New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-21
Berlin Talks Peace Again

For nearly a fortnight now the worId
has been treated 70 a renewal OF peace
talk from Berlin and from Vienna Know
inc the extent to which German newspa-
,,ors arc controlled by the government
and French and British newspapers are
not FREQ from control-it is fair 10 con-
clude that the German press has been
talking peace under orders and 10 sei''
governmental purposes.
About all this talk, whether It comes III
the press or in the speeches of pubic men,
there is an unmistakable sameness- II
beo-irs with the assumption, far from IN
reasonable. that the Germans are about 10
Wi, great victory in Rumania. Within
a certain number of weeks Bucharest Is
~ fall: this is arranged By the German
General staff: all that is open to question
is the date. When this happens the Allles
will at last recognize that the war IS over
because their last chance has gone glIIn-
mering.
Now. the odd thing about this talk IS
that il is the most familiar Of all war
talk. Eighteen months ago, when Mack
opson and Hindenburg were careerng
tbroueb Poland Berlin blandy told the
world that the campaign would shortly
end in 2 supreme German victory-and
reace. few months later Mackensen
onened the road TO Constantinople ana
Berlin chanted that he would meet peace
on the road.
As for the Verdun episode, has any one
forootten how often the German press as
serted that the French city would fall IN
q brief time and that its fall would mean
the collapse of France and the end OF the
WARP II was only when the Russian Of
fensive. the Italian dash to GorluA, the
Anglo-French offensive on the Somme got
under way that there was pause IN the
peace discussion at Berlin
Now the Germans seem on the point OF
making a considerable incidental gam
Now there are clear signs that they may
be able TO occupy much Of Rumanian ter
ritory and possibly the Rumanian capital
and for Berlin this serves as the basis Tor
the same peace discussion. All the Allied
successes of the summer-mnor successes
10 be sure, even the latest little triumph
at Monastir-are pushed aside, dismissed;
they do not count
WHY do the Germans talk peace! Cd
viouslv because they remain convinced
that the Allies are in desperate straits
that the Allies are satisfied that they
cannot win the war and that II NEEDS
only one more push-a little push, too
TO land them on the reasonable side
of the discussion. The German looks a
the map, he recalls the progress OF thf
war so far, and he concludes that only
mad man could care to continue the con
fict.
Right here is where the whole German
reasoning goes astray- The one factor
that the German does not recognize Is the
determining factor, the state Of mind OF
his enemies He has created the state Of
mind. but he does not know Of ITS exist
ence. His conception is that France han
found out she cannot reoonquer Alzace
Lorraine, Britain is satisfied that she can
not destroy Germany, Rnssia Is peru1a
nently held up in the east and Italy Is
defeated on the south His proof OF tins
is the map and the history Of the war
But the Allied point of view is mo-
based upon the map or the history OF hi
war: it is based first Of all upon the man
ner in which Germany has conducted tat
war. The mass Of the British people arr
determined TO continue the war because
the submarine crimes and the Zeppelin
raids have aroused anger, hatred and
desire for revenge in England England
to-day hates the German as the German
hated the Briton when Essauer wrote hi'
LYNN Of Hate two long years ago
As for France, she is thinking Of I'M
atrocities, the crimes, the horrors OF th'
German invasion. She is fighting not a ma
ton but an idea, the idea Of bestiality ant
brutality expressed in action by Germans
The French are not thinking Of making
peace with foe, but Of continuing 1
struggle with an animal whose prcdator!
habits threaten the lives of French mel
and the honor Of French women.
One who visits France and England get
very different notion OF the war from
any conception 70 be acquired outside. On
who reads the French or British press
sees the same idea reflected. II two PEG
pie quarrel over property, precedence
rights, they will fight for a time, bu
presently reason will assert itself, pro
vided neither can win the struggle. But 1
man cannot abandon a struggle with {
tiger merely because he has had rather
the worst Of the fight in the first hours.
II Americans would understand the con
ditions in Europe to-day they must pu
aside any conception of war, as wars are
ordinarily understood. This war does not