The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-30
Opinion Prevails in Capital
Smashing Defeat Necessary
to Solve Kaiser Problem
GENERAL PRAISE FOR
PRESIDENTS NOTE
Declared by All to Be Per.
feet Presentation Of Amer.
can Position-Real Change
Must Come in Germany

Washington, August 2e.-The road
Is still open to peace. secretary Lans-
Ing admitted as much today. But the
road Is hard one. II Is Increasingly
evident here that It Will be travelled
with artillery and bayonet rather than
by further discussion.
Events will have TO make further
answer TO the presidents reply TO the
pope Opinion here inclines strongly
that they will be the events of the
battlefield rather than the events Of
the council table or the German in
ternal political struggle.
The United States will pursue ths
even tenor of her way Her prepara-
vieor, And when the regeneration OF
the German government becomes GER
tain. the United States will talk peace.
Just what viii be considered thu
regeneration of the German govern
nent cannot now be made plain. Any
alleged regeneration will be closely
examined in the light of facts.
Must Be Genuine Change.
Will the making of the ministers
Of the government responsible to the
reichstag constitute a German gov.
eminent with which the United Statea
can treat" Mr. Lansing was asked.
Such an arrangement as to It's gen.
to be closely examined as to it's gen.
uineness," Mr.. Lansing replied.
BY what standards would It be
measured" he was asked
BY many standards" was his an
swer
Mr. Lansing further made plain
the Independent position which the
United states will take In any move
for peace.
/ Provided all of the conditions Inn
posed are complied with by Germany
will the United States make peace tr-
respective OF England and the other
allies?" he was asked.
we will at least talk with the otheY
allies" he replied.
The state department though per
haps more fully informed on internal
conditions in Germany than any other
foreign office, is admittedly not so well
informed as 1t would like to be. Every
dispatch that comes out OF Germany
is infinitely examined and weighed by
both the secretary of state and the
president.
Yet, in the light of all this the
opinion in Washington is growing day
by day that the German military
autocracy will never be overthrown
from within. 1t will take smashing
defeat on the field OF battle to shatter
the tradition of the kaiser that has
been nurtured in every German mind
for two generations
stand With the President
Practically the whole of the senate
committee on foreign relations beIieva
the presidents reply to the pope's peace
note expressed the sentiment of Amer.
lea fully. Here are opinions prepared
exclusively for the International Naws
Service by the members Of the COM
mittee:
R,.
Ohio.
The presidents reply to Pope Bene.
dict states the American position with
perfect clearness.
There is no reason to misunderstand
II, Our troubles have not been brought
on by the German people, but by thu
German government, which has shown
an utter disregard of every principle
Of international morality and OF hu.
manity.
OF course. the nation that would In.
wade Belgium whose neutrality 1t was
pledged TO defend and refer to IT'S
treaty with Belgium as a mere scrap
of paper. cannot be trusted now.
In Harmony with Nations Policy.
BY Key Pittman. senator from Ne.
vada:
The presidents message rejecting the
pope's peace proposal Is In perfect har-
monv with every statement Of policy
of this country that the president has
declared.
A peace on any other eonditiou
would not be a peace. but a period
OF preraration by the Hohenzollsrns
for more disastrous war Tho Ho.
henzollsrns will not be morally bound
by any contract and the world II not
yet in a position to fasten ana enforce
treaty for such a peace.
BY F. J. McCunber. senator fro1
North Dakota:
concur most heartily in an the
declarations expressed In the prssi-
dents message rejecting the peace
proposals of Pope Benedict. The ba.
sis which we have declared to be the
only essential basis OF peace means
the unquestionable protection OF every
small and weak nation in the world.
BY John X. Shields, senator from
Tennessee
have every confidence that we win
win this war. There is no room for
any peace negotiations until Germany
abandons her scheme of worldwide
conquest and comedies her defeat. and
then the terms of peace should be
such that will make it impossible for
that country ever to renew its at.
tempt to impose its control and autoc-
racy upon the balance OF the world.
Won't Agree to Inconclusive Peace
BY Willard Salisbury. senator from
Delaware. president protein OF thu
senate:
The presidents note states IN an.
equalled phrases the ideas, couclu-
sions and matured opinion Of thp
American people. We were forced ~
the brutality. hypocrisy. and deceit of
the Prussian masters Of Germany 70
enter this war In defense Of our -
sential rights. We win not agree ~
an inconclusive peace. There Muse
be some one or some government W11A
which An Agreement caA - mA6o ~
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