Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-15
fAs Evsaing Star Nsvspapsr Company
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An impossible Peace Plan.

An Impossible feaco Ran.
Better understood, the peace plan pro
posed by the Vatican appears even less
acceptable than at first. 1t is based
upon the hypothesis of making all
things stand just as they were before
the war began This is an impossibility.
Nothing can be less possible than to
undertake to put everything back as it
was in July, 1914 Germany may with
draw from Belgium and France and
Austria from Serbia and Rumania, and
both powers from Russia England may
withdraw her forces from Mesopotamia.
Even the German colonies may be re-
stored. But things cannot be brought
back to their condition of a little over
three years ago.
What of the ruined cities Of Belgium
and France7 What of the thousands of
lives of non-combatants taken wantoniy
by the Germans in those countries and
In England7 Peace on the status quo ante
bellum will not restore them. Not even
indemnities will bring these innocent
victims of German barbarism back to
life No money payment will make
whole the MANNED children and the out
ragged women, victims of German bestial-
ity. But what of the perpetrator of these
appalling outrages7 No punishment?
No reprisal, nothing to put a penalty
upon the criminal'
What of the violations Of interna-
tional law and the law of humanity 7
Is peace to be made that will restore
everything political to its former status
and leave these crimes unrebukedf Is
the Lusitania to stand as a closed Incl
dent, the Belgian Prince atrocity to be
wiped off the record as a mere happen
ing of warfarei Are the blinded men
in France and England, victims of the
poison gas and the liquid fire diabolical-
" introduced in the war by the Ger
cidental roughage of conflict
Can peace be brought about that will
restore the status quo ante bellum and
not leave Germany in position to re-
new the conflict in her own time and
ut her own terms7 No one believes it.
Disarmament There must be no dis
armament that Will leave Germany rela-
lively as strong as the other powers
There must be no disarmament that will
expose the world to another attack by
the forces of imperialism and militar-
istic autocracy. German disarmament,
perhaps, and general disarmament later
when the lawbreaker of today has been
reduced to subsection to the rules of
civilization. But not before.
Freedom of the seasf Yes, to the full
est degree, but not the kind of sea free
dom that Germany proclaims, freedom to
feed and fatten off neutrals while wag-
ing war against their neighbors and
friends, the German sea freedom that
gives the unwarning submarine the
right to strike the non-combatant or the
passenger ship. Sea freedom, but based
upon humanity and not upon barbar-
ism.
Had the peace plan put forth from
tho Vatican been drafted in Berlin or
Vienna it could not have stated the Teu-
tonic ease more strongly. Such a peace
u the very kind that has lately been
proclaimed, at Berlin as the German de-
atre.
Of oourse, this proposal must be an
swered. II Is unquestionably conceived
In good faith, and it calls for respect
full, sympathetic rejoinder But for the
sake Of the hundreds Of thousands of
dead and crippled soldiers and the thou
sands of murdered women and children
and the devastated cities of France and
Belgium and the starved people of Po-
land and the slaughtered Christians in
the Turkish lands, let it be refusal to
make peace with Germany upon such
terms. This country, at least, has no
ground for agreeing to stop fighting at
stage at which Germany stands not
only able, but disposed to menace it.
national existence.