The sun., 1916-12-20
o%vERTURES.
In View Of Her Bad Faith and Men.
daclties Can she b Trusted

are to be congratulated for your calm.
lucid. searching comments on Germany's
recent move. As o point out. Ger
many late in July. 1914. was opposed to
a peace conference. Sir Edward Grey.
when told thai Germany objected to the
form Of his proposal. replied In SUBJ
stance: Let Germany state what form
Of peaceful settlement she prefers and
It will be accepted BY us and our friends.
Germany. however. was In a hurry;
Paris was to be hers In a fortnight.
The only trouble was that France was
working desperately for peace. even at
ter the declaration of war which Ger
many sent to Russia. IND France not
only would not declare war on Germany
but would not even he drawn into any
controversy or incident. She went 30
far In seeking to avoid even the appear
ance OF aggressiveness as to withdraw
all tho forces she had within ten kilo-
meters Of the German frontier. thus leav-
ing her border unprotected. in order
that 1t might not be claimed that an
act OF aggression had been committed
against Germany by a single man wear
ing the French uniform.
SO Germany. lacking a p~retext. in
vented one, or rather four. thus resort
ing to the methods of the criminal who
uses false p~retences in the preparation
Of deeds OF robbery. These pretexts
charged French aviators with: 90 n.y.
ing over Belgium (2) attempting to
destroy buildings rear Vessel CD flying
over the district of Eifel; 90 throwing
bombs near Carlsruhe and Nuremberg.
These were the four reasons solemnly
set forth by Germany as her justihca.
ton for making war OIL France. Yet
from that day to this, although Germany
has not ceased to assert that she did not
want war, that she was not the agrees
, sor. but on the contrary was attacked
and had to defend herself-although In
! support Of that theory OF injured inno-
cenco she has produced endless argu-
ments and innumcrable documents. she
has not produced the smallest scintilla
Of evidence In support of the grounds
given by her when she declared war
against France. consisting OF allegations
OF fact which the French Premier had
denounced as false In every respect the
very evening he received the German
declaration OF war. Starting her inva-
sion Of Belgium. Germany had at least
the frankness to admit Its Illegally.
When it came TO attacking France she
relied on a tissue of falsehoods in
vented for the occasion and which she has
affected to forget ever since. out.
damned spot! out. l say" ("Mac-
beth" Act W
The Germany which in December,
1916. passionatciy protests her wish for
peace is the same Germany OF 1914
which attacked France and Belgium In
this manner: she is governed by the
same Kaiser (to whom We continue to
send the same birthday congratulations),
dominated by the same military caste,
relying upon armies in which the Kron-
prinz. who looted the castle Of Beau
mont. and Won Bernhard. the apostle OF
Schrccklichkeit. hold commands with a
Parliament as impotent as 1t was when
il was informed war had been declared
and meckly voted the first wal credits
with but one dissenting vote, and a
population In which those who are not
DULLES are usually moral weaklincs. who
! while incapable of fighting for their own
freedom are eager warriors for tho sup
preston Of the freedom 81 others whom
they believe TO bc lacking the means
of an adequate defence.
To speak OF making peace with that
Germany is "A mockery. for her very ex-
Istencc as a world Power is the ~negation
Of peace. To speak of the safeguards
OF "A new treaty with that same Ger
many which has tramplcd under foot her
treaty guaranteeing the neutrality OF
Belgium and her Hague agreements with
,I. ..l.-i. -l..t.-.l -.-Il " .-
inability or u~nwillingness to deal with
conditions rather than theories. Would
we as IA nation. with our own experience
over our treaty Of commerce with prus.
STA. and knowing the infinitely bitterer
experience of other nations which relied
on G~ermany's word. guarantee the full
filment by that same Germany OF any
promise made henceforth:
Much has been said concerning the
Allies determination to bring about a
change in German institutions. most Of
1t almost childish reasoning, That the
Allies fully recognize the right of the
Germans to allow themselves to be
abused and downtrodden IL they like II.
as they seem to, goes without saying.
Bu that being faced by "A Power which.
when II has the upper hand or thinks
Il has. recognizes no law. no treaty
which stands In its way, the Allies pro-
pose I. fight that Power until II will not
even think 1T has or can have the upper
hand, should likewise go without saying.
That is their right. and they regard it
even as "A duty to themselves and to
civilization.
As for us. the wonder OF the ages will
I've that. instead Of assuming superior
airs as one who from the roof watches
a fight between the police and gang
sters. finding fault with both sides be-
cause they make the street so unsafe,
we should not have taken a hand in the
restoration Of law in the world through
aiding to overcome the lawbreaker by
the very force he has invoked. ON this,
as on most matters relating to our ma
t!onal security. "mahana' seems to be
our watchword. II may be that we shall
continue to he neutral between right
and wrong. leaving 1t to our children
some day to pay the penalty. May it
not be too great for them to bear! Their
protection has its best assurance In tie
fact that the Allies are determined to
fight until a real peace is assured.
MAURICE LEON.
NEW York, December IS.