The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-05

continued from rage one)
this year advised Germany to de-
mocratize herself that the path to
peace was shown A week before the
imperial rescript Lloyd-G or
echoed President Wilson's advice, but
the credit of making an early peace
possible is in Paris given principally
to Mr.. Wilson.
AS / have pointed out in several
articles this year, the position in
Europe at the opening of the spring
campaign was:
/, Peace could he obtained this
year only through the defeat of Ger
many, If Russia pulled full weight
during the good weather; or, alter
nately. if the Prussian junkers who
hitherto have held the kaiser and the
army in their grip, yielded before big
American armies appeared In the
field next spring.
2. Peace would be deferred until
1918 at the earliest If the Pan-Ger-
mans tincluding the junkers) retain
their grip upon the army, held out
against all hope of victory and de-
termined to drag down Germany in
their own final collapse.
Prospects Better for Peace.
Today the peace problem can be
put in the same terms, though thanks
to the influence of American ideas in
Germany and to- the failure of the
submarine campaign to put England
out Of action, the prospects of end
ing the war this year have increased
tremendously
Although the German press has
been saying little about American
armed Intervention. and that little in
the sense of affected scorn informa-
ton reaching Paris through private
channels has shown that the early
arrival of the vanguard of the armies
that are building for General PERISH
ing has struck terror into the hearts
of the German rulers. The German
people are now convinced that Presi-
dent Wilson and his administration
are putting every ounce of energy into
the prosecution of the war and that
II the government waits for the
American blow to fall in France tbs !
destruction of their armies will be
absolute
a "Hindenburg Peace" Wanted by |
Jnnkcrs.
Seeing the constitutional reforms |
that have been proposed the Pan !
Germans in May last started upon a ,
big campaign throughout Germany in !
favor of "Hindenburg peace" ICON |
the expense of France and Russia) |
and It seemed at one time as II the /
campaign would make a reasonable |
peace this year an impossibility That /
It has not succeeded is due to Presi- /
dent Wilson's thorough going war
ri easures, He has convinced the
German people that a "Hindenburg
peace" is absolutely beyond the
bounds On possibility and that the |
longerfhey hold out the less likely is |
such a peace to be brought about |
The result is that according to very |
reliable information. there is no town |
in Germany, big or little, where the |
sentiment in favor OF an early peace |
on reasonable terms has not pat pan
Germanic ideas into the, shade, y
What makes peace fail Just short I
of certainty is lack or knowledge as |
to how Germany's new leaders will !
look upon the questions of Alsace- !
Lorraine and reparation to France |
and Belgium. AS soon as they agree |
to the formula that the retrocession |
of the two provinces to France will I,
merely be process OF Instrumentation. |
the second and last serious obstacle |
to peace will have been overcome.
May Soon Be Ready to Act.