The sun., 1917-01-18

In sending you translation Of the Allied note
desire to make the following observations when
you should bring to the notice Of the United states
Government.
dents note that while he is animated by an intense
desire that peace should come soon and that when
it comes it should be lasting. he does not Tor the
moment at least concern himself with the terms
on which it should be arranged. His Majestys
Government entirely share the Presidents ideas,
but they feel strongly that the durability or peace
must largely depend on its character and that no
stable system Of international relations can be
built foundations which are essentially ana
hopelessly defective.
This becomes clearly apparent II we consider
the main conditions which rendered possible the
calamities from which the world is now suffering.
These were the existence Of great powers CON
sumed with the lust Of domination in the midst
of q community Of nations Ill prepared Tor de-
fence, pentifuy supplied indeed with interna-
tional laws, but with no machinery for enforcing
them and weakened by the fact that neither the
boundaries of the various states nor their internal
constitution harmonized with the aspirations OF
their constituent races, or secured to them JUST
and equal treatment.
That this last evil would be greatly mitgated
il the Allies secured the changes In the map OF
Europe outlined In their joint note Is man1est anu
l need not labor the point.
1t has been argued indeed that the expulsion
Of the Turks from Europe forms no proper or
logical part of this general scheme. The MAIN
tenance Of the Turkish Empire was during many
generations regarded by statesmen OF Worldwide
authority as essential to the maintenance OF
European peace. Why, 1t Is asked. should the
cause of peace be now associated with complete
reversal Of this traditional policy:
The answer Is that circumstances have COM
pletely changed. 1t is unnecessary to consider
now whether the creation Of . reformed Turkey
medsting. between hostile races In the Near East
was . scheme which. had the Sultan been sim
cere and the Powers united. could ever have been
realized. 1t certainly cannot be realized now:
The Turkey Of .union and progress Is at least
Turkey Of Sultan Abdul Hamid. In the hands Of
Germany Il he's ceased even In appearance to b
bulwark Of peace and Is openly used ~ IN m
Under German officers Turkish soldiers are
now fighting in lands from which they had long
been expelled and a Turkish Government con-
trolled subsidized and supported by Germany has
been guilty Of massacres In Armenia and Syria
more horrible than any recorded In the history
even Of those unhappy countries. Evidently the
alike require that Turkish rule over alien races
shall If possible he brought to an end. and we
hope that the expulsion Of Turkey from Europe
will contribute as much to the cause Of peace as
the restoration Of Alsace-LOrraine to France. or
Italian Irredenta to Italy any Of the territorial
changes indicated in the Allied note.
Evidently, however, such territorial rear
rangements though they may diminish the Oc-
casions Of war, provide sufficient security
against its recurrence. II Germany, or rather
those in Germany who mould its opinions and con-
tol its destnes, again set out to domineer the
world, they may find that by the new order OF
things the adventure is made more difficult, but
hardly that II Is made lmllOSSlDle Iney may Stili
have ready to their hand political system or
ganized through and through on a military basis;
they may still accumulate vast stores of military
equipment; they may still persist in their methods
Of attack. that their more pacific neghbOrs will
be struck down before they can prepare them
selves for defence. If so Europe when the war
is over will be far poorer in men, in money and
in mutual good will than it when the war
began. but it will not be safer, and the hope
for the future OF the world entertained by the
President will be as far as ever from fulflment
There are those who think that for this dis
ease international treaties and international laws
may provide a sufficient cure. But such persons
have i'll learned the lessons clearly taught by
recent history.
While other nations. notably the United
States Of America and Britain, We're striving by
treaties of arbitration to make sure that nc
chance quarrel should mar the peace they de-