The Washington times., 1917-05-07
peace Without Indemnities"

"Peace Without Indemnities"
The Socialists who have already
arrived at Stockholm in anticipation
of the peace conference there are di-
vided in their sympathies as to the
merits Of the contending sides. But
the slogan, peace without indemni-
ties" has already received a rude
blow by the obtrusion of the case of
Belgium into these preliminary de-
liberations.
All seem agreed that the case Of
Belgium is exceptional. Camille
Huysmans, secretary Of the Interna-
tionalist Socialist Congress, says:
When we say peace without in
IDENTITIES we consider that II Is
understood that Belgium must be
re-established and that its ma
terial losses must be made good.
We do not look on that as indem-
nifty.
The prospective chairman of the
coming sessions of the congress, Mr..
Granting, goes a step farther. He
declares his opinion as follows:
Belgium must be re-established
and Unidentified, and the actual
devastation wrought in the-unoc-
cupied districts of France should
be made good. As to France,
am not referring to the unavoid-
able destruction incident to the
war, but to the deliberate laying
waste OF the country and to the
methods adopted to cripple the
country's economic future.
He added that all his associates
agreed as to Belgium.
German intrigue has boen busy
with the Russian Socialists melting
them to demand a peace without in
IDENTITIES either as to territory or
money. But when the case Of Bel
gium is considered the contention
goes to pieces. The case Of devas-
tated France, wantonly destroyed, is
close akin. And what Of Serbia,
against which the original impos-
sible demands of Austria, backed, if
not instiEated by Prussia, were
made? What about Armenia, sub
ject to such a depopulation by whole
sale massacres as not even the I'M
speakable Turk has been guilty of
for some generations? What about
the restoration of an independent
sovereignty in divided and misgov-
erned Poland? What about the con-
tinuance of Turkish control over
Constantinople, and the passage of
the Bosphorus?
The more these various questions
arising out of the war and the meth
DDS Of its prosecution by the central
powers are studied, the more the
well-meaning Socialists of Russia
and the neutral powers will see that
they have adopted a meaningless
slogan in the supposed interests Of
an early peace. Little Belgium, in
vaded in violation Of solemn treaty,
styled a mere scrap of paper; resist
ing the German advance and sacri-
ficing herself to save France, then
suffering all the horrors of occupa-
ton by the Huns; her girls and
women ravished; her stately churches
destroyed, her people starved at
home and deported to the land of
their despoilers; her helpless cities
fined for the resistance the Belgian
army made-Belgium rises as the
avenging angel to destroy the hopes
of Germany for securing a separate
peace with Russia, or any peace that
does not involve acknowledgment
what poor PREPARATION can be made
for a hideous series Of international
crimes.
In the meantime, American So
cialists who have left in their con-
stitutions any germs of American
patriotism will see to it that by no
word or act of theirs is Russia en-
couraged to make a peace which
would be treason to her allies,
among which is now numbered the
United States of America.