New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-17
No Interference Now

No Interference Now
p-o.;3ort Wilson was we'll advised when
=. 4oc;5o5 10 forward the peace notes oil
.,o Central Powers without any comment
Nc would have exceeded his functions a.
- aren't Of communication between ''e
two groups Of osllicerents II he hau az.
+or,nted 10 become himself in any way 4"
narticipant in the peace pariey
As neutral the United states can
,,oDorIv discharge the good Offices when
!, has been besouCht 10 discharge II
.., act as an Intermediary in transmitting
tho offer Of the Central Powers ana re-
.prning the rejection or the counter one
- tie Entente Powers. But 1t would De
,ao-ifc..lv indicate and unwarrsnted on
a. rsr+ Of our Government to approve or
- disanprovo the overture made by the
1,.,to,ic combination. President wilson
oonl5 not very well comment ON the pro
lie ,rbich he transmits without seem
inc IN ATTEMPT TO influence the ATTITUDE AZ i
;,,5oneDt Of the Entente nations hu'
+bst is exactly what the United S'ate7
o,,bt 70 avoid doing or seeming 10 CO.
knowing nothing Of the feelings and pur-
80 IF the Allies. il would be as serious
= ,.;ola,io, Of comfy for our government
% eor5 q message TO the Entente powers
conveying the hint that American opinion
snnroved the initiation Of peace negoaa-
lions. as it would be to send message 70
The Kaiser congratulating him on having
teen willing 10 make the first public ana
formal move toward peace.
The people Of the United States would
,,ioice 70 see peace restored in Europe
Vet thew know that the issues o. peace or
war arc not i'm their hands, but ia those
Of The belligerent peoples and governments
Tho suress way to make our hopes oil peace
ain and our Offices Of mediation worth
less would be for las TO indorse preIna-
,,,relv a peace movement likely to fan
because conditions are not yet ripe Tor
the restoration Of peace
The war has no. been fought to de-
cjsiop. Any settlement now in sight would
have to be based on the admission OF a
drav-a draw in which the military ad-
vontageg. at least, have been on the side
Of the Tcuton:c combination and against
tho Entente. But the Entente powers
are keenly conscious Of the fact that the
present military situation docs not larry
reflect their much less rapid progress to-
ward military. and especially toward eco
nornic. exhaustion. They do not conceive
the outcome of the war so lar to have
been that sort of draw-sIperhcally, at
least. satisfactory to Germany-whlch 1t
Is conceived TO be in Berlin. They may
naturally be inclined to think II better to
continue the war until their advantages IN
man mower. material and productive ca
pacity tell much more than they have told
30 far.
Il is not for neutral. however eager
10 see peace restored, TO pass judgment IN
these matters. The Allies must make
their own answer to the Kaiser's peace
prefer. and they have "a right to make 1t
uninAuenccd by anything that the govern
ment Of the United States may feel or say
We are not sure, even, that the peace
prefer was made with single desire TO
end the horrors Of war; There may be a
political purpose behind ia purpose to
influence opinion at home and TO regain
favor with neutral opinion. The invita-
ton 70 enter peace conference may De
only = scheme to try out the Allies and to
sow dissensions in their camp 1t could
indeed. have that effect, whether or not
German diplomats had deliberately set
out 70 play on some of the obvious weak
resses of the Entente coalition.
This is no time, therefore, for America
70 mix into the European dispute. The
Entente powers must define much more
clearly their attitude toward the Teutonic
combination-their military and political
airs-before clear understanding OF
the present confused drift toward peace
can be attained.
10 is not for as 10 urge or admonish
We can help only in an extremity, and
that extremity is not yet here. IL will
paw Us. moreover. 20 bc patient; for it IS
still less important, either for Europe OF
the world at large, that the great contro-
versy should be settled than that it should
be settled permanently and right.