Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-02
DIPLOMATIC sTRATECY
MAY WIN WAR FOR ALLIES
Sowing of Seeds Of Liberalism i1
Germany Most Significant
Step in Process.
TO AFFECT PUBLIC OPINION
Lloyd Georges Speech Looked Upon
as Applying Presidents Words
That This Is Not Battle Against
People, but Their Government.

NEW YORK, July david Law
renee. Washington correspondent Of the
New York Evening Post. sends the fol-
lowing to his paper:
Diplomatic strategy may yet win the
war for the allies; may. indeed. UNI
derminc ultimately the morale of the
German armies and force an end OF the
conflict. The most significant step in
this process, which has for its object
the sowing OF the seeds OF liberals
in Germany, was on Friday Premier
Lloyd Georges speech in Glasgow,
which officials here look upon as splen-
didly simplifying President Wilson's
declaration that this is not battle
against the German people. but against
the militaristic German government.
The address OF the British Premier
contains the most positive declaration
that has yet been made as to the time
when the allies will he ready to discuss
peace. 1t was the following passage
which attracted the attention Of off,
Gals here:
mo one wishes to dictate to the Cor
man people the form OF government
under which they choose to live. But
1T is right we should say that we will
enter into negotiations with free
government OF Germany with a differ
ent attitude OF mind and a different
temper and different spirit and with
less suspicion and more confidence than
we should with a government whom
we feel to-day to be dominated by the
aggressive and arrogant spirit of Prus-
sian militarism. All the allied govern
ments will. in my judgment. be acting
wisely II they draw that distinction in
| their general attitude toward the dis
cussion Of peace terms"
AIMED TO AFFECT
TEUTONIC MIND
The above is by no means an effort
, 10 f@r bat l., ,lx = =
designed to affect public opinion In
Germany and Austria. The outcry
against allied craftsmanship is that
the official utterances have failed to
gauge the exact effect upon the Ger
man people. who, after all. sustain the
German government. The entente
statesmen discovered rather,late in tho
game that their slogan about crushing
Germany" had been used by the junk
ers to rally the masses with the argu-
ment that England sought the extcr-
mination OF the German nationality
Then the speeches from the Cabinet
officers OF Britain and France referred
only to the crushing of milltarism.
President Wilson went step further
and drew n distinction between the
German people and their governme emit.
which had run amuck. Some of the
well-informed newspaper correspon-
dents returning from Berlin with Am
basSador Gerard have repeatedly paint
ed out that the entente must give
moral assistance to the Liberal move
ment in Germany and not antagonize
it by irtperialistic utterances that are
food for the militaristic propagandist
Premier Lloyd Georges speech was
well timed. 1t comedies with the re-
| turn of Herr Scheidemann to Berlin
from the Socialist conference at Stock
holm. With Lloyd George saying the
allies will willingly enter into nego-
tiations with new government in
Germany, and with Herr Scheidemann
saying he was able to dissipate the
notion at Stockholm that there might
be revolution in Germany during the
war, but that one might come after the
war was over. If grant of democratic
rights were not previously made, the
affection Of the German people for their
autocratic regime must sooner or later
be visibly diminished. 1t must be re-
m rendered that Emperor Charles of
Austria has just assured Deputy Hau-
SER Christian Socialist, that he de-
sired peace as soon as possible, which,
together with the debate In the Aus
trian lower house. gives A hint of the
strength of the peace movement in the
dual monarchy.
Officials of the United States govern
mcnt are watching the exchange of
speeches among European chancelleries
with the deepest satisfaction. The re-