The Washington herald., 1917-02-04
Peace Talk Enrages Allies;
Want Victory, Nothing Else
German Supremacy Now Would Drag Smaller
Nations Into Her Camp if Conference Were
Held Immediately, War Experts of
Entente Declare
By JOHN L. BALDERSTON.
Copyright. 1917. By the Mcclure Newspaper

in danger of becoming involved in se-
rious MISUNDERSTANDING with the en-
tente allies. A quarrel. in the name of
peace. between the great powers fight
ing Germany and the republic that is
furnishing them raw materials with
out which they could not continue the
struggle, is a principal aim Of the
KaiseT's diplomacy this winter.
How serious the situation may be-
come is not yet understood by the pub
lie here or at home. In England, the
dependence of the entente upon our
iron. steel. copper, hides, and cotton is
not realized excepting by those who
know the facts. In the United States
the people do not understand why the
entente is not willing to make peace If
Germany gives up her conquests and
promises to join her enemies and
America in a peace league.
Germany's maneuvers during the
past month, and those to come, are
aimed at convincing Americans that
Germany, however aggressive, in 1914,
has now learned her lesson; that she
sincerely wants to stop. but is forced
to continue to defend herself against
the predatory designs of her enemies.
Once the mass of Americans are firmly
convinced of this, Germany hopes Con-
SreSs will put an embargo on raw ma
terials and food. II Congress does
this. the entente may be compelled to
grant Germany a peace which on paper
is a draw, but which in. reality leaves
Germany dominant in Europe.
If high food prices at home. shortage
of raw materials, German peace propa-
ganda, lack of knowledge of the real sit
uation in Europe and especially in east
ern Europe, should combine to force en-
bargoes through Congress, or enable the
administration to use threats of ennbar-
goes in forcing media lon before the next
campaign has been fC ught out, the allies
would blame the Un-.ed States for the
loss Of the war. That statement is made
with a full sense OF responsibility.
In this welter OF confused counseis,
americans should understand one thing
clearly. They may have the power to
compel the allies to stop the war on
terms which the allies will regard as a
German victory. But that power should
~ be invoked unless the American peo-
ple arc. willing to make relentless enc
mics of England. France. Russia, Italy
and Japan. and for their. own protection
to range themselves on the side of CEN
tai Europe-omnipotent on land. thanks
to the United states. but helpless at sea.
Threats against the United Seates from
lingo organs such as the National Re
view and the Morning Post, appeals from
all other sources ito keep hands OF, de-
nunciation of inefficient British propagan-
da in America which has permitted the
Germans to implant lies in American
blossoms, suggestions that Asquith or
Lord Bryce be sent to Washington to tell
the people the truth about the war, all
result from two beliefs entertained here
by nearly every importont man outside
the small pacifst group. The first is
+hat American raw materials are neces-
sary to win the war. The second, that
peace on anv conceivable terms at pres
ent would mean a German supreme in
Europe.
In considering the British point of view,
Americans should realize that whether
the British are right OF wrong does not
necessarily nlatts,. 50 far as American
policy at present is concerned. The point
is this: The allies believe they can win
the war on the battlefield and end the
German menace. provided America does
not interfere and stop raw materials. The
allies are very probably wrong and if
they are another indecisive campaign or
two will compel peace. But if the United
States tries to force peace this spring
by threats os an embargo and succeeds
every schoolchild for generations will be
taught that the allies had the war won
and would have won it had not America
gone over to the German side.
L hE present ulplOl1LdIlc SITUATION Is not
surprising to informed. circles here. Ger
many is playing a game that has been
evident for many months, although news
paper comment has not been permitted.
In dispatch from London on October
%, said, Peace suggestions of all kinds
are under way in dozen countries and
II these have no effect the first open and
official peace proposals may be expected
to emanate from the central powers
After pointing out that the entente al
lies had no definite set of peace terms
ready. and alluding to some of the diff
CultisS inherent in drawing I'd a peace
program. ] wrote In the same dispatch.
ut seems a CHASTITY picture l have paint
ed Of a group Of mighty allies waglng the
greatest Of wars and not knowing them
selves what they are fighting for because
they dare not formulate their wishes for
fear Of falling out among themselves.
But there is no reason to suppose that
peace would come in the near future IL
the allies had performed the miracle OF
agreeing on a common program. All the
conflicting and agreed aims | have set
down presuppose the entire defeat of the
central European alliance. and until that
Is accomplished or until the allies are
convinced the task is beyond their power
there will be no peace In any event.
There is perhaps sound reason be-
hind the refusal Of the allied states
men to risk the military coordination
now in operation with more or less
success on all fronts. and which a
little distrust would destroy, by COM
mencing arguments about dividing the
skin of a bear as Y, untrapped And
so. when parliamentS meet, and when
speeches must be made, and when
neutral opinion is catered to by an
official, statesmen continue to ladle
out what a prominent leader of the
people recently privately described as
'treacle-'"
Many weeks after these words were
written, Germany suggested a peace
conference and President Wilson asked
for concrete" terms from both sides
The two paragraphs just quoted from
an October dispatch were paraphrased
from the remarks of a member of the
last cabinet. and they might be writ
ten today as an answer to the Presi-
dent and others who want details set
down on paper OF a settlement which
the allies believe must be won with
the sword and not with the pen.
The situation, then, has not really
changed in the past few months, ex-
cepttng that the conquest OF Rumania
has made more essential than before,
from the point of view of the allies,
a military defeat of Germany But
= H.