Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-08-02
British Peace.
BY Ed L. Keen.

BY Id l.. Keen.
United Press staff correspondent
London, July l2.-(By mail)-This
story has to run several hundred words
SO as to match up with Ackerman IS,
Sim g, Wood Is and Hearley's. Other
wise, it could be told in 10 thus: Eng
land is ready for peace now--on her
own terms.
She is just as ready as she was the
day after war was declared. War weari-
ness has not discouraged her The aw-
full drain of blood and money, the know
ledge that every days prolongnation of
the struggle means bigger bill in both
to pay, has not abated her zeal or re-
leased her determination to win what
she went to war for. The military re-
verses of the last year have stiffened
her purpose to accomplish a peace that
will remove forever the "Menace Of
Prussian militarism."
Yes, there is peace-at-any-pric par
ty in England. But its members are
negligible its influence is nil. Some
half-dozen of them are in parliament
because there has been no general elec-
tion since war began.
As proof of this, witness the special
election in Merthyr Tydvil, South
Wales, the red-hottest socialist consti-
tuency in all Britain. Keir Hardie, ever
a consistent peace advocate had repre-
scented Merthyr Tydvil in commons for
10 years. When he died his seat was
contested by two members of the labor
party, Stanton and Winstone, the form
er a supporter Of Britain IS war, the
latter a Hardie pacifist. Stanton had
the nerve to tell the coal miners he
was for continuing the war to the fin
ish, even il it meant conscription twice
over and they elected him by vote of
1926 to $3.50. If Morrell, Snowden,
Trevelyn, Cultivate Pringle or Mason,
all from far less radical constituencies,
should stand for reelection, there can
be little doubt as to the result.
Cabinets Many Failures.
The British public and its govern
mental servants don It always agree on
great questions. There has been much
popular dissatisfaction with the war
cabinet. The diplomatic blunders where
by Bulgaria was lost and Germany en-
abled to overrun Serbia and Montenegro
and involve the Entente in serious diff
fieulties with Greece; the military mis-
calculations which resulted in the evac'
nation of Gallipoli and the surrender
of General Townshend s forces at = .Kul-
ell Ainara; the failure to exert a strong
er economic pressure upon Germany by
tightening the blockade; neglect to in
tern enemy aliens in England, etc, etc
ON these matters sections of the pub
lie have expressed their opinions
strongly.
On the question of peace, statesmen
and common folk with the unimpOrtant
Exception referred to, are one. There
has been no criticism of the replies OF
Premier Asquith and Foreign Secretary
Grey to Germany's peace overtures.
England is ready for peace on her
own terms. England s terms are those
of her allies. The general principles
for which she is fighting have been re-
peatedly stated. Only one of her spe'
cific terms which the allies endorse has
been laid down: that is the restoration
of Belgium. The German chancellor Is
recent tentative offer to create a new
Belgium, not q Franco English vassal
but between whose people and the Ger.
mans there should be the collaboration
of neighbors, brought prompt and spe'
eific respOtnse from the British Pre-
mier:
Must Restore Belgium.
"We, the allies, are determined to see
once more the old Belgium. She must
not be allowed to suffer permanently
from the wanton and wicked invasion
of her freedom. That which has been
broken down must be repaired and re-
stored' As for the other terms. Bri
fishers feel that it would be futile tC
discuss them now. Here is what Sil
Edward Grey says on this point:
"The first step toward peace will
come when the German government be
gins to recognize the fact that the al
lies are not beaten and are not going tC
be. The one thing that is more respon
sible than anything else for the pro
longation of the war is that the Ger
man government goes on telling tn,
German people that they have won tn,
war, that the allies are already beat
en-. If any of the allies have spe
cIal right to talk peace at this time i
is France on whom for weeks past tn,
concentrated fury of the German attacl
has fallen. But France is not talking
peace.
"Under the relations governing thu
allies we are bound not to put forth an.
terms of peace except in common agree
ment and after consultation will
them
But these men are politicians. So lis
ten to Arthur Henderson, labor s mem
ber of the war cabinet:
Peace Talk is Futile.
"who are the people most concern
ing themselves about peace negotia
tions, who apparently would accept
patched-up peace of any kind' The,
are the enemies of this nation abroad
who are boasting that the allies hav
conquered. They have been Joined b,