New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-26
Peace Maneuvres

New York and WllhelmSlraSse III DeiiN'
is not so considerable as to make II I'M
nossible for citizens of this country read
ing Mr.. Hearsts so-called American,
published in William Street, to discern
something of the policy and purposes OF
the German Foreign Office in Wilhelm
strasse. The appealing similarity OF
thought between Wilhelm Hohenzollern
and William Hearst was never more striK-
ingly shown than in the editorial printed
in "The New York American" on Monday
morning. from which the following ex-
tract is taken
The attitude assumed by the Central
Fmnires is great triumph for President
Wilson. II is clear that ne will have h''le
difficulty in negotiating peace with Ter
many that will raise his personal prestige
70 an enormous height, that will meet the
anproval of the vast majority of his coun-
trvmen and that will practically end mill
tarism and make the world safe indeed for
democracy.
The delicate question now is whether
the President can bring England around 10
+ho accordance of reasonable peace upon
American terms. or whether that govern
ment will stubbornly insist on peace upon
English terms.
While William Street in New York was
producing this interesting literary master
niece Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin was send
inc forth the rumor that Germany was
about to propose peace on the basis OF an
exchange of Belgium for Germany's ios'
colonies. Since the major portions Oh
these colonies have been taken by soldiers
Of the British Empire, the obvious
maneuvre was to establish the idea that
England, by insisting upon the possession
&c these colonies, was making peace I'M
nossible, and that the real obstacle TO
peace negotiations was the British deter
mination to retain the German colonies
Beyond this was the idea, never absent IN
Mr.. Hearsts editorial page, to appeal to q
real or alleged prejudice in the minds OF
many Americans with reference to Great
Britain.
Now, lie in a Hearst paper is never
of itself worth pursuing. What Mr..
Hearst's papers are doing is interesting
to the American public only because OF
the revelation of what Germany wants to
do. On this basis let us analyze this lie
little as a characteristic Teutonic produc-
ton.
What are the main obstacles to peace?
How far are they English? First of all,
the world is determined that Belgium
shall not only be evacuated by the Ger
man armies, but that it shall be restored,
unidentified, put on its feet again by Ger
many. This is the chief obstacle to peace
az the present moment, and nothing that
the German government has ever said in
dictates that there is any intention what
ever of indemnifying Belgium, and there
fas been no authoritative utterance by the
German Chancellor or Kaiser indicating
a willingness even to evacuate Belgium.
So far as Belgium is concerned, France
and the United States and Italy are quite
as determined as are the English This Is
tie main obstacle to peace, and it is not
the result of English policy
The second question is the question of
Alsace-Lorraine. The outgoing and the
incoming French Prime Ministers have re-
Gently told us that France will not make
peace until those provinces, torn from her
wckedly and unjustly in 1871, are re-
stored to her. This is the will of France;
but this is not an English purpose or
policy Mr.. Balfour said the other day
that if France wished England to sup
port her in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine
he could see no escape; but English policy
is contingent upon French.
As to Italy, the Italian government has
over and over again indicated to the world
that Italy will not make peace until she
has completed the unifcation of the coun-
try by the acquisition of Trieste and the
Trentino. This is not British policy.