The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-06-14
2zuE>

I Empire, absorbed and dominated by
the same forces and influences that
! had originally, cemented the German
states themselves. The dream had it's
heart at Berlin. It could have had a
heart nowhere else! 1t rejected the
idea of solidarity of race entirely.
The choice of peoples played no part
In 1t at all. 1t contemplated binding
together racial and political units
which could be kept together only by
force-Czechs, Magyars. Croats, Serbs,
Roumanians, Turks, Armenians-the
proud states Of Bohemia and Hungary.
the stout little commonwealth Of the
Balkans, the indomitable Turks. the
substile peoples Of the East. These
peoples did not wish to be united.
They ardently desired to direct their
own affairs. would be satisfied only by
undisputed independence.
"They could be kept quiet only by
the presence or the constant threat OF
armed men. They would live under
common power only by sheer com.
pudsion and await the day of revolu-
ton But the German military states
men had recokoned with all that and
were ready to deal with 1t in their own
way.
"And they have actually carried the
greater part of that amazing plan into
execution! Look how things stand.
Austria is at their mercy. 1t has
acted, not upon it's own initiative or
upon the choice of it's own people, but
at Berlin's dictation ever since the
war began. It's people now desire
peace, but cannot have 1t until leave Is
granted from Berlin.
But a Single Power.
1.-THE so-called Central Powers are in
fact but single Power. servia is at
its mercy. should its hands be but for
a moment freed. Bulgaria has con-
scented to its will, and Roumania is
overrun The Turkish armies, which
Germans trained, are serving Germany.
certainly not themselves, and the guns
of German warships lying in the har-
Dor at Constantinople remind Turkish
statesmen every day that they have no
choice but to take their orders from
Berlin. From Hamburg to the Persian
Gulf the net is spread.
lis it not easy to understand the
eagerness for peace that has been man.
ifested from Berlin ever since the
snare was set and sprung? Peace,
Foreign Office for now q year and
more; not peace upon her own initia-
tive, but upon the initiative of the ma
tons over which she now deems her
self to hold the advantage. A little of
the talk has been public, but most of
it has been private. Through all sorts
of channels it has come to me, and in
all sorts OF guises. but never with the
terms disclosed which the German |
government would be willing to accept. |
That government has other valuable |
pawns in its hands besides those l
have mentioned. 1t still holds val
liable part of France, though with |
slowly relaxing grasp, and practically
the whole of Belgium. It's armies
press close upon Russia and overrun
Poland at their will. 1t cannot 60 fur
Their; it dare not go back. 1t wishes
to close it's bargain before it is too
late and it has little left to offer for
the pound of flesh 1t will demand.
Deep Fear Enters Hearts"
1.-THE military masters under whom
Germany is bleeding see very clearly
to what point Fate has brought them.
If they fall back or are forced back an
inch, their power both abroad and at
home will fall to pieces like house
of cards. 1t is their power at home
they are thinking about now more
than their power abroad. 1t is that
power which is trembling under their
very feet and deep fear has entered
their hearts. They have but one
chance to perpetuate their military
power or even their controlling po-
!itical influence.
IF they can secure peace now with
the immense advantages still In their
hands which they have up to this
point apparently gained, they will have
justified themselves before the Ger
man people; they will have gained by
force what they promised to gain by
it.; an immense expansion of German
power, an immense enlargement OF
German Industrial and commercial
Their prestige will be
secure, and with their prestige their
political power. II they fail, their peo-