New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-07

therefore be rendered relatively incoH'P'e
were the formula adopted.
We should note also that there are exceiIens
reasons why Germany's remuneration eou'u
never apply in reality to the territories ~,
vaded by her to the southeast-Seroia' at a''
events.
The six elements Of German advantage
forming the second group OF our tsoie o..
infinitely more important to Berlin than NV
first element-whch is in any case parua'y
assured BY the mo indemnity" formula as
we have seen. Although they are less diree'.
lv apparent TO the Allies, the six elements Vi
the second group are nevertheless reai, lO'
thew depend on incontrovertible military
economic and geographic facts. Now these
six elements, big with possibilities Tor 'he
future. depend entirely or the covert Dat GER
tain seizure which the war has enabled DER
many TO make of her own allies. but th'S
seizure was possible only as result OF ser
bias destruction. Serbia, therefore, 1orheu
the geographic bulkhead which Germany hau
10 batter down before her influence cou1u
rrodominate over Bulgaria and Turkey. The
destruction of Serbia was the sine qua no"
90 the establishment of Central Pan-Ger-
MANY. which assures the Kaiser Oh 'ne ,'N
rrincinal clements Of advantage from the
war Moreover, it Is undeniable thaV In0 eS
sental prop Of Central Pan-Germany mas
been furnished by the Berin-Bagdad Naii-
road of which the most important branch,
that of Belgrade Prot, runs across
Serbia. Now that Germany is lighting 1or
the Berlin-Bagdad line, Count haroly' an
oIIv of Berlin. admitted, speaking on Decem-
her y. 1915. in the Hungarian Chamber (see
"I,e Journal de Geneva" December 80, 1917
To sum up, then German victory ana the
fruition Of her most important war adVah-
tages denend directly on the maintenance o.
Central Pan Germany, made up of Germany
Austria Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Iur-
Lev Now this maintenance is based on TWO
prime conditions.
/. The continuance Of Serbia's state Of sub
1ection to Austria Hungary.
2 The preservation Of the new economic
and military lines Of communication between
Berlin on the one side and Vienna, Budapest
Sofia and Constantnople on the other
These are indeed, the bonds which have en-
abled Berlin TO reduce to practical slavery
the Poles, Czechs, Jugo-Slavs and Ruma-
nians-the adversaries Of PGn-Germany--and
then. without changing any names or long
established frontiers, to make Austria-h Hun
gary and Bulgaria vassal states Of Berlin
and, consequently, active elements OF Cen
trail Pan-Germany.
Hamburg Bagdad Assured
Finally, if the present order of things IN
Central Europe is preserved, Germany can
maintain the Hamburg Bagdad line. inns
would be assured by the adoption of the for
mula "peace without indemnities and an
nexations" This is easily proved.
As we have already seen, even if Germany
..I.l . mud
stipulation mo ndemnites" would permit
her to give back the territories stolen from
Russia. France, Belgium and Rumania in a
condition Of complete economic, physical and
moral collapse: in a word. sucked dry. By
reason too of the principle Of mo indemni-
ties" the reconstruction Of these devastated
countries would be another cause Of fnan-
cial exhaustion for France, Russia, Belgium
and Rumania, already overburdened with the
costs of the war But, even assuming that
the Germans withdraw from these occupied
territories to the east and west-although at
present there is no reason for seriously con-
sidering such an eventuality-no one in his
senses could believe that they would give up
Serbia unless forced to do so by the most
ruthless rrethods: for Serbia, by reason of
her geographic position, Is absolutely essen
tial to the existence of Central Pan-Germany,
on which, in turn, Germany's vast adyan-
tages depend
OF course, it is easy to imagine that Ger
many would give her signature to treaties
of settlement even involving Serbia. But
treaties signed by Germany have no value
whatever eve snap our fingers at treaties"
said the Grand Duke Of Mecklenburg-
Schwerin to Mr. Gerard, American Ambassa-
dor at Berlin. Besides, even supposing that
Berlin were party to a treaty concerning
Serbia, this treaty might allow Serbia to
exist in theory. but not in fact. We must
look the situation in the face: Serbia is one
great graveyard. Her population has been
systematically butchered b. the Bulgarians,
with German approval. Serbia is completely
ruined. The Bulgaro- Germans have
taken everything.
Is It not plain what depths Of deception
lie beneath that formula, "peace without
annexatons and indemnities," which the Rus
sian Socialists ignorant Of the vast sdvan-
tages accruing to Germany from the war,
have adopted at the suggestion of Berlin's
feminist agents? Let Us look az the facts,
not at the words If the formula peace
without annexRtions and indemnities" Is