Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-10-01

GEnMAMv'S PEACE MAMEUvERINGs
tGalvcston News

Apparently the immediate task Of Pope
Benedict, in hi work of pcace-making, i
to get from Germany some definition Of
those vague phrases which il ha. employed
in its discussions of the subject. He seems
to be e~ndeavoring. in other words. To drag
Germany ideas ont of the ob>curity with
which they nave been invested. into 4 light
which will disclose their meaning to IT.
enemies. That the accomplishment OF this
task is essential To the success of the
pope's effort to bring the belEeereni, to an
accommodation j. manifest. The enemies
of Germany can act:ept nothing arom II
On faith. What wonli be an excess of pre-
-cauu in dealing with almost amy other
government becomes n matter of the most
elemental prudence in dealing with a gov
eminent which has SHOWN that it, diplom-
acy is not much more than a refinement
of the arts OF ~mendacity and deception.
Not until any proposals which Germany
cares to make shall have been reduced TO
an explicitne>s of expression which leaves
nothing 10 inference would it be advisable
to make definite response to any overture
that may come from that quarter.
The first evidence of the pope's present
effort j. given in DIR. k~uehlmann'~ outline
of the conditions on which Germany l.
preff1 ned 10 evacuate Belgium. The dis
patches tell u that. in response 10 verbal
inquiry, the German minister of foreign
affairs has notified the papal nuncIo at
Munich that his government j. ready to
cva.nafo R.I.,tuu aud avon =. nay a mart
of the war damage done. on certain eondi-
lions. One of these i thai Belgium shall
give a guarantee hat any szcb menace n
that which threatened Germany j. 1914
would be excluded in future Another Is
that Germany shall enjoy the right To de-
velop her economi enterprises freely in
Belgium. especially in Antwerp Ii seems
TO be also demanded that the Flemish and
Walloon section of the country shall be
distinguished Tor administrative purposes.
Quick upon the success of this inquiry. the
vatican has announced that the proposal
TO organize The conquered territory Of Rus
STA into one or more separate kingdoms
under German protection does not fit in
with the scheme of peace contemplated by
the pope's original note.
These are definite. though not mea~nr-
able steps. towards the pope's goal. The
stipulation concerning Belgium lacks much
OF having the explIcitne-s which the allies
VIII doubtless require before they will feel
warranted in making any concrete answer. |
One i left to conjecture, for example. |
what Is meant by the claim OF Germany.
fright to develop her economic enterprises |
freely IN Belgium. especially al Antwerp
If it means that Germany or IL citizens are
to enjoy in the restored Belgium any priv
iieges that are not accorded to any other |
nation or people. of course it will be re-
Jected pe%rempiorIl,. But even III thi, |
phrase were defined in Il way to make II
acceptable the whole proposal with re-
spect TO Belgium would be rejected because
it implies, not only that Germany wa,
g~uiltless Of any wrong by lis invasion of
Belgium, but that Belgium itself incurred
ITS iminen >urable sufferirgs by intriguing
against Germany. Terms whose implication
both f~aisifies history and acquits Germany
or the awful indictment which the truth of
history brings against ii. afford merely the
Tor further discussion, and not
. basis of peace negotiations.
: !. But IT is because this postscript 10 Ger
many $ answer TO the pope does afford
. basis for further discussion. that il IL,
1t i pretty good evidence thaty