New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-28
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Inadmissible


Czernin at the Congress Of Brest-Litovsk
arc inadmissiblc because they make nc
provision for the restoration of Belgium
and Northern France. a thousand other
objections might be advanced, many OF
them equally valid, but they would only
serve to complcate the discussion and
obscure the issue.
The German assault upon Belgium was
an attack upon all international law. The
German method applied to Belgium was
a violation Of all the doctrines of civil
cation and common humanity. Exactly
the same is to be said of German methods
in France.
To-day, having plundered France and
Belgium, murdered the helpless and dis
honored the weak, having taken every de-
tail of national wealth that could be trans
ported, from the machinery Of the fac
tories TO the bells of the churches, hav-
ing even evicted the dead from their tombs
to make room for German corpses, Ger
many comes before the world seeking a
peace without annexation and without in
demnity.
The purpose of the present gesture is
plain. Germany is not proposing peace
because she expects it; she is not making
an offer in good faith. How could the
German government act in good faith!
She is proposing terms known by her to
be impossible, terms she would not offer
were there any chance that they would be
accepted, solely to satisfy the peace cries
of her own public and corrupt the ale
glance Of the war weary in enemy nations.
The Imperial German Government has
commissioned the Bolsheviki, the red
handed anarchists who have demolished
Russia to German profit, to become her
agents in Allied countries and persuade
them to make peace Of betrayal, peace
Of dishonor, a peace carrying with it the
seeds of new wars.
And while the German delegates at
Brest-Litovsk utter fair words covering
foul purposes the Kaiser thunders forth
the old familiar language; the German
sword and the German iron, backed by
the "Old German God" await those who
longer resist German might.
There you have it all; an epitome of
Germany in the world Of to-day. On the
one hand the soft words which beguiled
us all for years, and behind them the
sword Of the conqueror and the torch of
the essential Huns. They threaten us
with slaughter if we do not meet their
false professions with supplant humil-
ity. They who burned Louvain, massa-
cred Belgium, spread ruin, wanton ruin,
in France from Rheims to Arras they
who connived at Armenian massacres and
Serbian atrocities, would make a peace Of
justice with their victims, peace Of JUS
tice by which they would graciously spare
those they have not slain-against the
next time.
No; with the Germany Of the lying
- tongue and the brutal sword this world
can not make peace, will not make peace.
" Such peace would betray humanity, aban-
don those who have died fighting for
liberty, for civilization, and justify all the
German has said of the character of his
foes. We should be the decadents and the
degenerates he has charged us with being
could VIC strike hands with him-as he
now stands
1t may be long before we can deal with
the German. The road to a Just peac,
may be filled with great obstacles and de-
mand Of those who follow it still heavier
and more terrible sacrifices. But there i.
no choice. All else would be madness, al
else would be ultimate cowardice. To con.
done that murder which we took arms moi
10 ayenge but to make impossible of rope.
tition; TO make peace with the murderer
still in possession Of his blood stained
profits, this would be 10 reject Christ
not for Bsrabbas, but for Judas Iscariot
himself
The beginning Of just peace is repara-
ton, restoration, restitution. There is no
other way-while the Belgian crime