New-York tribune., 1917-10-10
Futile Peace Talk

President Wilson agrees Win tne LedSu'
for National Unity that talk of peace
terms before Germany Is defeated is
futile and harmful. Such talk, as the
President rightly says, is an evidence of
misdirected thought It diverts attention
from the one essential purpose this coun-
try has in view, which is to put an end TO
the terrorist activities Of the present Ger
man government 1t is idle TO discuss
peace until we bring that government TO
terms. or until the German people them
selves overthrow il. repudiate its policies
Of brutal aggression and show willing
ness 10 make reparatiou for the succession
of crimes which Germany's rulers have
committed under the plea of military ne
cessity.
All the peace talk which has filed the
world in recent months has been of Ger
man origin and has served a German pur-
nose The Germans are keen for nego-
tated peace. They are anxious to enter
into a conference in which they can bar
gain in the old way for terms, concession
on their part offsetting counter conceS-
sion on the part OF the Entente Allies. On
the basis Of the war map they would have
every advantage in a gve-and-take settle
ment. They hold vast areas of enemy ter
ritorv. They have already consolidated, by
making dependent states Of Austria-Hun-
gary, Bulgaria and Turkey, that Mittel-
europa which has been the dream of the
pan-German empire builders.
Germany is pressing for peace on.
terms which will assure her the fruits of
her sacrifices. Her present government
will accent no other terms. 1t cannot af-
ford TO relinquish German conquests and
to offer reparation for the damage 1t has
done in territory which German armies
have occupied. The influences now in
power in Berlin have no idea of seeking
peace except as a means of furthering ma
tional aggrandizement.
In the last months of Bethmann-Holl-
weg's chancellorship there were signs that
the more popular of the parliamentary
groups were beginning to despair of VIC
tory and to turn toward peace as an end
desirable in itself. Bethmann-Hollweg
sympathzed to some extent with the war
WEAKNESS of the elements represented by
the Social Democratic and Centre or
Catholic parties. These parties forced
through the Reichstag an ambiguous decla-
ration in favor of peace without annexa-
tons or indemnites.
But Bethmann-Hollwegf fell, the victim
Of d reactionary movement headed by the
. Crown Prince Hindenburg and Luden-
N dorff, the militarsts and the junkers.
" The new Chancellor. Michaeis has
talked peace, but has absolutely refused to
commit the government to any definite
peace terms. He is even unwilling to sub
scribe to the principle Of no annexations
and no indemnities. He cannot publicly or
explicitly approve this principle, so indus
triously advocated by German agents in
Russia, in Sweden and elsewhere, making
use of the machinery Of the international
Socialist organization. If he did he would
ALLEVIATE the pan-Germans and the military
leaders and be forced to follow Bethmann-
Hollweg into retirement.
The military autocracy, which still holds
Germany by the throat, cannot, in fact,
propose terms of peace which the Entente
Allies would be willing to discuss without
paving the way for its own abdication. 1t
would have to make public confession that
its leadership had failed. 1t would have to
confess responsibility for a catastrophe
whose extent the German mind still re-
fuses to realize.
Any peace which the non-German world
can consider worth while must involve the
destruction Of the existing German govern
ment For when the government grows so
weak that il must ask for real peace in
volving a remuneration Of all its plans Of
conquest and spoliaton. the German people
will themselves turn and rend it. 1t can
have no function any longer in Germany
cured of the militaristic mania.
For the present, therefore, and so long
as Michaelis continues in power, talk of
peace terms with Germany is breath
wasted. The Allies have everything to lose
and nothing to gain by entering blind
neace conference. in which Germany is to
disclose Just what of her spoil she hopes
TO keep and what of it she is ready TO
surrender. If Germany wants genuine
peace she will have to pay an enormous
price for it. Her government is not ready
to pay that price; neither are her people.
When the Germans begin to care more
about peace itself than about the terms OF
peace it will be time enough TO talk peace.
A peace which will last and which will Sc
cure the world against a repetition OF the
horrors of the last three years can be