New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-19

scrap Of paper her sacred pledge ana III
invading Silesia in time of peace she laid
down a precedent only too closely initiated
in the case Of Belgium Her war upon
Denmark was to gain North Sea harbors
md 70 annex territories Inhabited by Danes
sc well as Germans. Alsace-Lorraine was
a shining example of Prussian methods
If Germany now desires real peace
mankind cannot refuse to consent TO peace
Ii it is an honest and just peace. No De
sire to punish Germany for her crimes is q
sufficient warrant for another year or Two
e slaughter. But there are other things
besides peace, and there can be no perma-
.nent peace now if Germany brings nome
from her last war of aggression new con-
'ouered provinces and populations thus
supplying her leaders with further JUST
fcation 20 the German people Of their mill
taristic policies.
rightful peace must mean an END 10
the wrongful slavery Of subject peoples
II must mean an end to subject peoples.
II cannot mean an addition 20 the numoer
Of these subject peoples. 1t cannot mean
that Serbia is to be held as the serf OF
Austria. Ii cannot mean any sucn ad-
iustment as the "Vossische Zeitung sug-
gests by which Rumania is to be partl-
toned among Russia, Austria and Bull
garia and 100000 Rumsnians are thus
10 follow in the footsteps of the millions
Of Poles who have been held in slavery
ever since Prussian king suggested
Polish partition that he might round out
his dominions.
Let us. as Americans, keep clearly IN
mind in all this time of confused discus
sions what the real issue Of the war IS.
Let us remember it is a war OF ideas and
war against the Prussisn idea which Is
expressed in the Prussian course IN all
past contests If Germany desires to
make peace and her desire for peace Is
sufficiently strong TO impel her TO lay
aside all thought of enslaving Serb or
Pole; if she is prepared to resign the OBJ
iects for which she precipitated the war
then the time has come to talk peace and
TO make peace. But if there remains the
smallest fraction of a purpose tc enslave
70 annex Serbs or Poles, to add to the
wrongs that have already been the result
Of Prussian victories in the past, then
there is no more chance of peace in Europe
in 1917 than there was of peace in Amer
lea in 1864.
We. as Americans, cannot be interested
in the punishment of Germany for her
very great offences against civilization and
humanity. because no equitable method Of
Furnishing whole nation has ever been de-
vised and no promise of justice is discover
able in the proposal that nation be pun
ished by her rivals, whose selfish ambitions
must necessarily influence their perform
ance Of any such task. The prolongation
Of the war on the remote chance that Berlin
can be made to suffer what Louvain suf-
fered is not worthy of consideration.
The real end Of the war is the end that
comes when the true issue Of the war is
settled. This issue will not be settled
until the purposes for which Germany
provoked the war are all Of them baked.
A free and restored Belgium, an evacuated
and restored France, free and restored
Serbia. a Poland liberated from German
and Russian domination-these are the
things that count. If Germany purposes
n6w TO make new Polands out of Rumania
and Serbia. then there is nothing for Eu-
rome to do but to return to the trenches,
and for us Americans, who honestly be-
lieve in liberty, but to accept the decision
that brings more war and realize that the
responsibility rests upon the German.
If the present peace proposal is merely
an effort to saddle the apparent response
bility for further conflict upon the Allies,
by making a hypocritical proffer OF peace
and at the same time imposing conditions
which make it impossible for any nation
now at war to agree to peace without sac
rifcing its honor and the liberties Of Eu-
rope. without turning millions of men and
women back to slavery, it will not longer
delude neutrals or deceive Americans.
German agents and representatives in
this country have limited that Germany
purposes TO concede the liberty of Bel
GUM and the integrity of France. So far
so good, but what of Serbia? This is the
question for Americans to ask now. Does
Germany mean that Serbia shall be free
TO live her own life under her own gov
eminent? II Germany is ready 10 agree
70 this we are marching toward peace, but
if she is not, then there is an end of all
hope Of a negotiated peace for many
months TO come. For it is just as inn
portant that Germany should fail in en-
shaving one small state in Southeastern
Europe as a state numbering twice as
many people in Western Europe. 1t is the
doctrine of slavery that must be disposed
Of. Il is the idea that must be defeated:
above all else, this conflict will remain a
war Of ideas until the moral issues have