New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-24

hose who were fighting 20 rescue Bel
rium and those who were in possession OF
Belgium by reason Of crime and were.
as hi. message to Berlin Of the previous
week had indicated, doing on Belgian soil
and against Belgian citizens thing that
were an affront to all mankind.
But what was essential was that Mr..
Wilson's act amounted to an Endorsement
Of the good faith of the German proposal
f., advance of the disclosure of its nature
The nations lighting Germany were pre-
pared to fight until the last hope was
spent rather ,han to surrender to Ger
man domination. They were prepared 70
listen TO a German proposal, if it con
tanned the basis for just peace. But they
were not prepared to listen to any discus
sion of peace until they knew the German
proposal. and they we're not prepared TO
90 TO any conference in advance OF
German statement.
BY rushing into the situation at that
precise moment Mr.. Wilson gave the color
Of an American Endorsement TO the Ger
man peace manGuvre while it was still
unknown whether it was a sincere effort
% make peace or q trick and a device to
serve German ends in Europe and IN Ger
many. Before the Allied nations he became
the agent and the ally of the German peace
campaign. He committed his country to
a German operation before the world had
the smallest mixing of what the operation
was. He did it before the world had the
smallest hint that Germany would evacu-
ate Belgium. save those hints that flow
daily from the German Ambassador IN
Washington.
The result was 10 be expected. In the
eyes Of the Allies Mr.. Wilson became the
agent of the Germans. In his voice was
heard the German influence. This may
be lust or unjust. The Tribune does not
believe that Mr.. Wilson ever intended TO
serve a German purpose. It accepts his
act as honestly intended 20 serve the ends
of peace, however unhappily conceived
and stupidly executed. But this does not
affect the situation now. To-day every
German agency in the world is hailing
Mr.. Wilson; he is in the position of having
satisfied absolutely the desires Of one party
to great controversy which he sought to
compose, and quite in the same way he APP
pears to have ignored those of the other.
So much for the present. But what Of
the future? Can Mr.. Wilson now en-
deavor to force upon the Allies his good
Offices. powerfully championed by every
Teutonic influence in the world? Can Mr..
Wilson now suffer himself to become the
repository of German condolences as to
the terms on which they purpose to make
peace and, thus fortified, to use all his
great power over American publicity and
sentiment to coerce the Allies into at
tending a peace conference demanded by
Germany and advocated by all Germans
in America and Europe? To do this would
be to make the United States. in fact a
German ally; and the United States can
not become a German ally, even to pro-
mote peace, in opposition to the Allied ma
tons
Nor can one pass over the utterances Of
Mr. Lansing Mr.. Wilson's course was at
first accepted as the result of sincere
but misguided desire to serve the cause
of peace and humanity, as the President
Of the United States, to be sure, but moved
only by the most unselfsh motives. But
Mr.. Lansing has now told the world that
the President acted solely by reason of
his fear that the United States would be
drawn into the war if peace were not re-
stored. lie left the plain inference that
Germany had threatened to attack the
United States unless peace came, and not
mpossibly unless the United States be-
came the agent of Germany in seeking ia
procure this peace.
This was the end of Mr.. Wilson's pro-
posal; this was the final collapse of
his undertaking. Conceivably Europe
might listen to the President of the United
States speaking in the name of all human
ity and urging the end of terrible strife
But does any one believe that the Allies
would listen to a suggestion Of peace with
IL. 81