The sun., 1917-07-31
.BALFOUR HOLDS +:
PEACE TERMS
IN ABEYANCE
Doubts Wisdom of Outlin-
ing Britain's Policy at
This Time. 81
WILL STAND BY FRANCE
Says She's Fighting for
Existence as Well as for
Alsace-LOrraine.
AUSTRIA ALSO DISCUSSED
-
Government FavOrs Working
Out of Various Ma
tiOnalities.
WILL STAND BY FRANCE
AUSTRIA ALSO DISCUSSED

LONDON, July 3o.--In reply to a
question in the House OF Commons to-
day that Great Britain state her war
aims, Arthur ]. Balfour the Foreign
Secretary, said that he was not sure
that declaration of policy at this
, time would be wise course. The
broad questions anmating the Gov
ernment had been expounded by the
late and present Premiers, and by
others who had held high office during
the last three years, the Foreign Sec
retary said He believed it dangerous
to accede to requests for definite an
nouncements as to policy when every
Ministerial statement is treated as a
pledge.
/ The reply was made to John Amman
Bryce, Liberal, who. alluding to the
recent statements of Lord Robert Ce-
/ Gil, Minister of Blockade, that the dis
memberment of Austria was not one of
Great Britain's war aims, said the
statement, because of Britains engage
ments with her allies, could not be
continued If the Austrian Empire was
/ w bt Iildlnldllltu lldly, on Lne
strength of these statements, Mr..
Bryce said, would not be content
merely with a rearrangement of the
Trentino region.
/ Noel Buxton said that an unfortunate
impression had got abroad in Europe
as a result of last weeks speeches in
the House of Commons, that Great
Britain favored a policy OF annexa-
ton, but would not define her aims.
Impossible to Foretell Positions.
/ With respect to Jugoslav and the
Austrian question, Foreign Secretary
! Balfour said that it was impossible TO
foretell the position in which the world
would find itself when these problems
came to be decided, and that he would
be doing an i'll service to his country
were he to attempt to define the posi-
ton now. The Government believed
according to the Secretary. that the
nationalists composing that heterogen-
eous State should be allowed to de-
velop along their own lines and to
carry on their civilization in their
own way.
"As everybody knows" continued Mr.
Balfour, I'VE first entered the war to
htItilh ptleluHl 3hllu prevent
from being crushed before our eyes
Nobody with the smallest knowledge OF
the facts supposed that Sir Edward Grey
formerly Foreign Secretary and the
Government of which he was a member
when he made the fateful declaration on
August g. 1914. made 1t with the small
est thought Of the great problems which
the course OF the war has opened up.
We did not enter the war for any
Spl6Sh certainly for
peralist aims to get indemnitles,"
said the Secretary. "Our purposes were
completely unseliish therefore we stood
in a different position from any of our
allies. We hoped to see Europe freer
and more stable"
Must Sustain France.
If France asked it, he failed to see
how Great Britain could refrain from
, going on TO assist her until she got
back to the position which existed be-
fore the attack engineered against her
by Bismarck in 1871, namely that she
obtain restoration of that of which she
was violently robbed more than forty
years ago"
Mr. Balfour expressed an opinion
which was simply his own when he said
. that II France asked for Alsace-Lorraine
. Great Britain should support her. but he
declared that France was not fighting
for Alsace-Lorraine alone, she was fight
ing for her very existence
The questions the House had dis
! cussed were occupying the attention of
. the whole civilized world almost 10 the
I exclusion of every other subject, he as
serted.
! As to the democratization of Ger
many, said the Secretary, It had been
hoped that autocracy would give place
to parliamentary institutions as they
are understood, but nobody was foolish
q enough to suppose that 1t would be pos
e sible to impose on Germany a constitu-
, ton made outside OF Germany. Until
[ Germany was either made powerless or
. free he did not think the peace OF Eu-
r rope could be secured
e The fight must so on, he declared
= for II this war ended with German
peace that would only be a prelude to
e a new European war, II the peace was
to be one that England and America,
r which had no interests on the Conti-
= nent, could approve, then IL would lead
II to a permanent settlement, which would
i in turn conduce to that great under
q standing of the nations which would
give Europe security it had never
r known before.
Decentralization of Germany.
e The Secretary then turned to the
n characterization OF Germany. Germany
J. must work out her salvation" con-
8 tinued Mr. Balfour. you do not mend
It matters by imposing a constitution. evan
y IL you have the power. Nations must
make their scheme OF liberty for them
selves, according to their own ideas, and
based on their history, character and
q hopes.
y But If it is true that the great power
'. of German imperialism is still depe ding
h upon the belief-the belief driven into
n the German nation by the wars Of 1866
:, and Qiupaa-that only under the I'M
perial system can Germany he great
% powerful and rich. then II experience
shows thai the imperialistic system car
produce not merely q triumph VI one