New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-26
"PEACE WITHOUT VICTORY"
What Of the CIoou, German Victory Won the White House
What of Mr. Lansing's Assurance to the Allies!

f.bev had in mind TO crush their antagonists
But the implications of these assurances ma
not be equally clear to all-may not De I'M
same on both sides Of the water. l THINK !
will be serviceable IL attempt to set fortf
what we understand them to be.
"They imply first of all that 1t must be
peace without victory. IL is not pleasant
say this. beg that may be permitted u
nut nv own Interpretation upon H. ana ina
IL NAV be understood that no other interpre
tation was in my thought. am seeking ON;
70 face realities and to face them WITHOUT
soft concealments Victory would near
peace forced upon the loser. victors term'
imposed upon the vanquished. IL wouio D.
accepted in humiliation, under duress' at III
lintolerable sacrifice, and would leave Sung
a resentment, bitter memory upon whiei
terms of peace would rest not permanently
but only as upon a quicksand."
| II this language means anything IL car
only mean that the influence Of this nation
in so far as the President is able TO exert II
is to be used to prevent either side to the
conflict from gaining victory over th'
other. The President, OF course, may change
his mind and probably will Che usually
does). But his position on this point was
stated with sufficient clearness to leave nc
doubt concerning his state of mind on Mon.
day, January 81, 1917, between l and
o'clock p. m.
What then becomes Of the assurances
given by the President to the Allies in ms
note Of December lS, in which, as Mr..
Lansing put it on December 81, the Presiden'
specifically denied that it was to be under
stood as a movement toward peace?
If what Mr. Wilson is engaged in is not a
movement toward peace" what is 1t! Wha'
other meaning can be given to the interest ne
manifested in the military outcome OF TINS
war. speaking as he did at time when the
hopes Of the Central Powers have dwindied
down to the very "peace without victory
wished for by Mr.. Wilson, a peace WHEN
Germany is strainng every nerve to bring
about. by hook or crook? And if that is
what he is engaged in, has he not practised
gross deception upon the Entente Powers
This quite apart from his motives, although
it should be borne in mind that the legal rule
founded upon experience that one IS pre-
sumed to intend the natural and probable
consequence of his acts applies to every one,
including the President.
Ever since Mr.. Wilson's address to the
Senate the press of all shades of opinion has
noted the undisguised JOY which pervaded the
precincts Of the German Embassy from the
moment the Presidents fluent professions II
behalf of humanity, civilization, justice and
liberty began to filter through to that centre
of philanthropic endeavor made so genial by
the social graces of its host-"peace without
victory" forsoothl What about the German
Ambassadors triumphant siege Of the White
House and the mastery strategy of its capt
ure through the subterranean passage Of the
Treasury Department? Is that not victory
enough?
But in gauging the victory, it will be well
to bear in mind that the value of the object
Of capture has been greatly lessened by the
capture itself; that as rule neutral rulers
and statesmen from the moment the kalsers
tag is tied to them lose much of their inhu-
ence in the world; witness for instance Con-
stantine and his present status, due to rela-
tionships acquired through marriage. 1t is
question whether the policy of insurance
against defeat by the Allies which Mr.. Wilson
has Just handed the Kaiser's envoy is worth
the paper it is written on.
MAURICE LEON.
New York, Jan. "a, 1917.