Licking Valley courier., 1917-10-11
review OF
MiE PAST week
Peace Offered by the
Raiser Slowly Losing Its
German Features.
MICHAELIS PROVES A FAILURE
Lloyd George Says England viii Fight
Until France Regains iAlsace-Lor.
. rains--Ailies Make Another Sue
eessful Drive in Flanders-More
. Of 6ernstorff's Perfidy Is Re.
yealed by Lansing.
BY EDWARD W. plcKARp.

Kaiser Wilhelm reminds one of the
oid-fashloned peddler of notions who
would keep adding packages of
needles, watches and. even silver coins,
20 his little bundles Of bargains until
sale was effected. With northern
France and no indemnitles already in
his bargain offering, the emperor has
added Belgium-with cOnditiOns-and
now II Is reported he and Emperor
Charles of Austria-Hungary are pre-
pared to throw in Alsace, the price
being peace and. the return of Ger
manys colonies. In word, the Ger
man peace for which the kaiser shows
80 consuming a desire is becoming less
German every day, and IL the allies
just say nothing and saw w0od--as
they probably WILT may finally take
on an appearance that will warrant
their consideration.
To be sure, Chancellor Mlchaelis
says that peace is impossible so long
as Germany's enemies demand any
German soil or try to drive wedge
between the German emperor and his
people, but the chancellor is hard
pressed to save his political fortunes.
He and Vice Chancellor HelfTerich are
being bitterly attacked because of the
policy of fostering pan-Germanism in
the country and the army and ut the
same time making promises of mild
ness In return for peace. Michaelis
was compelled to tell the relchstag
that he did not stand for the extreme
demands of the pan-Germanlstr, and
for the time being his opponents were
satisfied; but his failure as chancellor
is pronounced.
Foreign Secretary Won Kuehlmann Is
more yielding than the chancellor for
he told the reichstag that there now
exists mo impedlment to peace, no
questions that could not be settled by
negotiations, except for the French
demand for Alsace.Lorraine." He
added that Germany could make no
concessions with regard to those prov.
inces.
Premier Lloyd George was quick to
take up this challenge of Won Kuehl-
mann's. II do not think that any
statement Is more calculated to pro-
long the war;" he said. However
long the war may last England in
tends to stand by France until she has
redeemed her oppressed children from
their foreign yoke"
Reasons Many and Plain.
The reasons for the kaiser's In
creaslng moderation in demands are
not far to seek. They are found in
the daily dispatches recording the re.
peated successful thrusts of the allies
In Flanders; the advances of the Brit.
fish in Mesopotamia and Africa the
shortage OF German shells; the grow
Ing unrest in the armed forces of Ger
many, reaching the stage of mutlny
In the fleet; the scarcity of food in
the central nations, and perhaps most
potent OF all, the steady, irresistible
progress Of the United States toward
full preparation for war to II vlctorl-
Gus conclusion.
Then, too, the kaiser sees added to
the list of his enemies more Of the
fast dwindllng number OF those not
hitherto on that roll of honor. Though
President lrlgoyen managed to stuve
of warllke action by Argeptlna, Peru
and Uruguay last week broke OF dip
lomatic relations with Germany and
sent away Its ministers,
The European nations that remain
neutral are suffering more and more
Holland pleads with America for feed
especially, with the open threat that II
It is w sent, she will have TO slaugh-
ter at least half her cattle and, hav-
inE no means Of preserving the meat,