Der Sonntagsbote und der Seebote. (Milwaukee, Wis.) 1912-1922, 1917-10-28
DISARMAMENT
AND DEMOCRAT
The Great Force of the German
Peace Offensive Must Not
be lJndereStimated.
From The N New Republic.

peace nave Deen characterized
as new move in the Ger
man peace offensive. The
characterization is correct. The
Germans have allowed the mill
tary initiative to pass to theAllied
armies, apparently because they
are convinced of the impossible
ity of a decision on land except
at the cost of a heart-breaking
/, process of competitive annihila-
ton. They have ceased to count
upon winning a decisive victory
by means OF the submarine at
tack on the communications of
their enemies. That offensive,
too, has only availed to increase
the volume of human goods and
life which is needed to satisfy
the wars Unsuitable appetite for
destruction. They have, conse-
quently, shifted their attack
again and are now seeking to
better their military position by
a political initiative. They are
methodically developing an agi-
tation for peace, which if 1t
succeeds may save something
from the wreck of their great
adventure and which if it fails
may at least place the German
people in a stronger position
than their enemies to endure the
strain of another year of grind
ing war. Manifestly German
military and naval operations
are now being subordinated 20
a settled policy of invigorating
and sustaining peace propa-
ganda.
But although the newspapers
are fully justified in appraising
the present German strategy as
a political offensive, some of
them draw incorrect and danger
Gus inferences from the estimate.
Because they recognize the dam
age which a German peace pro-
paganda may do to the cause of
the Allies, they propose to treat
the new initiative as a military
assault which must be blindly
and Indignantly repulsed. They
propose to answer it by words
of defiance and by a renewed
declaration of intention never
to stop fighting until Germany
is willing to sue instead OF to
negotiate for peace. This at
titude is, we believe, justified in
so far as it insists on the advis-
ability of an increase, rather
than relaxation of military
and naval preparations and eXer-
tions, for any evidence OF re-
taxation might be treated by the
Germans as a sign of weakness.
1t is, however, wrong in trust
ing to recriminations and words
of defiance as a sufficient or
even a safe defense against the
German peace initiative. In this
region the Allies cannot allow
the Germans to dictate the tao
tics and force the fighting. The
new political offensive is seri-
Gus, timely, we'll organized and
win be carried through. 1t is
directed not as it was last win
ter against the strongly fortl-
fed political trenches of the Al
lies but at the weaker part of
what may be called their poll
teal communications. Just as
the Presidents diplomacy rests
on an appeal to German liberal
ism. so the German diplomacy
rests on an appeal to English,
Russian, French and American
pacihsm. 1t is intended to divide
the more pacifst countries like
Russia and the United States
from the less pacihst countries
such as France and Great Brit
ain. 1t is intended to widen
any breach which already exists
in those countries between the
less and the more bellicose
parties. To answer it exclusive
ly by words of defiance, by in
creasing military preparations
and by insistence on military
victory only increases its effect
iveness. Such tactics ignore the
TACT that the Germans are either
appealing to or are seeking to
undermine the strongest moral
support of the Allied cause.
While the statesmen and editors
OF the Allied countries are
triumphantly asserting how lit
lie they fear the German peace
offensive, that offensive is act
uallv working on the minds of
MANY OF their humber and less
valiant fellow-citizens, and It IS
working all the more powerfully
because of the blindness and
stupidity OF the ordinary retort.
1t Is making many of those who
carry the burden of the war