New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-13

we are approaching NhC SiNoNNSN NAiS'S
in the whole war, 1t is conceivable
that before the Allied conference takes
place Germany will already have COM
mitted herself to the Russian formula Of
no annexation and no indemnity. If Ger
many does this it is absolutely certain
that there will be tremendous peace
movement in the world and that there will
be very great demand by the popula-
tons of the nations now fighting Germany
for peace on such a basis.
If the governments of France and Great
Britain and Italy insist on a continuation
of the war until it be possible to realize
certain colonial aspirations or to impose
on Germany indemnities of the character
Germany imposed upon France in 1871,
as contrasted with indemnities for wanton
damage done, the effect will be to strength
en- Germany at home and weaken the
Allied cause in Russia and the United
States. and in Great Britain and in France.
It is perfectly idle and foolish to
imagine that the men who are fighting
this war in the trenches have not reached
a clear idea in their own minds of the
terms and the necessity of peace. JUST as
long as it is a question of preventing Ger
many from dominating the world, de-
stroying the liberties of nations that were
once free or annexing territories contain
ing non-German populations, the man in
the trench will unquestionably consent to
90 on; but after three years Of torture
and hardship, in which the statesmen and
the military chiefs have both failed him, 1t
is inconceivable that for long period
he will continue to go on fighting for what
he may easily consider to be impossible
or even unworthy objects.
We are going to have necessarily with
in the next few months a new protocol
formulated for the Allies who are fighting
Germany, just as we are going to have
a new protocol formulated for the Central
Powers. 1t is perfectly patent that Ger
many will within a reasonable length OF
time abandon all purposes of annexation
and indemnity because the war WEAKNESS
at home compels it. 1t is foolish to
imagine that a similar shrinkage in ex-
pectation is not going on among the
soldiers of the nations that are fighting
Germany. The war is taking a different
character every day. The aims in the
minds of the men who are fighting the
war are quite different from those of the
politicians and the statesmen who have
from the beginning stayed behind the fir
ing line and continued to talk in the patter
of diplomacy and statecraft as it existed
in the days before the war.
If the United States now assumed the
place to which it is entitled in the Allied
conference it might easily serve the cause
for which it has enlisted even better than
it could hope to serve it in the field. If
il fails to do this, the time may come
when the people of the United States them
selves will refuse to continue to support
war policies made by European nations
without any participation by the Ameri-
can people in their manufacture. We can
not escape responsibility because if we do
not participate in this conference we shall
nevertheless be bound by our tacit I'M
derstanding with the enemies of Germany
to 20 on fighting as long as they do, and
thus. in fact, we may become servants
of policies and ideas which we do not be-
lieve in. This is an extreme case. 1t is
not likely that it will happen, but it is
possible, and the only escape is for the
United States to take its place at the
council board and to champion around the
green table the ideas which the American
people believe they are fighting for.
There ought to be clear appreciation
at home and abroad that the people of
the United States will not permanently
continue to fight a war in the dark; that
they will not make great sacrifices without
clear perception of their purpose, and
that they will not for any long time ac-
cept policies and principles at second.
hand. made for them in Allied councils
without their voice being heard. This can
be said with the utmost frankness, be-
cause there is not the slightest question
that all the nations allied against Ger