Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-05
Why the Kaiser Wants q Truce.

The Kaiser's continual efforts to obtain ia
vorable truce before our fighting strength gets
fully into swing shows what change has come
over his estimate OF the United States. Our for
bearance during the first two and half years OF
the war, ne mstook for spinelessness and conclud-
ed that no injury insult could drive the dollar
chasers'' to battle. Even when Congress declared
war he smiled contemptuously at what he called
American bluff" Despising regular army, he
never doubted that pro-German influence in this
country would succeed in defeating the Selective
Service plan, on which the raising of adequate
military forces depended. The enactment OF that
Law was somewhat of jolt 10 his staggering
confidence as was also the oversubscription of
the first Liberty Loan. But he still pooh-poohed
the idea of the United States playing an appre-
ciabIe part at the battle front. The war would
be over he boosted. and he would be collecting
enormous taxes from Washington before shipload
OF American soldiers could get the Atlantic,
or before the majority OF the American people
we're fully aware of what happening.
But the Kaiser and his Junkers now begin to
realize that the United States has resolution as
we'll as resources and that having entered the war
1t purposes to fight relentlessy until the world
is forever free from his black menace. He has
seen his plots to influence Congress and to align
other nations against crumble away. He has
seen the loyalty and unity of the American people
preparations moved forward with giant strides. He
has seen the pacifists and antidraft agtators and
others on whom he counted to hamper American
effectiveness swept aside by the torrential earnest
ness of the nations purpose. substantial nu-
ceus of an American army already in France,
large contngents of other trained troops prepared
to go, close to a million now mastering at train
ing camps and millions more available and will
ing-this the Kaiser he watches the
long-sunerfng but militant Democracy
whose rights he brutality assaulted and whose
ueople he despised He knows, Amer
leans themselves do. that many months more will
be required to organize their vast resources and
exert them at the front; but he realizes, too that
the work of organization is thoroughly and swiftly
under way and that the country's will is set like
iron against him and his murderous despotism
That is one of the basic reasons why the
Kaiser is intriguing more busy than ever Tor
peace. In 1915 he said to Mr.. Gerard, After the
war America had better look out" But America
did look out" sooner than he expected, and in
consequence he sees the doom of HohenzOllernism
moving inexorably upon him from the land he had
reserved for future invasion. There is but hope
OF this red-handed tyrant's saving his criminal
regime from the fires of Justice and that lies in
making an Inconclusive peace before the American
forces are fairly in the field. That is why Berlins
peace feelers are worming their way again.
That is why the pro-German agents and particu-
larry the yellow-streaked pro-German newspapers
of this country are doing their utmost to make
it appear that the Kaiser stands ready TO accept
President Wilson's peace terms. But the Amer
lean people are neither the cravens the Kaiser
took them for. nor the fools which his spokesman
on this side evidently consider them. They know
that the world will never be safe for democracy
nor their own country safe against brutal Prus-
sianisn unless this is fought to just and
victorious end. And to that righteous cause they
have dedicated, as did their forhears. their for
tunes, their honor and their lives.