New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-23
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Prussia who az sundry times and IN
divers manners, spske OF peace in time past
unto the Allies by Won Bethmann-Hollweg,
Michaelis, Tisza and Radoslavof, hath in
these last days spoken again by the Pope
Far be il from me to be fippant or sacri-
legious when | substitute few words in the
opening chapter of Apostle PauPs Epistle TO
the Hebrews. And who, after careful read
ing of the Vaticans encyclic, will for one
moment doubt that the so-called peace terms
can be traced back to the recent Reichstag
peace resolution. One thing is clear: Pope
Benedict would never have spoken were ne
not informed beforehand that one set Of bel
ligerents will accept his terms.
! What the Pope advocates is in essence
return to the status quo ante-bellum. And
what else does Germany wish but return
to the old order of things. Prussia set out
to conquer the world and, failing in this, she
wants the world to forget what she did and
let her 20 back to the "ancien regime"
But it was this very status quo that
brought calamity to the world. To return to
the old order of things would in fact be only
an armistice, during which Germany will
prepare for a more favorable time to strike
again, and this time harder. There will
be no Belgium then to oppose her in the
march toward Paris Belgium would never
again dare stand in the way of the modern
Attila She paid too dearly when she halted
him before Liege and Nsmur last time.
return to the status quo would leave an un-
81 y
Austria. 1t would leave the French wound
of Alsace-Lorraine still open; Italia lire
denta would still be under the Hapsburgs'
yoke, and Pennsylvania would still be
chained to the Magyar.
The Status Quo Ante
A peace on the foundations Of status
quo would have the same results as the Con-
gress of Vienna had In 1Sl4-15 the great
powers met at Vienna for the express pur-
pose of settling the political affairs OF Eu-
rope, which was torn to pieces by Napoleon
Bonaparte. The present war IS but sequel
to the unjust distribution OF lands and "po-
litical influences" that were agreed to in
1915. 1t is a certainty that Europe would
not be suffering from the present carnage II
the powers had taken Talleyrands advice
to distribute the different countries on the
principle Of legitimacy. And who would ever
think for one moment that war between
Russia and Germany would be possible If
there were an independent, strong and free
Polish state between the two countries
Gar Alexander | advocated the restoration
Of the Polish nation, but every one knows
that the chief opponent to such plan was
Austria return to the status quo would
mean a common Russo-German frontier from
Memel to Mysowitz, with no buffer state be-
tween. Yes, it is true that Germany has
created a new Poland, and the Pope advo-
Gates a free Polish nation, but what good is
it to have a small, weak Poland under Teu-
tonic suzerainty? Would Germany surren-
der her part of ancient Poland from Danzig
to Thorn, and is Austria willing to help ere
ate strong Polish nation by surrendering
Galicia? A weak Poland would mean another
Belgium in the way of the Teuton.
Germany's Record
And then the Pope asks that disarmament
and "the material force Of arms be substi-
tuted by the moral force CO right" Now
the Pope knows as we'll as any one that
takes the care to be informed on interna-
tional politics that Germany was the first
country to introduce CONSUMPTION of man.
/ hood for the purpose of war. Time and again
have the other powers tried to convince Ger
many that it would be in the interest of all
Europe and the rest of this planet to reduce
the standing armies. After the Balkan wars
was it not Germany that increased her peace
strength at home? Was it not Austria that
added another 100000 soldiers to her al
ready large garrisons? This forced France
to increase the military term from two to
three years
AS to arbitration, let every one ask and
answer the following questions:
| Did or did not Austria refuse Sir Edward
Grey's proposal for an extension Of her ul-
timatum to Serbia so as to give time to the
other powers to arbitrste?
Did or did not Austria refuse Serbia's
suggestions that in case she (Austria) was
displessed with her (Serbia's) 80 per cent
favorable answer to the ultimatum, the whole
question should be submitted to The Hague
Tribunal for arbitration?
Did or did not Germany refuse Sir Edward
Goschen's hint that she urge Vienna to ar
bitrate?
And when Sir Edward Grey proposed con-
ference of England, France, Italy and Ger
many, did or did not Won Jagow fatty re-