The Washington times., 1917-01-12
THE ALLIES PEACE TERMS

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Brushing aside the detail and
specification regarding peace condi-
tons, which are set forth in the
note of the allied nations responsive
to President Wilson's request. for a
statement of terms, their purposes
in the war are summed up in these
concluding paragraphs:
1t goes without saying that If the
allies wish to liberate Europe from
the brutal covetousness of Prussian
militarism it never has been their de-
sign, as has been alleged, to encom-
pass the determination of the German
peoples and their political disappear
ance. That which they desire above
all is to insure a peace upon the prin-
ciples of liberty and Justice, upon the
inviolable fidelity to international
obligations with which the Govern
ment of the United States has never
ceased to be inspired.
United in the pursuit of this SUI
preme object, the allies are deter
mined. individually and collectively,
to act with all their power and to
consent to all sacrifices to bring to a
victorious close a conflict upon which.
they are convinced, not only their
own safety and prosperity depend, but
also the future of civilization itself.
The Times did not at any time join
with those. critics Of President Will
son who assumed that he had in
truded himself into a situation in
which he had no place. It believed
that in asking the two sides to state
their terms he had done proper and
correct thing. Both in this country
and abroad there was some DISPOSE
ton to charge that he had NAL
adroitly permitted himself. to be
used to give the Germans a tactical
advantage. It is shown, in the splen
did and perfectly frank avowal Of
the allies, that this charge was un-
justified. The allies make an elo-
quent and impressive statement of
their objects and aims; statement
that viii strengthen their cause with
their own peoples, increase the de-
termination to maintain united eff
fort, and add to the worlds con-
viction that they are fighting the
fight of civilization.
Germany, in its earliest advance
toward peace negotiation, made ac-
complishment difficult by emitting to
state conditions and giving justifica-
ton for the feeling that it was try
ing to set a trap. Germany talks
about peace on the basis of the war
map; the allies, about an idealized
Europe in which small nations may
breathe freely, populations may be
relieved from the burden of mill
tarism, peoples may be emaneipated
from the rule of aliens, and the Otto
man power may be cast out of
| Europe.
Germany proposed the peace of
grasping, brutal, and victorious force;
the allies name terms looking to the
establishment of civilization, human
rights, and future security among
the nations. The two ideals are as
far apart as the creeds of the leu
tonic knights and of Peter the Her
nit. Between the two forces now
struggling to decide which shall give
direction to the worlds destinies
there is a gulf as wide as that be-
tween the ideals of an imperial Rome
and those of the Christian sect that
brought a new light into the world.
Yet, wide as is this chasm, the al
lies have stated their case, and not
closed the door to further discussion.
They have shown themselves united,
determined, unyielding, confident.
Far from being weakened by the eff
fects of disaster or bluffed by the
German proposal of peace at the mo-
ment of Teutonic high tide, they rely
on the statement of their cause as
trustees of civilization, and on their
demonstration of power which guar
antees that they cannot be con-
quered.
The allies demand the restoration
of Belgium, Serbia, Montenegro; the
liberation of those populations that
are now under alien domination; the
expulsion of the Turk. They do not
specify that Alsace-Lorraine shall be
returned to France, nor do they stip-
ulate the future of the German colo
MES. They stand with the Russian
proposal of restored Poland; and
if they do not indicate precisely what
they want done with Constantinople
they make two things plain enough;
that Constantinople must become
Russia's gateway to the outer world
and that it cannot be made Ger.
many's highway to invasion of the
East.
1ndemnities for the smaller coun.
: tries that have been raped, repara.
ton for the greater ones that have
suffered, are part of the demand. II
may easily be assumed that the in
IDENTITIES will largely be eliminated
from ultimate terms, and that repara
IItion will be rather nominal than ac'