New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-04
Another Peace Campaign

OEODOSdi III llt OtililoA ANN'N''NN'H' -
plain that we are to have very soon new
German bid for peace. 1t is clear "'@.
that in this German proposal there W.
be an effort to catch the unwary, the ie-
luded and the uniformed by a smHIauon
of moderate and modest purposes.
1t is entirely possible, even likely, shat
Germany will now propose return 20 On"
conditions that existed before TIC war. the
mutual retrocession of territory, in anc
outside Of Europe, and a general restora-
ton Of the situation of July, 1914. Ger
many will be the more apt to make this
proposal because she knows we'll that no
such terms will be accepted by her
opponents.
Let US be perfectly clear once for all in
our minds as to the only terms on which
the Allies will make peace, unless they
are defeated. These terms are based on
the rights of larger and smaller peoples,
expressed in territorial terms, but in ter
.ritorial terms which conform TO race, Ian
guage and political conditions. We may
be very sure that the Allies will not per
nit Germany, after having ruined Bel
GUM, to retire without paying something
for the rebuilding Of that ruined country.
We may be perfectly satisfied that the
Allies will not consent to make peace with
the country which has just laid hundreds
Of square miles Of Northern France in
ruin without imposing an indemnity upon
Germany for such ruthlessness.
Fundamentally, the Allies terms Of
peace are these: The restoration Of Bel
GUM after evacuation; the restoration of
France after evacuation, and the retroces-
sion TO France Of Alsace-Lorraine, taken
in defiance of the will of the inhabitants
of that territory and in violation Of all
principles which assign to peoples the
right TO choose their own nationality.
Equally certain is it that the Allies will
demand the cession by Austria to Italy of
Trieste and the Trentino, which are in
habited by Italan-speaking people, long
prosecuted by Austria and eager to return
to the Latin world. In the same way
Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia must
. 20 to Serbia. and Pennsylvania, inhabited
j chiefly by Rumanians to Rumania. All
these arc but applications Of the principles
expressed by President Wilson in his ad
dress to the bclligerents before VIC entered
the war.
Germany will make a great parade be-
fore the world Of the purpose Of the Allies
TO dismember her. There is no proposal
on the part Of the Allies to dsmember
Germany. The only territory that it is
proposed TO take from Germany is the ter
ritory which she took from France forty
six years ago, and those Polish districts
which were Frederick the Greats reward
for destroying Polish liberty and in
dependence.
As to the proposed partition of Austria
Hungary, no territory will be taken from
Austria against the will of the majority
of its inhabitants and the only Allied pur-
pose is to free from the tyranny of the
Austrians the Latin and Slav inhabitants
who have long been prosecuted and de-
prived of every civil right and every de
cent opportunity TO live their own lives in
accordance with their own ideas.
The last time Germany approached the
world with peace proposals, her chief pur-
pose, as Macmillan Harden has now told
us. was to gain time in which to perfect
her submarine feet. Her only other pur-
pose was to divide those who were fight
ing her. There was no real desire for
peace on the part of her rulers; no inten-
ton whatever of making peace on any
basis which did not leave Germany huge
profit as a result of the war.
Whatever proposition for peace Ger
many makes to-day will be made by the
same people. 1t will have the same UNI
derlying purpose and it will be fraud
and sham. There is just one peace pos
sible, and that is a peace which follows
the defeat Of the German armies now in
the field. When they have been defeated
then II will be demonstrated TO the German
people that the conquest Of the world is i'm