Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-14

states Of the East. Austria Hungary, T.,
G ceeu, was to become part Of the central
German Empire, absorbed and dor,iratoS
oy the same forces and influences that bad
originally cemented the German States
themselves. states
The dream had its heart at Berlin II
could have had heart nowhere else, 7,
rejected tie idea Of solidarity Of race en-
tirely The choice of peoples played no part
in It at all 1t contemplated binding to-
gether racial and political units which could
be Kept together only by force-Czechs
Magyars, Croats, Serbs, Rumanians, Turks,
Armenians-the proud States Of Bohemia
and Hungary. the stout little common
wealths of the Balkans the indomitable
Turks, the subtle 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 in.
dependence They could be kept quiet only
by the presence or the constant threat OF
armed men,. They would live under a COM
mon power only by sheer compulson and
await the day of revolution. But the Ger
man military statesmen had reckoned with
all that and were ready to deal with it in
their own way.
And they have actually carried the
greater part Of that amazing plan into exc
cution Look how things stand. Austria
Is at their mercy. 1t has acted not upon
its own initiative or upon the choice of
its own people, but at Berlins dictation ever
since the war began. It's people now desire
peace, but cannot have it until leave is
granted from Berlin. The so-called Central
Powers are in fact but a single Power
Serbia is at its mercy, should its hands be
but for a moment freed Bulgaria has con-
SAntan tie will io
run The Turkish armies, which Germans
trained, are serving Germany, certainly not
themselves and the guns of German war
ships lying in the harbor 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.
WHY PEACE PRoFFERs
rs it not easy to understand the eager
ness for peace that has been manifested
from Berlin ever since the snare was set
and sprung? Peace, peace peace has been
the talk of her Foreign Office for now
year and more; not peace upon her own
initiative, but upon the initiative Of the
nations over which she now deems herself
to hold the advantage. 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 guses, but
never with the terms disclosed which the
German Government would be willing to
accept. That Government has other valu-
able pawns in its hands besides those 1
have mentioned. II still holds valuable
part of France, though with slowly relax
ing grasp, and virtually the whole of
Belgium. Its armies press close upon Rus
sla and overrun Poland at their will. II
cannot go further; 1t dare not go back.
IL wishes to close its bargain before 1t is
too late, and 1t has little left to offer for
the pound Of flesh IL will demand
THE military masters under whom Ger
many 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 a 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 ve.y
feet and deep fear has entered their hearts
They have but one chance to perpetuate
their military power or even their con-
trolling political influence. If they can Sc
cure peace now with the immense ad-
yantages still in their hands which they
have up to this point apparently gained,
they will have justified themselves before
the German people they will have gained
by force what they promised to gain by 1t:
an immense expansion of German power, an
immense enlargement Of German Industrial
and commercial opportunities, Their prestige
will be secure, and with their prestige their
political power.
IF they fail, their people will thrust them
aside; a government accountable TO the
neonle themselves will be set up in Ger
many as II has been in England, in the
limited States, in France, and in all the
great countries Of the modern time except
Germany.
'If they succeed they are safe and Ger
many and the world are undOne; II they
fail Germany Is saved and the world VIII
he at peaee. L. they succeed, America VIII
fall within the menace.
I'VE and all the rest of the world must
remain armed, as they will remain, and
must make ready for the next step in their
aggression II they fail the world may unite
for peace and Germany may be of the union.
SOCIALIST CATsPAws
"Do YOU not now understand the new
intrigue the intrigue for peace, and why
the masters of Germany do not hesitate TO
use any agency that promises to erect their
nurpose, the deceit Of the nations? Thelr
present particular aim is to deceive an
nose who throughout the world stand FOR
tba rights Of peoples and the self-govern-
ment of nations for they see what immense
strength the forces Of justice and of lib
sraIisn are gathering out Of this war, They
are employing liberals in their enterprise
They are using men, in Germany and with
out as their spokesmen whom they have
hitherto despised and oppressed using them
FOR their own lists the
leaders Of labor, the thinkers they nave
hitherto sought to silence. Let them once
n,,aoaad and these men, now their tools, will
~ s,round 10 powder beneath the weight OF
he great military empire they will have
set nm the revolutionists in Russia will be
cIt on from all succor or cooperation IN
s.,as,ern Europe and a counter revolution
tos,ered and supported; Germany herself
MI iefe Ee- chsace Of lroedqm' ana ~