Evening star., 1916-12-24
PEACE, EUROPE,S WILL O. THE WISP,
FLASHES THROUGH DARKNESS,
BUT EACH DAY SEES 1T DINNER
Circumstance TO Force Nations to Battle On-WU That
Certain Things Shall Be and Not Dictates of Heart to
Rule---Mintary Developments
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.
Through Europe's midnight darkness
Of death. turmoil and strife there
flashes the will-o'-the- wisp-peace.
Brilliant as it's first glow may have
been. each succeeding day sees it grow
fainter through mere circumstance,
Notwithstanding the plaintive prayers
that must be ascending from the hearts
OF all belligerent peoples of the old
world at this Christina slide, when JOY,
not poignant sorrow, should be pervad-
ing the far corners of the earth.
Each succeeding day sees the desire
for peace keener as grim fate presses
home the bitterness of the devastating
struggle. But, as the hope for the end
of the war, which has torn stagger-
ing percentage of vigorous manhood
from Europe. grows, so do the entente
demands that the conflict shall go on
until decision has been wrought by
the weight of arms or the enemy's eco
nomic necessity.
1t is not the hearts of the peoples OF
warning nations that today dictate the
future.
1t is the Will that certain things shall
be even though all be forced to go
through another year of bloodshed
which fast Is shattering once happy
homes. is denuding industrial, civic.
economic and financial walks of these
most essential elements to the perpet-
uation of the highest sort OF national
life.
Though individual hearts be torn by
losses of kith and kin thrown into bat
ties NAV. there prevails grim determi-
nation on the part of the entente that
these losses shall be avenged. that
they shall be the foundation stones for
greater national life and safety.
The Teuton has made tenders o.:
peace. At the present German pres
tige is at it's height. If the war con-
tinued many more years, there is
possibility that never would the cause
of Germany be more solidly entrenched
than 1t is at present. Consequently
these peoples believe that the hour is
at hand for them to treat; to end the
struggle that has brought them ad-
vantage; situation that has brought
them a national integrity presumably
indestructible for all time. Germany
has avenged those that have fallen Her
whole endeavor looking toward the re-
establishment of peace is based on the
belief that the entente nations now
must fully be convinced of the futilitt
of further effort and that whatever
ideas they may have entertained that
they can conquer Germany have been
abandoned.
Coming as an official answer of the
entente to the tenders of Chancellor
Won Bethmann
Sharp and Ringing Hoiiwes' sharp
Comes the Answer. the declaration
of David Lloyd-George. England's
man of the hour and possibly the
Moses who is destined to lead the
allies cause out of the darkness. Even
before Germany's peace terms are def
nitely known. while only suggestion
that Germany is ready to treat is ad-
vanced. he dramatically exclaims in
the house of commons:
Preparation and guarantee against
repetition, so there shall be no mis-
take. and it is important that there
should be no mistakes in matter OF
life and death to millions.
Let ne repeat-complete restitution
full reparation and effectual guaran-
tees.
Upon the terms full restitution. full
reparation and efectual guarantees
rests the crux of the entire peace
situation. The allies demands. as
undoubtedly will be sweeping in their
scope. There are too many nations IN
volved. too many diversified interests
and aspirations among nations ldenti-
fed with the entente to be satisfied, 70
make the belief a reasonable certainty
that Germany with her present pre-
dominant military situation viii con-
sent to heed any of the enemys de-
mands. After having placed the bur
den of continuance of the struggle
upon the shoulders of the entente
Germany. rather than countenance the
counter demands of the entente, may be
expected to enter into the war witt
the beginning of the new year endow-
ed with. the spirit of do or die. The
entente is sure to bring every effort
to bear that the greatest possible de-
gree of efficiency may be attained and
victory achieved.
During the past week the German
press has not been overly optimistic
as 10 the chance of the entente even
for a moment listening to the offers OF