New-York tribune., 1917-12-22
Fritz Flies a Kite


which have no German warrant and no Of
Gcial existence If Germany really desires
peace her way is clear. Her Kaiser and
Chancellor, speaking in Germany, or by
official communication transmitted through
neutral channels, can propose peace and
expound German peace terms.
Meantime, to discuss solemnly and even
heatedly terms which arrive without any
hing to show in the way Of authority,
which bear every evidence of being prOpa-
ganda, designed to promote disorder in
Allied camps rather than to obtain peace,
is to play the German game with obvious
stupidity.
In recent weeks Germany has renewed
her threats and her bullying. She has pro.
claimed a coming offensive which will COM
plete her victory-singularly incomplete
still after the undeniable successes Of the
Narne and Verdun, the Somme and Ypres.
There has been clashing Of cymbals,
q beating Of drums, a sabre rafting cal
culated to terrify any one who is already
?fraid Of the German. Fortunately, most
of the world still retains a measure Of
courage and a slight percentage of COM
mon sense.
We are not going to make peace with a
victorious Germany. We are not going to
make peace at all, save on the basis Of
restoration, restitution and some guaran-
Zee that we shall not have to go back to the
trenches when next the Boches are attacked
with land hunger or glory lust.
We have the German where we can de-
feat him if he does not escape us by trick
cry. We, the British, the French, the Ital-
ians and Americans, have the men, much
of the material and all the necessary re
sources for disposing Of the German dan
ger. if not forever, at least for span of
years. That is why between his shouts Of
Victory" the German utters cries of
"Peace"
1t is a grim and terrible task we have on
cur hands. We shall not only kill Ger
mans, but many Of US will be killed by Ger
mans; but by dividing our losses and con-
centrating his we can, in the end, dispose
of a present and future peril Another
year Of war will leave Germany in posi-
ton recalling her situation at the close of
the Thirty Years War. We can await
that time-wc can afford to wait Can she?
In any event, let us wait until German
peace proposals come from the Kaiser or
the Chancellor and not from the sewers
and the back alleys. Let us wait until
there is some evidence that German peace
talk is not the most obvious Of all war
propaganda.
The truth should be plain to every man
with two eyes in his head. Germany can
not make any peace proposal. TO which her
foes will listen. which will not leave the
whole gang of her rulers and soldiers
naked before her people. These people will
have 70 bear the cost of the war, and if it is
a losing war then they will not fail to see
the truth sooner or later and act accord
ingly.
And the Allies cannot afford TO make
any peace with Germany which leaves her
the gamer in European territory, in
colonies or in indemnities. To do this is to
Justify German rulers before their own
l people and thus insure a new attack,
when new preparations are completed and
present wounds healed.
We are fighting tiger among the ma
tons, man-eating tiger, who in two CEN
turies has set his teeth in the flesh of many
peoples and borne away innumerable vic
Tins. Because each attack has given him
fresh victims the tiger believes in attack
ing, and lives in dream Of predatory
raids. We may not kill the tiger, but we
must kill the blood appetite, and we can
not kill it if we permit it once again TO
satisfy itself with human flesh, whether the
flesh be Polish or French. Serbian or Bel
sian.
We have not beaten the German yet. and
until we unmistakably defeat him he will
not make terms which We can safely ac-
ccpt. Much less has he beaten us, despite