New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-24
Entry of America Into the
War Changes Attitude
of General Public
Wilson Gave the
Ideal Wished For
German Liberals and Social
lists Openly Working to
End Conflict
By Arthur S. Draper
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LONDON. Sept. 23.--Each of the last
four autumns has produced prophets
who predicted peace "by Christmas.
The Kaiser was the foremost OF these
makers Of forecasts, when he told his
people he was going to eat his dinner,
Christmas, 1914, in buckingham Palace,
but the covers are not yet even laid.
The second and third falls brought
promises from the Allied ranks, prom
ises made on the certainty of military
EXPERTS who had exhausted GermanyH
reserves and promises based on the
calculations Of economists who had
fixed the date when the last German
potato and the last German sausage
would have disappeared.
Fall always seems to breed optimists'
whether they breathe the atmosphere
of this or the other side. The crop OF
optImists is unusually large this
autumn, and something in the cir seems
to make them thrive.
Englsnd's greatest optimist, Horatio
Bottomly, the rotund editor of the
virile penny weekly, John Bull" did
not wait for the open season for peace
representations but began to urge his
two million readers back in midsum-
mer TO prepare plans for their Christ
mas dinner, and only couple OF weeks
back he repeated his warning, DO
your shopping earlyl"
My barber also whispered the happy
secret he learned from my friend, an
officer on Haig's staff" The pacihsts,
whose optimism almost equals Bot
tomly's, are just as certain each
Christmas as though the terms had
already been drawn. In Germany
every other statesman has been prom.
Using that the peace bells would ring
by Christmas. Many Russians talk Of
peace as if Christmas were the latest
date they were figuring on.
observer" Thinks Not
J. l.. Garvin says in to-dsy's "0b-
server:
Some experts think that peace and
a right peace would come rapidly II We
would only stop talking about it. and
that it might even come by Christmas.
We think this view impossible and I'M
desirable"
1t should be noticed that Gsrvin
credits these prophets with being ex-
perts. 10 is curious how widely spread
this view is at the present time. Ger
tainly the war map does not Justify
the prophecy and the economic situa-
ton. bad a. it is, will not compel a
single belligerent to quit before Christ
mas.
No prophet bases his forecasts on the
collapse of the enemy. The Germans
do not expect their submarines 10
starve England before Christmas, and
Britons do not expect TO crush the
German army before Christmas. What
then inspires the hope OF peace this
year?
Briefly. il is the growing feeling in
every country that peace will come
through understanding rather than
force Of arms. America has done more
20 foster that feeling than any other
factor in the war. The Presidents
sharp distinction between the German
people and their ruler has changed
the whole complexion Of the war. and
il is marvel TO those who have had
an opportunity 10 study close-hand the
bitterness among belligerents before
this pronouncement the rspiditv with
which Il has made converts. The ex-
PLANTATION is simple. People wanted a
cean-cut policy, with something TO
| fight for, and President Wilson gave il.
America has made most of the peace
optimists and-unless some miracle
happens-they are doomed to disap-
pointment. The very impetus which
America gave TO the war will carry
1t on longer than the peace optimists
anticipated.