The Washington herald., 1917-06-25
PEACE YEAR OFF,
VIEW INPARIS
Hindenbirg Annexation
Idea Not Strong in
Country.
By C.. r. BERTELLL.

ny u Es DEsnAEsLLAs
Paris, May "A Cby maiD.-The ex-
pectation Of peace oy September next;
Russia's withdrawal and the tenpor-
arily increased destructiveness Of the
submarine campaign, Is now threaten
ed with disappointment by the great
campaign inaugurated in Germany
this week. in favor Of q "Hinden"
burg peace"
As stated in my message Of April
1g last, well-lnformed Frenchmen with
inside knowledge of European affairs
were predicting that the very men,
ace Of the arrival Of big American
armies in France would induce the
Germans to sue for peace at the end
Of this summer.
The message said:
when the German stan sees the
American armies gr9Ying up 1t VIII
realize that Arhericsh armed inter-
Yention is something very real aRd
menacing. and IL it IS really patriotic
and not swayed solely by the in-
terests Of the junker class, it Will
tell the government that the game
is up and advise an immediate peace.
But the junker class, which still re-
tains its grip on the army, may co:l'
tinue to ignore the interests of the
empire as a whole and fight to the
last ditch"
FeAeG hOEG nan Cur Ohs
1t is this contingency that now
IL It materializes, there can be no
question of peace before late in 1918
at the earliest, by which time hum
dreds OF thousands of American
troops will have fought and died on
the soil Of France and the Rhine
land RusSia's withdrawal would
probably have delayed the end OF
the war considerably, so also would
a continuation Of underwater destruct-
iveness on the scale OF the second
half Of April, but 1t is believed in
Paris that both dangers have been
overcome and that so long as cOUn-
sells Of reason prevail in German the
prospect Of peace within four months
is not diminished.
A month after I forwarded the fore
going message, Premier Ribot stated
in the Chamber of Deputies in his
"ASd q now the Russian army
must understand its duty. that it
must make a victorious offensive
while the United States is preparing
to send divisions to our front. Then
we shall no longer have fear or doubt
Our enemies will see the destruction
OF their hopes and their pride. They
will come to US and sue for peace,
not hypocritically as now, by under
ground and suspicious means, but
openly. and we will make peace with
them on conditions worthy Of the
Franco of the past and the present.
II they do not demand peace we shall
be able to impose it."
It Is pointed out that in saying
this the venerable French prime min
lister disclosed the expectation of the
allies that Germany would ask for
peace during the period of prepara-
ton Of the American armies and
would not wait for its appearance
in the field.
Want HindenburE Pence.
But while NJ. Ribot was making his
statements this week. a tremendous
campaign was in full swing in Ger
many, with the object Of preventing
Bethmann-Hollweg from anticipating
Germany's defeat in the field and de-
manding a peace this year. The Con-
servative party-that is. the pam
Germans or the junkers-are conduct
ing the movement which is taking the
form Of innumera BILE meetings in
every town and city of the empire, re-
enforced by a press campaign of un-
a Hlndenburg peace" the terms of
which are:
Germany not to subscribe to the
new formula Of peace without annex
attons, but as to the west, to demand
not only the retention of Lorraine, but
Of Flanders, the Belgian mine fields
and the iron ore mines of Northeast
ern France.
1t is not at all certain that these
are the terms Hindenburg would i'm
pose, although he has not disOwned
them, but the pan-Germans have
Identified him with them in order to
win popular approval of the cam
paign. At the same time Baron Cob
sattOl, the pan-German leader, in a
letter to Bethmann-Hollweg, said:
Better Feeling in Germany.
Feelings Of bitterness bordering on
despair prevail among a large part
Of the German people. This state of
things arises from the fact that the
garding the war aims Of Germany
and that IL is not prepared suitably to
utilize our certain victory.
Such an attitude is likely to have
disastrous consequences. Revision
would be the immediate result. II the
soldierS of Germany, on their return
after all they have suffered, do not
find the advantages they expected TO
gain from the war, there would be
such a formidable wave Of disap-
pOtntment and dissatisfaction that the
monarchy would be shaken and even
avoiding this catastrophe is to obtain
peace corresponding with the de-
mands Of the Pan-German League" :"
In his reply the imperial chancellor
said:
mot until the enemies of Germany
have been completely defeated will
II be possible to consider the war
aims OF the pan-Germans. For the
present the interests of the nation
prohibit a thorough examination of
those aims. The league shows a gro
tesque lack of political insight"
Annexation Pence Aims.
Bethmann-Hollweg, in his latest
Retchstag speech, showed clearly that
the uncertainties of the submarine
campaign and the Russian situation
made 1t impossible for him, at that
time, TO identify himself with an an
neXationist peace, and his hint to the
pan-Germans that they have first to
completely defeat the allies before
they can impose their terms, shows
also that in his innermost mind he
does not believe Germany Is capable
Of enforcing harsh terms. And be-
cause the junkers fear that he is
ready to make a nonannexationist
declaration early in the summer, pro-
vided Russia does not withdraw from
the entente group, they are doing
their utmost to stir Up public opinion
against peace on such basis.
nrrUVnT