New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-02
Necessary for Restoration
of France, Belgium and
Serbia, He Says
Not for Aggression
Does Not Consider That Viii.
son Favored Dismember-
ment of Austria
b. Arthur S. Draper


LONDON. Sept. 1.-The British gov
eminent stands by the Paris economic
conference decision, but not on the
narrow Interpretation generally placed
upon il. As a defensive and CONNER
cinl measure, to be used for the res
toration Of her allies France, Bel
GUM and Serbia. after the war, but
not for aggressive purposes, the Brit
ish ons.dcr the Paris pact essential.
This wa the statement made to me
to-day By Lord Robert Cecil, acting
Foreign Minister in the absence of Mr..
Balfour, in simplifying his cordial in
dorsement of the Presidents reply to
the Pope. expressed yesterday. All
through the interview he emphasized
the point that Wilson's reply must be
taken in its entirety. | asked him
! first to comment on the Presidents
distinction between the German people
and their rulers.
81 am entirely of the Presidents
! opinion" he said. "The real criminals
are the militarists. II | may say so,
the President has gone on the assump-
ton that the people are innocent until
proven guilty"
! then asked him for his :nterpreta-
ton OF the phrase, "Dismemberment OF
empires" md whether he considered
| tina: the President referred TO Aus
/ tria, TO which he replied, Nobody ever
proposed the dismemberment OF Aus
| tria from that point of view. We pro-
posed the liberation Of the races now
under Austrian domination. There Is
a difference of opinion here"
German Peoples Alternatives.
When asked how the German people
were going 20 show their emancipa-
/ ton, Lord Robert said ne thought they
had several alternatives, the essential
I thing being that they must understand
l that the Allies are not relying On the
word of the present government. To
| the suggestion that Stockholm might
possibly pave the way. he said:
/ 81 have never favored the Stockholm
| idea, not because il would be q con-
| ference of Socialists or labor leaders.
( / am opposed to any group Of bankers
4 or any one else conferrlng with the
/ enemy. believe the only persons who
/ should confer are those responsible 70
/ the government Of the country. The
! German people can show they desire
peace By forcing a change in the gov
! eminent"
In an article in Common Sense"
/ Lord Loreburn says to-day: ANY step
which the Pope or any other potentate,
whether temporal or spiritual, may
. take toward an innocuous exchange OF
/ views, either among the Allies them
/ selves or among the enemy powers, or
I among two groups Of the belligerents,
+ if il is sincere step, as this undeni-
ably is, ought to be welcomed. In a
. little time it seems likely that there
may have to be also an exchange OF
views among the different classes in
various countries il the war continues
much longer, and that may lead 20 an
/ ether difficulty in the way OF peace
namely, sheer anarchy.
Destiny of Mankind at Stake
However confident We may feel Of
our own peoples steadiness, the intro
Guction elsewhere of such an element
would Immediately increase the diff
Guilty of peace, unless anarchy appeared
in Germany. We have not seen such
proof of that yet. II was said long ago
that weak men make war and strong
men make peace. We cannot suppose
{ cur ministers are unaware of what is
at stake. The future destiny of man.
( kind is at stake. We can all help in
! creating an atmosphere which will as
/ sist them in doing what Lord Robert
/ Cecil said they were doing namely
aiming at "a sound and satisfactory
/ peace resting not on conquest or dom
/ nation
These. again, are general words. II
/ is the spirit which matters. And the
proof of the spirit is surely not TO base
our future relations with other coun-
/ tries on basis of lasting hatred. No
/ human relations based on lasting and
/ irreconcilable hatred between nations
/ have ever proved beneficial in all his
( tory or ever will. If the Pope makes US
realize this little sooner, rather than
a little later, the difference may mean
the saving of millions Of young lives.
/ The crimes have been the crimes of the
/ German leaders and Of comparatively
| few among the rank and file"
/
[ A