New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-19

olic citizens, the war party in Germany
could still continue to seek the realization
of its great ambition, both in Belgium and
! in Southeastern Europe. That France
would at the present time make such a
surrender seems unbelievable, just as it
seems equally unbelievable that Italy would
give up her claim to the Italian city of
Trieste, which fate has assigned to an
alien rule.
! But it must be recognized that if there
: ic any question of peace by negotiation now
! It must carry with it either the restoration
to Germany of the colonies which she
has lost in Africa, or a readjustment Of
colonial boundaries in Africa which should
give Germany real "place in the African
sum- because while Germany is in pos
session of French and Belgian territory
it is totally unlikely that she will consent
to evacuate both without indemnity and
in addition to cede territory which was
French before 1870, to be sure, but has
been German since 1871.
Calls for a German Defeat
Actually the Papal proposal, so far as
it is yet made public, calls for German
defeat, because it reestablishes the in.
dependence and integrity of Serbia-the
first problem raised by the war-and the
independence and integrity of Belgium, the
second problem raised. 1t means that, after
all the German sacrifice in lives and in
treasure Germany must find herself where
she started on the map, but with her
commercial establishments ruined all over
the world
1t is suggested that the Papal docu-
ment will propose that there shall be no
economic war after the military struggle
is terminated. But granted that there
were no tariff walls erected against Ger
many, giving mutual benefits to her pres
ent enemies, no agreement by treaty or
otherwise could restore German financial
and commercial establishments in Great
/ Britain, in France, in Italy, or in the
British, French, and even the American \
overseas world. The fact that the Ger
mans have used their financial and COM
nercial establishments as a basis for po-
litcal and military operations; the fact
that the German conduct of the war has
aroused an enduring hatred Of Germans
and of German things, will remain for long
years an obstacle to the restoration of
German commerce and to the reconquest
of those markets in which German in
fuence was so great before the war.
Therefore the ruling party and powers
in Germany, or, as one might choose to
say, the ruling and dominating idea in
Germany which led to war, must find them
selves At the end unable to bring home
single profit for an enormous expenditure
and obliged to confess not only to tenn
porary losses but to permanent dsadvan-
tages all over the world
On the other hand, there will be nee
essarily a large party in all the nations
at war which will believe that the Papal
proposal actually, if not in purpose, would
spare Germany from that military decision
which would decisively dispose of the
German policy and the German concep-
ton and for long years, if not for all
time, put an end to the German dream
of world power based upon military eff
ficiency and upon the methods of ruthless
ness and violence which have been en-
ployed by Germany in the air, at sea and
in the invaded districts.
Mo.t Irunortant Peace Stem Yet
To foreshadow what will be the recep-
tion of this Papal proposal is no part
of the commentator upon current events.
The world is war weary. There is long
ing everywhere for peace. There has been
an immense shrinkage in the programme
of the Allied nations, even in details which
were most deserving of success. 1t may
be that German adoption Of the present
proposal will come promptly, and if il
does no one can mistake the effect that it
will have in the Allied countries, because
il will be in fact, if no; in form, confess
sion of defeat and vindication Of the
original purpose of the nations at war
With Germany.
Actually its reception, granted the res
toration of Belgium and Serbia is un-
conditional and complete, must depend
largely upon the French and Italian at
titudc toward the questions of Alsace-
Lorraine and the Trentino. 1t is not too
much to say that it is far and away the
most important peace suggestion yet made.
and, difficult a. is the pathway which the
Pope has to pass, it is by no means i'm
possible that he may achieve his goal
In any evert, we must recognize that
there is bound to be different reception
for this proposal than for that Of Presi-
dent Wilson many months ago and Of
the German Emperor which preceded Mr..