New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-19
The Marques Speaks
IN rdi.nrtnr f,om Golfer %


cr. 49,: Henry Charles Keith Petty-fuE-
maurice, X. g., p. c., G.. {. ). J., u. T. !.
E., e.. c. ". g.. goth Baron Of Kerry ana
Liruor. 1881: Fart Of Sheibune. 1853;
Earl Of Wycombe, 1854, etc; Gums ABOUT
$4,000 acres.
Any one who is cropping for reason Tor
Lord Lansdownes peace letter may hnd
Glow in these lines from who's Who II
YOU were a marques with five names a.
many titles. $4,000 acres and the Garter
YOU too might look with dsmay on the chah-
nels which the social floods loosed by me
Great War arc tending TO cut for themseNeS'
Lord Iansdowne is old, wise, and Thoroughly
selfish. In the House OF Lords he is inc
leader Of the band Of spendthrift yet ava
rcious Irish landlords who have subordinateu
the peace of Great Britain TO their own IN
terests in ireland for many years. H. III
the turmoil Of this war, group OF agltators
led by a little, laxative lawyer can tear down
the house Of Romanof only themselves 10
be overborne by the fanatical bribe-taKing
loader of bands of poor workingmen, VINO
make chaos of what was thought to be the
most powerful despotism in the world II Is
no wonder he begins TO ponder on the pos
sible consequences TO his marquisate ana MS
acres if the better-taught, better-organlzed
democracy OF Great Britain should take II
into their heads 90 scrap these perqulsltes
NJ feudalism. Lord Lansdowne is fearful for
his order. solicitous for the accumulatlons
Of power and privilege, money and lands that
81 tto at.d
OF the activities of their ancestors in the
plcasant old days when such thing as
democracy was unknown and when control
of the state passed under the good old rule
that he shall take who has the power and
he shall keep who can.
But. because he il in terror of the dangers
70 his order, his letter should not be neg
lected. IL is symptom and very important
one, for he is man Of great ability, with
long experience in diplomacy Che was Foreign
Secretary, and he is thoroughly represent
alive of the ruling classes of Europe. lie
may have written the letter without consult
ing any one, but what he thinks they think.
His fears and forebodings are theirs. lie
expresses the thought that must be lurking
in the minds of the aristocracy in all the
monarchies of Europe, in Germany and
Austria as we'll as Great Britain. II has been
clear for two years that the fear OF gen.
eral disaster to the social order OF Europe
was uppermost in the minds of the advisers
of the Kaiser. Lord Lansdowne can make
plausible case for his propaganda to the
Tories of England Great Britain (he might
say is stronger to-day than she has ever
been. She has raised great trained army
her fleet is better far than il was, her foreign
trade is unimpaired. Her old enemy Russia
is almost destroyed, France is crippled, Ger
many will not recover her commercial power
for many years. It might be defensib!e to
20 on fighting for sentimental reasons, TO
punish the crimes OF Germany and restore
France to her own. But what is the prac-
teal use of such a programme? The war
is a deadlock. Why go on with 1t II we
endanger the monarchial and aristocratic sys-
tenn Of Europe? That is what Lord Lans-
downe means when he talks OF the social
fabric. lie means the marquisate OF Lans-
downe. 1t was not to make the world safe
for democracy that he pledged his support
to Mr.. Asquith's war policy.
In short, his letter shows that the pacitists
have gained a new and formidable ally. The
Tories and the Bolsheviki are against con-
tinuing the war-those who have everything
and those who have nothing. We shall hear
much more peace talk in the next three
months than ever before and see constant
intriguing By powerful interests everywhere
TO have the Allies accept the terms which
the German rulers, conscious of their own
danger, will make moderate enough to seem
reasonable TO all who are weary of the ter
rible strain. II remains to be seen whether
the democracies of the world, and especially
the democracy of Great Britain, will have
the constancy to withstand the advances that
will be made to them and continue to fight
for decision regardless of the peril TO
hereditary privileges and power involved in
carrying the war to a finish.