New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-23
Terms of Peace.

Il
TO discredit the report that the German
government is preparing to submit Official
" through Ambass Tor Gerard terms of
peace 10 be presented by the United
States TO the consideration Of the Allied
governments. Germany has been sending
out peace "feolers" for many months past
They have come through unofficial chan
nels, and their purpose has been to stlmu-
late peace discussions in Paris. London
and Petrograd, as well as TO produce a
favorable impression on neutral opinion
by showing that Germany from now on
disclaims responsibility for a prolongation
of the war.
The newest peace terms put forward do
not differ materially from earlier ones
from the same source. They are, IN fact
less liberal, so far as meeting French
and British expectations is concerned.
They concede more in ignoring the con-
quest of Poland and Serbia and in sug-
costing a general return to the territorial
status existing before the war.
According to the latest German offers
Belgium is to be evacuated and German
assistance is 20 he given in repairing the
ravages Of the German occupation. But
the French territory occupied IS to be
surrendered only on payment or an IN
demnity. From Great Britain and France
Jointly Germany asks the restoration OF
some of her captured African colonies.
Nothing is said about a making over Of the
Balkan map. about the restoration OF old
boundaries on the Russian front or about
the further dismemberment Of Turkey
The terms are therefore far too hazy to
DC taken seriously as a basis for negotla-
ions on the theory that the war has al
erred nothing and settled nothing.
After the triumphal marches through
Galicia and Poland and through Serbia
and Ncnterecro the Teutonio powers
seemed willing To make large concessions
n the Yves. I'm return for vast expansion
IF their influence IN Central and Eastern
Eurone. Germany then talked about
evacuatirc Belgium and Northern France
and even ced.ug to France a small section
II Lorraine and Alsace. She was even
willing 20 renouncc her lost African
colonies in view of the qualification Of her
position on the eastern front. With 20
land erected into buffer state under Ger
man control and the Russian Baltic prov
lnces incorporated into Prussia, Germany
would have made invulnerable her hitherto
exposed eastern frontier and would have
converted the Baltic Sea into German
lake. Austria-Hungary would have di-
vided Serbia and Montenegro with Bull
garia and Albania with Greece. The leu
tonic alliance would have cleared the way
for economic and political penetration 70
Sofia. Constantinople and Bagdad.
The desperate campaign for Nerdun and
the new demand that France shall pay an
indemnity for the restoration Of that part
of her territory now held by the German
armies seem 10 indicate a shattering Of
the dream Of an expanded Central Empire
Russia has had a six months respite IN
which TO reinforce and reequip her armies
She has held Won Hindenburg on the line Of
the Dvina and on the eastern border OF
offensive against the Austro-Hungarians
further south. and an Austro-Hungarian
evacuation Of Czernowitz has just been re-
ported In Armenia the Grand Duke
Nicholas has routed the Turks. Erzerum
fell month ago. Trcbizond is beseged
and Erzingan has been abandoned, accord
ing TO the latest dispatches.
Turkish power is crumbling and Meso
potamia may soon be lost as well as
Armenia. Germany cannot longer hope &c
force a peace in Russia which will involve
the sup GENDER Of Poland and the Baltic
provint,s. A campaign against Petro
grad. Moscow or Odessa would exhaust
the Kaiser's rapidly dwindling resources
he has struck, therefore, at Verdun In
the desperate hope Of wearing down
French resistance and winning Frances
assent 20 a peace based on the return OF
French territory in exchange for rea-
sonable indemnity.
II goes without saying that France will
not accept such terms. Germany can no
longer intimidate France. The Allies are
growing relatively stronger month by
month, while Germany and Austria-Hun-
gary are growing weaker. II would be
folly for the more powerful group 70
snatch at terms which the less powerful
group is now Offering on the strength Of
past military successes.
Moreover, peace on Germany present
conditions would mean nothing but a
truce. Preparations for a new world war
would Immediately be begun. The un-
stable equilibrium resulting from a
drawn battle could not be maintained
All the horrors, aacriGccs and burdens Of
war would have ~ b. faced again. That
would be au unbcarabIc calamity
VIA, thc nations a. var need. and
wat G.e world needs e peace that will
seftlc sofocthag. wnich viii guarantee
Tranquility FOR 10 least twenty Or thirty