Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-27

= broken. brings the nations of Eur
Is peace by negotiation a possibility
now? What are the terms which
the contestants might make peace:
What are the terms of Germany still
victorious. but manifestly willing to
discuss? What are the terms of the al
lies, as yet defeated on the battle
field, but as determined to go forward
TO victory now as they were nineteen
months ago:
s. In the e 9XSe present article shall en-
Germany and her allies would make
peace: the probable price the allies
would put on general settlement
now. and then briefly indicate the rea-
sons that make it seem unlikely that
we can have peace without more
months of terrific struggle and Il sac
rifice of life greater than anything that
has yet been known in this, the most
costly of all wars in life as in treas
ure.
Germany's Terms.
In recent weeks there have been
put forth in many neutral capitals, and
particularly in Washington, statements
of the terms which Germany and
her allies would make peace that can
be accepted as pretty fair indications
OF the present view in Berlin. Par
Iicularl% can those statements coming
1fotn W ashlngton be reckoned Informed
and authoritative. because without ex-
ception they come from Count Won
Bernstorf. the German amba ssador.
whose declarations certainly do not
HisFepreSent the attitude of his gov
eminent.
Thus there have been printed from
washington several times clear sum
maries of the main conditions which
accents a hac f<,,.
neEotia tons. These differ but little
and may be condensed as follows:
r.aany Is prepared to evacuate
France and Belgium. to recognize the
s1tuation that existed in western E,u-
rope before the war as satisfactory to
her She no longer demands indemnity
or colonies. In the same wav she is
prepared to lay aside her ancient con
tehuon Tor guarantee of the freedom
OF the seas and TO recognize as final
6r1tish conquest of her African colo
mes and her Pacific possessions. save
only with respect to one African col
ony. presumably German East Africa.
Demands on Russia.
AS TO Russia. Germany demands that
Russia shall cede all her Polish dis
tricts. these to be Joined with Aus
TRAN Polish lands in Galicia and erect
ed into a state having a German prince
and becoming thus a German protec-
torate- Russia, in addition is asked
10 cede the province of CourIand, with
Its valuable Baltic ports and its con-
siderable German population. There is
thus demanded of Russia the cession of
some $4,000 square miles and above
IS.ooo,o00 people Such arrange
ment would create buffer state on
Germany's open eastern frontier and
abolish the Russian peril. Practically
all the territory asked for is now occu-
pied by German armies.
For Austria Germany asks the whole
OF Montenegro and most of the old
kingdom of Serbia: Macedonia and GER
tain eastern fragments are to fall to
Bulgaria. For Austria there is also
asked the northern half of Albania:
the southern half is to go to Greece,
with morsel of Macedonia. which in
eludes Monastir Presumably Greece
will be asked in return to cede kavala
and the Drama district to Bulgaria.
Austro-German hegenony is to be rec
ognized in the Balkans and German
economic supremacy in the Turkish
empire. which is not to be diminished
on any frontier.
Finally. there is reason to suppose
although this has not been said in any
Washington forecast, that Austria
would cede to Italy the Trentino and
few miles of land along the Isonzo
not including Gorilla. Trieste. of course
would remain Austrian.
View of the Allies.
Based on the present status of the
war and on the German view of the
probable future progress of the war.
this is not an unreasonable peace pro-
posal 1. leaves France and Belgium
without territorial loss and it leaves
Great Britain enhanced by the addition
of several German colonies. There is
not even the suggestion. made earlier
that Re11inm do
African colonies in return for German
withdrawal.
What now are the allied terms?
These have never been put forth with
any degree of accuracy authority.
and 1t is doubtful il tnere is as yet any
general plan on the allied side for
peace demands. Certain details are
however. quite clear. 1t is necessary to
assume at once that the allies will in
eist upon the evacuation of all lands
now occupied by German soldiers
whether French. Belgian. Russian or
Serbian To such an agreement the al
lies stand pledged by their mutual
agreement to make separate peace
In addition the British have long
ago announced. and rneir allies have
concurred in the announcement, that
the evacuation of Belgium must be
followed by the payment by the Ger
mans Of an indemnity equal to the cost
OF repairing the ravaged districts and
Yepayfng the war levies France has
cision to fight until sne has regained
Alsace-Lorraine. and TO this purpose
the British are equally bound. For
France. too, there is TO be an indemnity
for damage done in the occupied dis
trfcts. II the allies win the war
Assumption Regarding Russia.
Turning eastward. 1t may be as
sumed certain that Russia will In
sist upon obtaining Galicia and Buko-
VIVA from Austria, thus carrying her
frontier TO the Carpathians 1t is prob
able that il Germany were conquered
Russia would demand the portion OF
Prussia east of the Vistuia and the
Polish districts in SiIesia and Posen
but this il hardly a price that would
be fixed now. AS to the Balkans, Rus
oia would demand for her Serbian all,
the restoration of all the territory
taken recently. and. in addition. the
Austrian districts of Bosnia and Here
govina. with q portion of DalInatia ant
the northern half of Albania
Italy, on her side. would demand the
Trentino. including Botzen, the Isonzs
Afafrirt With Gorizia and Tolr,ipo