Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-14
PRESIDENT SAYS GERMANY
NOW TRYING TO ENGINEER
NEW "INTRIGUE OF PEACE''


manifested from Berlin ever since
the snare was set and sprung?
Peace, peace. peace has been the
talk of her foreign office for now a
year and more; not peace upon her
own initiative, but upon the initia-
tive of the nations over which she
now deems herself to hold the ad-
vantage. A little of the talk has
been public. but most of it has been
private. Through all sorts of chan
nels it has come to me. and in all
sorts of guises, but never with the
terms disclosed which the German
government would be willing to ac-
oept That government has other
valuable pawns in its hands besides
those l have mentioned. 1t still
holds valuable part of France,
though with slowly relaxing grasp.
and practically the whole of
Belgium. Its armies press close
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 1t will de-
mand.
The military masters under whom
Germany is bleeding see very clear
ly 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 think
ing about now more than their
power abroad. 1t is that power
which is trembling under their very
feet: and deep fear has entered their
hearts They have but one chance
to perpetuate their military power
or even their controlling political
influence. If they can secure peace
now with the immense advantages
still in their hands which they have
up to this point apparently gained.
they will have justified themselves
before the German people: they
will have gained by force what they
promised to gain by it: an immense
expansion of German power. an i'm
mense enlargement, of German in
ties. Their prestige will be secure,
and with their prestige their
political power. If they fail. their
people will thrust them aside;
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 Ger
many and the world are undone: If
they fail Germany is saved and the
"orId Will be at peace. II they sue
ceed. America will fall within the
menace. We and all the rest OF the
world must remain armed. as they
VIII remain. and must make ready
Tor the next step in their aggression;
II they fail. the world may unite for
peace and Germany may be of the
union.
Purpose to Deceive Nations.
Do you not now understand the new
intrigue. the intrigue for peace, and
why the masters OF Germany do not
hesitate to use any agency that prom
ises to erect their purpose. the deceit
OF the nations? Their present particu-
lar aim Is to deceive all those who
throughout the world stand for the
rights of peoples and the self-govern-
ment OF nations: for they see what
immense strength the forces Of JUS
tice and liberalism are gathering out
OF this war. They are employing
liberals in their enterprise. They are
using men, In Germany and without,
as their spokesmen whom they have
hitherto despised and oppressed, US
Ing them for their own destruction
socialists, the leaders of labor the
thinkers they have hitherto sought to
silence. Let them oncr succeed and
these men, now their tools, will be
ground to powder beneath the weight
OF the great military empire they will
have set up. the reyolutionists in Rus
STA Will be cut off from all succor or
cooperation in western Europe and a
counter revolution fostered and sup
ported: Germany herself will lose her
chance OF freedom: and all Europe
VIII arm Tor the next. the final
The sinister intrigue is being no less
actively conducted in this country than
IN RUSSIA and in every country in
Europe to which the agents and dupes
OF the imperial German government
can get access. That government has
many spokesmen here, in places high
and low. They have learned discretion.
They Keep within the law. 1t is opin-
ION they utter now. not sedition. They
proclaim the liberal purposes Of their
masters declare this a foreign war
danger to either her lands or har
institutions; set England at the CEN
ter OF the stage and talk of her am
Dition 10 assert economic dominion
throughout the world: appeal to our
I anG!ent traditlon OF isolation in the
poiitics OF the nations, and seek to
undermine the government with false
professions of loyalty to its princinles
But they will make no headwav
The false betray themselves aIway.
IN every accent. 1t is only friends
and partisans Of the German GOV
ernment whom We have alrsady
1dentihed who utter these thinIv dis.
guised disloyalties. The facts are
patent to all the world, and mo-
Where are they more plainly seen
than In the United States. where
we are accustomed to deal with
1acts ana not with sophfstries and
the great Tact that stands out above
All the rest is that this is a people's
war. war for freedom and Justice
ana seii-sovernment amongst all
the nations OF the world. a war TO
make the world safe for the peoples
VINO nVe upon il and have made II
thelr own. the. German DeopIe them
sei.es ihciuded. and that with us
sts ,he ch"ice 70 break through all
.nese nypocrisies and patent cheats
anu ,iasKs or brute force and help
SCI the world free. or else stand
aside and let il be dominatad -. innn
age through by sheer weight ~
arms and the arbitrary choices 81
self-cons'ituted masters. nv the ma
.ion which can maintain the biggest
arInles ana the most irresistfble
arHahents-a power to which the
"orid mas afforded no parallel and
IN lhe 1ace OF which political free
dom must wither and perish.
For US there Is but one choice.
we nave made 1t. Woe be the man
or group or men that seek to stand
ii In our way in this day Of high reso-
u.ion. u When every principle we hold
oares' ] is TO be vindicated and made
re s,o LOT the salvation of the ma
~ ~ois. we are ready to plead at the
,a oi history. and our flag shall
sh.ii new luster. Once more we
ssiail s make good with our lives and
fortunes tho pra,%