The Pensacola journal., 1917-06-15

snare was set and sprung.
Peace, peace, has been the talk of
her foreign office for now a year and
more. Not peace upon her own ini-
tiative, but upon the initiative of the
nations over which she now deems
herself to hold the advantage. A
little of the talk has been public. but
most of it has been private. Through
all sorts of channels it has come to
me, and in all sorts of guises, but
never with the terms disclosed which
the German government would be
willing to accept. The government
has other valuable pawns in it's hands
besides those l have mentioned. 1t
still holds a valuable part of France,
though with slowly relaxing grasp,
and practically the whole of Belgium.
Its armies press close upon Russia
and overrun Poland at their will. 1t
cannot go further; it dare not go
back. 1t wishes to close its bargain
before it is too late and it has little
left to offer for the pound of flesh it
will demand.
The military masters under whom
Germany is bleeding see very clearly
to what point fate has brought them.
If they fall back or are forced back
an inch, their power both abroad and
at home will fall to pieces like a
house of cards. 1t is their power at
home they are thinking about now
more than their power abroad. 1t is
that power which is trembling under
their very feet; and deep fear has
entered their hearts. They have but
one chance to perpetuate their mill
tary power or even their controlling
political influence. If they can secure
peace now with the immense advan-
tages still in their hands which they
have up to this point apparently
gained, they will have justified them
selves before the German people.
Their prestige will be secure
and with their prestige their political
power. If they fail, their people will
thrust them aside;' a government ac-
countable to the people themselves
will be set up in Germany as it has
been in England, in the United States,
in France and in all the great coun-
tries of the modern time except Ger
many. If they succeed they are safe
and Germany and the world are un-
done; if they fail Germany is saved
and the world will be at peace. If
! they succeed America will fall with
| in the menace. We and all the rest
of the world must remain armed, as
| they will remain, and must make
ready for the next step in their ag-
gression; if they fail, the world may
, unite for peace and Germany may be
of the union.
"Do you not now understand the
s-a&, L. 49,
and why the masters of Germany do
not hesitate to use any agency that
| promises to effect their purpose, the
| deceit of the nations? Their present
| particular aim is to deceive all those
| throughout the world who stand for
the rights of peoples and the self
government of nations; for they see
| what immense strength the forces OF
! justice and of liberalism are gather,
ing out of this war. They are en-
! ploying liberals in their enterprise
They are using men, in Germany
and without, as their spokesmer
whom they have hitherto despiseC
and oppressed, using them for theil
own estruction-socialists the lead
ers of labor, the thinkers they have
hitherto sought to silence. Let then
once succeed and these men, nov
their tools, will be ground to powder
beneath the weight of the great mill
tary empire they will have set up
the revolutionists in Russia will b
cut off from all succor or co-opera
ton in western Europe and a counter
revolution fostered and supported
Germany herself will lose her chanc,
of freedom, and all Europe will arm
for the next, the final struggle.
THE sinister intrigue is being nj
less actively conducted in this coun
try than in Russia and in ever!
country in Europe to which the agent,
and dupes of the imperial German