New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-18
Peace Man9uvres Steeled
Nation to Fight Empires
Destruction
ANNEXATION PARTY
FINDS LITTLE FAVOR
Great Majority Willing to
Accept Any Reason
able" Terms

Bernie, Feb. lI.-lhere IS no douoI III
the minds of Americans who have come
10 Switzerland from Germany since the
severance of diplomatic relations be-
tween Berlin and Washington that the
German public to-day presents solid
front. Any danger of serious internal
disturbances, such rs has been limited
at in publications outside Of Germany,
is regarded as being as remote as 1t
was many months ago. Nevertheless,
the state of public opinion has become
a pressing problem, especially during
the last few weeks.
The attitude of the German people
became more of problem when the
break with America occurred, not be-
cause any overwhelming majority was
opposed TO the break, but because IL
followed SO closely on the heals of the
widespread peace talk, coming at a time
when the yearning for cessation of hos
tilities had received such tremendous
impetus.
Believe Peace Offer lnsincere
There exists in Germany cynical
though not disIoyal minority which
frankly believes the peace offer was
made not in the expectation that peace
could be brought about, but for the
purpose Of heartening a large but poten
TALLY dangerous stratum of the popu-
lation which is tired of war. This sec
ton has been antagoniZed by the I'M
silenceable and uncomfortable pan
German element, which has clamored
for the annexation Of everything thus
far conquered, or at least for very ma
terial increases in territory.
Although naturally unorganized, this
stratum is very extensive. 1t has taken
the attitude that the war and the
causes thereof are none of it's affair
and that annexations would be Of
doubtful value. A majority of this elc-
ment is Indifferent whether Belgium is
retained or returned II longs with in
creasing anxiety for peace.
The growing opinion that Germany
cannot hope to obtain all that is desired
by the extremists and the passionate
desire to have it all over with on any
reasonable basis and to get the mem
bers of the families back home have
brought into being in the last few
months a more or less powerful peace
party. The cynics argue that the gov
eminent, recognizing the existence Of
this faction, decided on a moderate
peace offer which, if accepted, would
please the peace advocates, even though
not entirely placating the pan Germans,
while, if rejected, the result would be
liberation of the chasm between the
peace faction and the pan-Germans.
People Are Unified
Whether the cyncs were right or
wrong in regard to the motives of the
government, the peace move brought
about unifcation to a degree probably
beyond the utmost hoped for. The Ger
man people to-day are as united as at
no other time since August of 1914.
They have the utmost faith that the
submarines will force England to her
knees.
They are permeated with the convic-
ton that "unneutral" America has al
ready done everything possible to in
jure Germany by unofficial aid to the
Allies; that it is not 10 he feared eco
nomically any more than heretofore,
and that in a military sense it does not
count. The Germans are united, from
the lowest to the highest. in the belief
that the Allies intend to dsmember
their nation, and consequently are de-
termined TO fight with the utmost en-
ergy and with every weapon.
The peace party, however, is only
submerged, not entirely obliterated, and
the break with America has not re-
moved any of the differences of opin-
ion. 1t is, of course, true that the
break has given an impetus to the as
pirations of the extremists. who see in
the decision Of the government to re-
sort to unrestricted submarine warfare
the first concession 70 their original
demands.
The great bulk of the people, how
ever, is still back of the Chancellor, and
even under the new conditions would
be perfectly satisfied with a solution
on the basis of the status quo, caring
little or nothing whether Germany OBJ
tains Belgium, Poland or Lithuania.
Not word in regard to indemnity has
been heard from these quarters since
early in the war.
Would Accept Moderate Terms
An honorable and dgnified peace is
what is desired. As long as the En-
tente intends to impose terms regarded
by the German people as equivalent to
destruction or ACKNOWLEDGMENT, they
will resist unitedly, but, the American
observers say, there would be the threat
of a serious rift if an opportunity for
a reasonable peace should present itself
and not be accepted
it is the estimate of conservative
Germans, these Americans say, that the
government would have been unseated
had the decision to resume unrestricted
submarine warfare really represented
a triumph for the pan-German element.
As il is. the government remains i'm
power, supported by people that for
the time being has agreed TO adopt pan
German methods, but which has pas
sionate desire for peace at the earliest
possible moment
Attention il directed also by these
Americans TO another phase of German
public opinion, which is presented by
the relations with the empires allies.
Though Germany has heralded persist
emily the cordiality ana indissolubility
of these relations, il has been an open
secret for a long time that Austria, in
particular, is bitterly jealous of Ger
many, on the one hand, and that Ger
many has had to exert strong influence
at times TO keep the Dual Monarchy in
line.
Austrians had never felt the great
need that Germany has experienced al
most from the beginning, and have never
acquiesced gracefully in the measures
prescribed By Germany rs absolutely