The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-05-24

Bulgaria and Turkey into a whole
economic entity thus established
with formidable tariff wall has been
made clear by the declarations OF
Frederick Naumann and other ex-
ponents of an economic "Mittel
Europa
Some influential men of this
group even have suggested that Ger
many go So far Immediately as to es-
tablish joint chancellory for Ger
many, Austria and Hungary to con-
duct foreign affairs.
All of this is taken as revealing the
peril OF a premature peace "hicn
should leave the German southeast
ern domains unbroken. 1t is regard
ed as giving sinister color to re-
cent movements for a separate peace
for Austria Hungary or Bulgaria, IN
the region where German conquest IS
most safe: to the eagerness with
which German leaders have taken up
the cry OF mo annexations' SO tar
as the great national powers are CON
cerned; to the German chancellor
Reichstag speech indicating that the
government was not yet ready to re-
nounce its territorial gains in France,
Belgium and Russia, while all other
matters are left in suspense. Any re-
nunciation of territory. it is saio,
would include Poland, which would
he made Tree state" under the Ger
man plan. but would remain wholly
under German domination.
The turn of affairs is accepted, too
as bringing .Austria-Hungary more
clearly into relief as the area OF pos
siblc operations to impose barrier
between Berlin and Constantinople.
In that connection is recalled the dec
laration of the Allies, replying 10
President Wilson's peace note III the
light of knowledge which only now
has become available here, that the
war must accomplish 1.-The liberation
Of Italians. OF Slavs, OF Ruman'ans
and of Tzecho-Slovacs from foreign
domination; the enfranchisement OF
populations subject to he-bieedy
tyranny of Turkey; the expulsion
from Europe Of the Ottoman empire
and the restoration of Serbia, Monte
negro and Rumania.
Such a program, it is pointed out
would effectually break up the
greater Germany now established as
the nucleus of world Germany. 1t
would impose Rumanian-Serbian
barrier between Austria and Bulgaria,
would further enlarge this barrier by
restoring to Rumania her 3 IL mil
lion nationals in Eastern Hungary
and probably to Serbia fifty thousand
Serbo-Croatians in Southern Austria
and large section of Bulgaria; would
establish at the crucial southern
point of the dual empire free ma
ton of ? million Tzecho-Slovacs. and
in the North a free Poland by the
addition of S million Poles now un-
der Austrian rule; would restore
million Italians to Italy and upwards
of million Slavs to Russia, and IN
addition would dismember the then
detached Turkish territory to the
south by liberating the Americans
and Syrians and removing the OAR
danelles from German domination.
American officials have made it
clear that in cooperating with the
Allies the United States was not en-
tering a binding alliance to accom-
plish definite and detailed territorial
aims; but there is every evidence
that the government understands in
concrete form the crucial Southeast
ern element of the situation and re-
Allies the enormity of the struggle
that must be won before the world
is made safe for democracy"