Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-15

Austria Hungary was to be as much
their tool and pawn as Servia or Bull
garia or Turkey or the ponderous
states of the east. Austria Hungary,
indeed, was to become part of the
central German empire, absorbed and
dominated by the same forces and in
fuences that had originally cemented
the German states themselves. The
dream had its heart at Berlin. 1t
could have had a heart nowhere else.
1t rejected the idea of solidarity of
race entirely.
The choice Of peoples played no
part in it at all. 1t contemplated
binding together racial and political
unit; which could be kept together
only by force-Czechs, Magyars,
Croats, Serbs, Roumanians, Turks,
Armenians-the proud states of Bo-
hemia and Hungary, the stout little
commonwealths of the Balkans, the
indomitable Turks, the subtle peoples
of the east. These peoples did not
wish to be united They ardently de-
sired to direct their own affairs
would be satisfied only by undisputed
independence. They could be kept
quiet only by the presence or the con-
stanb threat of armed men. They
would live under a common power
only by sheer compulsion and await
the day of the revolution. But the
German military statesmen had reck-
oned with all that and were ready
to deal with it i'll their own way.
Plan Partly Executed.
"And they have actually carried the
greater part OF that amazing plan
into execution. Look how things
stand. Austria is at their mercy. 1t
has acted, not upon its own initiative
or upon the choice of its own peo-
pie, but at Berlin's dictation ever
since the war began. Its people now
desire peace, but cannot have it until
everything is granted from Berlin.
The so-called central powers are, in
fact, but single power. Serbia is
at its mercy should its hands be freed;
Bulgaria has consented to its will
and Roumania is overrun; the Turk
ish armies, which Germans trained,
are serving Germany, certainly not
themselves, and the guns OF German
warships lying in he harbor at Con-
stantinople remind Turkish statesmen
every day that they have no choice
but to take their orders from Berlin.
From Hamburg to the Persian gulf
the net is spread.
Turning Point Here.
is it not easy to understand the
eagerness for peace that has been
manifested from Berlin ever since the
snare was set and sprung? Peace,
peace, peace, has been the talk OF its
foreign office for now a year and
more; not peace upon its own initia-
tive, but upon the initiative OF the
nations over which it now deems it.
self to hold the advantage A little OF
the talk has been published, but most
OF it has been private. Through all
sorts of channels it has come to me,
and i'll all sorts of guises, but never
with the terms disclosed which the
German government would be willing
to accept. That government has other
valuable pawns in its hands besides
those | have mentioned. II still holds
a valuable part OF France. though
with slowly relaxing grasp, and prac-
tically the whole of Belgium Its
armies press close upon Russia and
overrun Poland at their will. 1t
cannot go further; it dare not go
back. 1t wishes to close its bargain
before it is too late and it has little
left to offer for the pound OF flesh it
will demand
Teuton Power Breaking.
The military masters under whom
Germany is bleeding see very clearly
to what point fate has brought them.
If they fall back or are forced back
an inch, their power. both abroad and
at home, will fall to pieces like
house of cards. 1t is their power at
home they are talking about now
more tina ntheir power abroad. 1t is
that power which is trembling under
their feet; and deep fear has entered
their hearts. They have but one
chance to / .rpetua: their military
power or even their controlling poll
tical influence. If they can secure
peace now with the immense advan-
tages still in their hands which they
have up to this point apparently
gained, they will have justified them
selves before the German people; they
will have gained by force what they
promised to gain by it; an immense
eXpaL zion of German power, an i'm
mense enlargement of German indus
trial and commercial opportunities.
Their prestige will be secure and
with their prestige their political
power. If they failed their people
will thrust them aside; a government
accountable to the people themselves
will be set up in Germany as it has
been in England, in the United
States, in France and in all the great
countries OF the modern time except
Germany. If they succeed they are
safe and Germany and the world arc