The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-05-24


Germany is scheming for an
early peace. Terms offered to
the Entente may renounce
4: claims to annexation in Poland
and Belgium. but they will leave
!" unbroken an empire splitting
Europe in half, extending from
the North Sea to the Darda-
nelles and stretching deep into
* Asia. Then, if this favorable
s. peace is obtained, Germany
s. plans to build up greater war
:" machine than ever to resume
s. the war of conquest.
Il Il =
ashington, May 2o.-Germany' S
next peace declaration, expected to
suggest program Of remuneration OF
territory now held in the East and
West, is regarded here as largely an
swered beforehand by information re-
vealing for the first time the full
scope of the imperial government S
aspirations for conquest in the South.
This information discloses as one
of the primary aims of the war a
plan for concentration OF an impreg-
nabe military and economic unit
stretching from the North Sea to the
Mediterranean, cutting Europe per-
manently in half, controlling the
Dardanellcs, the Aegean and the Bal
tic, and eventually forming the back
bone of Prussian world empire.
In the light of German history. the
plan shows how implicitly the KAISER
has followed out the blood and IRON
politico-economic methods of BIS
narck for development OF Pruss'an
power. Considered in view OF the
present war map. it shows that the
major part of the kaiser's war pro-
gram has been accomplished. regard
less of what disposition is made OF
conquered territory in France, Bel
GUM and Russia.
A full realization OF this situation
which will form sinister back
ground for consideration of whatev-
or remuneration proposals the inper-
;al chancellor may make, adds a
new force to the repeated declara-
tions of allied statesmen that the
German peace maneuvers are III re-
ality war moves, and that a prema-
ture truce only would give Germany
resting period in which to further
Prussianize and prepare for a great
cr world war the, territory to the
southeast which she has conquered
under the guise of friendly alliance
Although officials have refrained
from definite public expressions OF
what the United States might de-
mand as a peace guarantee, these
possibilities recall with recurring enl-
phasis President Wilson's declara-
ton that America will fight until the
world is made safe for democracy.
They bring into relief Foreign Mini
lister Ralfour's warning that only
hard fighting will win the war, the
conviction of the American army gen
eral staff that the country must pre-
pare for at least three years Of war,
and the fact that predictions OF an
early peace have been discredited are
visionary in virtually every allied
capital.
How infinitely defined is the Ger
man-pian-and how accurately it is
being carried out have become fully
apparent only with the opening up.
during the last few weeks, of several
new avenues of information. The re-
turn of American diplomatic agents
from the Central Empires, the visit
of the British and French war mis-
sion, detailed confidential reports OF
the recent frank expressions in the
Reichstag and in the German press
and deductions of alert American
agents abroad watching the newest
peace moves, have supplied the ex-
PLANTATION of more than one hitherto
obscured feature of the German pol
icy.
In its southeastern conquests, 1t
now is apparent that Germany has
followed almost the long established
plan of the Pan-German League.
whose propaganda has been regard
ed outside of Germany as the harm
less activity of extremists, too radi-
cal to be taken seriously. Coupled
with this plan, as an instrument OF
economic concentration, the German
have used with only slight
the system of customs
union expansion which added Prus-
STA in former years to extend her
over the other German
states now making up the empire.
As early as 1911 the Pan-German
League is said to have circulated
definite propaganda of conquest.
with printed appeals containing maps
of greater Germany whose sway
from Hamburg to Constantinople
and then southeastward through