Mexico Missouri message., 1917-10-25
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARp.


Kaiser Wilhelm reminds ono of the
pld-fashioned peddler of notions who
would keep adding packages Of
needles, watches, and even silver coins,
20 his little bundles of bargains until
sale was effected. With northern
France and no indemnities already in
nis bargain offering, the emperor has
added Belgium-with conditions-and
now it Is reported he and Emperor
Charles Of Austria-Hungary are pre-
pared to throw in Alsace, the price
Oeing peace and the return of Ger
many's colonies. In word, the Ger
man peace for which the kaiser shows
80 consuming a desire is becoming less
German every day, and If the allies
just say nothing and saw wOod-as
they probably WILT may finally take
on an appearance that will warrant
their consideration.
To be sure, Chancellor Michaells
says that peace is impossible so long
as Germany's enemies demand any
German soil or try to drive a wedge
between the German emperor and his
people, but the chancellor Is hard
pressed to save his political fortunes.
de and Vice Chancellor Helfferich are
peing bitterly attacked because Of the
policy of fostering pan-Germanism in
the country and the army and at the
same time making promises of mild
ness In return for peace. Michaelis
was compelled to tell the reichstag
that he did not stand for the extreme
demands of the pan-Germanists, and
for the time being his opponents were
satisfied; but his failure as chancellor
Is pronounced.
Foreign Secretary Won Kuehlmann is
more yielding than the chancellor, for
he told the reichstag that there now
exists mo impediment to peace, no
questions that could not be settled by
negotiations, except for the French
demand for Alsace-Lorraine." He
added that Germany could make no
concessions with regard to those prov
inces.
Premier Lloyd George was quick to
cake up this challenge of Won Kuehl-
mann's. ~ do not think that any
statement is more calculated to pro-
long the war;" he said. However
long the war may last, England In
tends to stand by France until she has
redeemed her oppressed children from
their foreign yoke"
Reasons Many and Plain.
The reasons for the kaiser's in-
creasiAg moderation in demands are
not far to seek. They are found in
the daily dispatches recording the re-
peated successful thrusts of the allies
In Flanders; the advances of the Brit
ish In Mesopotamia and Africa; the
shortage of German shells; the grow
ing unrest In the armed forces of Ger
many, reaching the stage Of mutiny
in the fleet; the scarcity of food In
the central nations, and, perhaps most
potent Of Rll, the steady, irresistible
progress of the United States toward
full preparation for war to a victori-
Gus conclusion.
Then, too, the kaiser sees added to
the list of his enemies more of the
fast dwindllng number of those not
hitherto on that roll of honor. Though
President Irigoyen managed to stave
of warlike action by Argentina, Peru
and Uruguay last week broke off dip
lomatic relations with Germany and
sent away Its ministers.
The European nations that remain
neutral are suffering more and more.
Holland pleads with America for feed
especially, with the open threat that II
II is not sent, she will have to slaugh-
ter at least half her cattle and, hav-
Ing no means Of preserving the meat,