
though she may consent to the autonomy of that
State and il the military advantage of the Allies
makes it possible she will insist upon free hand
at Constantinople and the DardanelIes On these
broad conditions. the Allies may be expected to
stand as long they have a reasonable hone of
enforcing them. Divers other questions of course
must enter into negotiations-the DISPOSAL of
Germany's conquered possessions in Africa and the
Pacific. for example; the readjustment of national
boundaries in the Balkans: the future of Turkey.
and the amount and character of compensation for
the lands that have suffered German invasion But
as soon as the opens for satisfaction of the Al
lies larger claims matters of detail will be easy
TO settle.
Granting that Germany has the seIf-confdence
ana strength to continue the struggle even though
she is placed squarey on the defensive we NAV ex-
pect the war to enter upon third year and to be-
come distinctly a contest of endurance. This view
is subject OF course, TO many contingencies 1t is
possible that developments in the East will change
the aspect of the entire situation so materially and
so swiftly that the Central Empires will yield IT,
for instance, the Russians force their campaign
against the Turks to early success, or IL the AL
lied troops mustered at SaloniEd strike decisive
in the Balkans. if Rumania throws her
over to the Entente camp, the odds against the
Ieutons may become overwhelming. It is possible
too that on the western front the French and Brit