The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-08-22
,.R ~ -
! PEAcESwITHouT RESULT

When acknowledgement power at
tempts to suggest or outline peace
terms with specifications, the limita'
lions, Of the attempt become instantly
: 4alfa, This applies even when the e!
fort has the authority and power ana
benevolence OF the pope.
When a neutral, even of such de-
taehed and peculiar authority .endcav.
ore to outline with, any degree OF
Identification terms which might o.
fer a working basis for peace negotl-
atinns. it is necessary to Offer, only
sich as may be inoffensive to all the
belligerents. r-@ sas& s.,
is impracticable to recommend
ANYTHING which is Of advantage TO any
belligerent unless that belligerent IS
on the point of taking what IS TO MS
I advantage by virtue OF his own SUI
DsriDrity. In that case the lnterVen-
ton is one of mercy rather than one
OF cancellation. a."
what the pope, thus limited. can
suggest is largely policy OF forglv-
ing supplemented by suggestion Oh
remedy which would prevent a recur.
renee of the disaster. The tone or
comment in the different countries in
dictates the apparent lnequity of pol
icy of forgiveness. Germany would
accent these suggestions because Ger
many thus far is the material victor
in the war. ,.,.,
Even if the war stopped now with
only the evacuation Of all occupied
territory, and if the Germans with
drew to their own territory and re-
ceiyed their colonies back, Germany
would retain material advantage. The
only nation which could show an Off
set to it's terrible losses would be Ger
many, even if this offset did not take
territorial form. --.
TO such an extent as there had been
a determination of issues troubling
europe the determination would he in
favor of Germany. To western Eur
one the war would remain as unmiti-
gated tragedy. .ge..., ..E.
Western Europe did not seek this
\ war. Belgium did not want it. France
y did not want it, and Great Britain did
not want it. Belgium has been ruin
ed and France has been bled, and If
they forgive they ignore the cardinal
principle that there must be expiration
before complete exculpation.
Whatever military necessities guild
ed Germany into Belgium, Germany
at the beginning Of the offense realiz-
ed and recognized that the invasion
demanded accountability at some
I time, The restoration Of Belgium is a
German task. There is no mutually
Of responsibility binding the other ma
tions.
Thus the inequities of q scheme of
forgiveness without eSpiation could be
multiplied and it is not astonishing
that the western nations do not well
come q peace proposal which suggests
that the condition before the war be
reesta blished with the hope that ar
i ranRements can be made to prevent a
recurrence of war. - ~
In the European aspects of such
peace we might consider ourselves un-
interested. 1t is difficult to say now
when European condition begins to
( affect US. Three years ago we should
have said that nothing in the eastern
European condition could involve US
and here we are appropriating billions
OF dollars and raising millions of men.
We hesitate, therefore, to, say again
I that contagious in Europe are isolated
/ from us. But the Outstanding thing
We are concerned with. is protection