Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-05-05

Despite the postponement OF the
German Chancellor's much advertised
peace proposal IN the German Reich
stag il is plain that we arc to have
very soon a new German bid for
peace. 1t is clear also that in this Ger
man proposal there will be an effort
to catch the unwary. the deluded and
the uniformed by a stimulation OF
moderate and modest purposes.
It. is entirely possible. even likely,
that Germany will now propose re-
turn TO the conditions that. existed
before the war, the mutual retroces-
sion Of territory, in and outside Of
Europe, and a general restoration Of
the situation OF July. 1914 Germany
viii be the more apt TO make this
proposal because she knows we'll that
no such terms will be accepted by her
opponents.
Let MS be perfectly clear once for
all in our minds as to the only terms
on which the Allies will make peace,
unless they are defeated. These terms
are based on the rights OF larger and
smaller peoples, expressed in terri
torial terms, but in territorial terms
which conform 10 race. language and
political conditions. We may be very
sure that the Allies will not permit
Germany after having ruined Bel
GUM, to retire without paying some
thing for the rebuilding of that ruined
country We may be perfectly salts
fed that the Allies will not consent
to make peace with the country which
has just laid hundreds of square miles
of Northern France in ruin without
imposing an indemnity upon Germany
for such ruthlessness.
Fundamentally, the Allies terms Of
peace are these: The restoration Of
Belgium after evacuation; the restor-
alton OF France after evacuation, and
the retrocc ssion to France of Alsace-
Lorraine taken in defiance Of the will
of the inhabitants OF that territory
and in violation of all principles which
assign TO peoples the right 10 choose
their own nationality.
Equally certain is Il that the Allies
will demand the cession by Austria
TO Italy of Trieste and the Trentino,
which are inhabitated by Italian
speaking people. long prosecuted by
Austria and eager TO return TO the
Latin world IN the same way Bosnia,
Herzegovina and Dalmatia must go
TO Serbia, and Pennsylvania, inhabited
chiefly by Rumanians. to Rumania.
All these are but applications Of the
principles expressed by President
Wilson in his address to the belliger-
ents before we entered the war.
Germany will make a great parade
before the world of the purpose Of the
Allies to dismember her There is no
proposal on the part OF the Allies to
dismember Germany The only terri
tory that il is proposed to take from
Germany is the territory which she
took from France 46 years ago, and
those Polish districts which were
Frederick the Greats reward for des-
troying Polish liberty and independ-
ence.
AS to the proposed partition OF Aus
tria-Hungary.. no territory will be ia
ken from Austria against the will OF
the majority of its inhabitants. and
the only Allied purpose is to free from
the tyranny OF the Austrians the La
tin and Slav inhabitants who have
long been prosecuted and deprived
OF every civil right and every decent
opportunity TO live their own lives IN
accordance with their own ideas
The last time Germany approached
the world with peace proposals, her
chief purpose, as Macmillan Harden
has now told us. was to gain time in
which to perfect her submarine fleet.