Der Sonntagsbote und der Seebote. (Milwaukee, Wis.) 1912-1922, 1917-10-28


group of nations which is fight
ing expressly to secure an end
uring peace, should not be
somewhat more considerate of
what is, at least on the surface,
the most formidable concrete
peace program ever submitted
to the world by the government
of great and powerful nation.
1t would be sheer madness fo-
the governments of the Allies to
underestimate the explosive
force of this German peace of
fensive. 1t consists essentially
of a proposal for general dis
armament and the future settle
ment of international ccntro-
versies by compulsory arbitra-
ton. 1t contains an express
endorsement by the German
chancellor of the mo annexa-
tions and indemnities" resolution
of the Reichstag. 1t will un-
dOubtedly be followed by an of
fer to evacuate Belgium and
northern France in return for
the evacuation of the German
colonies. Such a proposal can
not be ruled out as vague, evas-
i've and meaningless. The Ger
mans offer to abandon by Joint
agreement the most dangerous
of all obstacles to an enduring
peace and they offer to sub
stitute for armies a better me-
thod of securing international
justice and bringing about the
needed international readjust-
ments. If their proposal could
be embodied in the treaty of
peace, it could be said with per-
feet conviction that the war
would be worth all that it had
cost in treasure and blood, that
our brothers in Russia, France
and the British Commonwealth
had not died in vain. The sign
atories of the treaty would be
doing something more and bet
ter than safeguarding the world
for democracy. They would be
furnishing to democracy its first
opportunity of undistracted and
unthwarted development. For
the first time in history there
would be a fair chance of re-
leasing human aspirations and
energies for the service of all
mankind.
But, it will be answered, the
German government does not
really mean what it says. 1t
has submitted plan OF disarma-
ment and obligatory arbitration
for the purpose of undermining
the fighting morale of its enc
mics. As soon as its purpose
is accomplished of dividing them
into peace and war factions, it
will place an impossible inter-
probation and application upon
its vague phrases. No terms OF
peace can even be discussed with
Germany until its ruling class
is superseded by a government
which the world has sufficient
reasons for trusting. All this
may be true, but if it IS true the
way to defeat the intrigue is
not to denounce and repudiate
it but to find some menas of ex-
posing its perhdy. Manifestly the
only way to bring about an
exposure is to accept it as an
informal basis of discussion. If
it is not accepted as basis for
discussion, liberals in Germany
and pacifsts all over the world
will suspect that the Allies are
more interested in crushing
Germany as the result of a de-
cisive military victory than
they are in laying the founda-
tions for an enduring peace. II
it is accepted as a basis of dis
cussion not only will liberals in
Germany be encouraged and
strengthened to hold their own
governments 70 an honest at
tempt to place an acceptable in
depreciation on the program but
those pacifsts among the Allied
nations who have supported re-
sistance to Germany in the in
terest Of an enduring peace will
have no reason for suspicion
and disaffection.
Such a discussion would not
imply an armistice. There should
be no cessation of hostilities un-
til German good faith had been
proved and an understanding
had been reached in reference to
the more important OF the spe-
cial problems with which the
settlement must deal. A re-
taxation of military and econ
omic pressure before salts
factory basis for a treaty OF
peace had been formulated
would merely encourage the
German government to increase
its demands. BY refusing an
arrnistice the Allies would prove
the inflexibility of their inten-
fio7 +O f10bt until +hev had ade-