New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-10
The End of an Illusion.

OF more permanent meaning 10 man
kind than all else that is now filling the
world with its reports is the fact of which
Lloyd Georges latest words are the most
complete statement. Germany's tremen-
dous bid for peace, for victorious
peace" has been rejected. All the elabo-
rate and sustained campaign which IN
vadcd the Vatican and the White House
and made use of every morsel of Sentl-
mentality and blind paciiSm in the world
has completely missed its purpose. The
Allies are going on.
We in the United States reached the
same decision after three years of civil
war after suffering and sacrifice then IN
paralleled in history. The men who made
up the leadership and the masses of the
North. standing amidst the ruins of indus
try. amidst the graves of the thousands
who had died from Bull Run to Gettysburg
and Chickamauga. resolved to have done
once and for all with the great question
which divided the country and seek upon
the battlefield the decision that was no
where else obtainable.
France. Britain and Russia have made
the same decision. Looking back over the
history of Prussia from Frederick the
Grea: to the present William they per
ceivo that the story has been one of steady
aggression. of sudden and successful as
saults upon the integrity of neighboring
states. followed by slow process resem-
bling that of the anaconda, by which Prus-
STA absorbed her prey and then prepared
for a new meal Silesia, Poland, Sches-
wig-Holstein, Hanover, Alsace-LOrralne,
these have been the landmarks in Prus-
sian history.
To-day Germany, the Prussianized Ger
many that has succeeded to the old Ger
many. would repeat the process; of all
that she has taken since her desire for
new feeding plunged the world into war,
she now has marked out that which she
would hold; the rest will be returned, but
only for the time. Presently there would be
another oyerfowing Of Prussia into new
provinces and new fields of the neighbors.
Once more Germany, Prussia, would have
emphasized the idea that the true policy
of a nation is TO attack, and that by at
lacking she can from generation to gen
Grafton march forward to world power.
Peace now would be a sham and mock
cry. because it would be the peace that
a hungry tiger permits stricken native
village to enjoy when he has carried off
and devoured his human quarry and Is
resting against the return Of hunger.
Peace now would be a time for armlng
on the part of all nations against the day
when the nation that had partitioned Po-
land, stolen Silesia, torn Alsace-Lorranc
from France and by her latest war had
made Poland vassal state and eXtln-
ouished Serbia, should be ready for new
attack.
More than all else it is essential, il
there is to be peace after this terrible
storm, that the nation which provoked il
and precipitated it in order TO extend It's
power and its wealth shall not draw from
that policy the smallest bit of profit, Al
else is unimportant. If at the close Of the
struggle the map of Europe remained un-
changed, if there were denied to France
the return of her "lost provinces if Ser
bia we're not allowed to claim the millions
Of Serbs beyond her old limits. this would
he Of minor consequence beside the main
fact, provided that Germany had gained
\ not one square inch of territory, not one
d pfennig Of indemnity for her crimes
The war must 90 on because, if the wal
ended now on the basis Of that map OF
Europe Bethmann-Hollweg has talked
about to the German Reichstag, the
German people who have followed theli
leaders with small protest and little com
junction, would be convinced that the
Prussan policy had been indicated, thai
the best policy was still to invade your
neighbors as Frederick invaded Silesis
and William Belgium. It would establish
in the world the doctrine that force alone
pays, and that treaties, conventions, inter
natioral law, all these things, are but
scraps of paper" when Prussian appetite
is to be satisfied.
There can be no permanent peace in thi.
world so long as one great nation believe,
that it is justified in attacking weaker
nations whenever it can serve its owr
ends thereby. There can be no peace a!
long as such belief is founded upon tn,
fact of continuing conquest and repeated
success in the application of the doctrine
that might alone is right. The repeal Of
this Prussian law is the first condition OF
which peace can be founded.
Toward that end we are marching. a
million Germans have died because th'
guarantee of Belgium was held "scraI
of paper" Already nearly every home
in Germany has had to pay something
toward meeting the terrible cost Of lnvad