Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-18

the near east was scheme which, had
the sultan been sincere and the pow
ers united. could ever have been real
lied. 1t crtanly cannot be realized
now, The Turkey OF union and prog
ress' is at least as barbarious and is
lar more aggressive than the Turkey
OF Sultan Abdul Hamid. In the hand
OF Germany, il has ceased even in ap-
pearance TO be bulwark of peace and
is openly used as ar instrument OF
conquest
Under German officers Turkish
soldiers are now fighting in lands
from which they had long been ex-
PEELED and Turkish government con-
trollcd, subsidized and employed by
Germany has been guilty OF massa-
cres in Armenia and Syria more horri-
bic than any Recorded in the history
even of those unhappy countries. Evil
IDENTIFY the interests OF peace and the
claims Of nationality alike require that
Turkish rule over alien races shall if
possible be brought to an end; and we
may hope that the expulsion of Tur-
key from Europe will contribute as
much to the cause OF peace as the
restoration OF Alsace- Lorraine to
France, or Italia Irredenta to Italy, or
any OF the other territorial changes in
dicated in the allied note.
Provide no Security.
Evidently, however, such terri
torial arrangements, though they
may diminish the oceans of war, pro-
vide no sufficient security against its
recurrence If Germany, or rather
those in Germany who mould its
opinions and control its destinies,
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 it is made
impossible. They may still have
ready to their hand a political system
organized through and through on a
basis; they may still ac-
cumulate vast stores OF military equip
ment; they may still persist in their
methods OF attack, so that their more |
pacific neighbors will be struck down
before they can prepare themselves
for defense. II so, Europe when the
war is ovr will be far poorer in men,
in money and in mutual good will than
it was when the war began, but it will
not be safer; and the hopes for the
future OF the world entertained by the
president will be as far as, ever from
Germany Stands Above.
There are those who think that
'or this disease international treaties
md international laws may provide a
sufficient cure. But such persons have
II learned the lessons SO clearly
:aught by recent history. While other
nations, notably the United States of
america and Great Britain, were striv-
ng by treaties OF arbitration to
make sure that no chance quarrel
hould mar the peace they desired to
make perpetual, Germany stood aloof.
Her historians and philosophers
reached the splendors OF war; power
vas proclaimed as the true end of
he state, and the general staff forged
With untiring industry the weapons by
which at the appointed moment power
night be achieved. These facts
'roved clearly enough that treaty ar
angemcnts for maintaining peace
we're not likely to find much favor at
3erlin; they did not prove that such
reaties once made would be utterly
neffectual. This became evident only
When war had broken out, though the
demonstration, when it came. was
overwhelming So long as Germany
emains the Germany, which without
shadow of justification overran and
arbarously ill-treated a country it
vas pledged to defend. no state can
egard its rights as secure il they have
% better protection than a solemn
realty,
Belgium an Example.
"The case is made worse by the
election that these methods of cal
ulatcd brutality were designed by the
entral powers not merely to crush to
ne dust those with whom they we're
I war, but to intimidate those with
'hom they were still at peace. Bel
ium was not only a victim, it was
n example. Neutrals were intended
0 note the outrages which followed
IN its occupation, the deportation of
portion OF its population, the cruel
ppression OF the remainder. And lest
he nations happily protected, either
y British fleets or by their own from