TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-08-10

$3.50, ""N NANS a."
nually.
With Belgium, Rumania, Ser
bia, Poland and the Baltic Pro-
~vinces in their possession, the
Central Empires are assured Of
enough food, coal, iron, cop
per and oil to be self-sustain.
ling. Germany is war weary
and worn, to be sure, but SO
are all the combatants, and con-
sidering all these facts, it does
seem to us it is hopeless to cx-
lpect that either alliance can de-
cisively defeat the other for
manys more years.
We think that if the war
should continue for ten years
the antagonists would still face
each other upon terms of prac-
tical equality, as each would
continue to slaughter its enc
mics resources in about rne
SAME pIOPOILlOH
We confess that we can see
no other probable outcome OF
the prolongation of the war
than that prophesied by Lord
Londesborough in the British
Parliament two years ago. when
he said:
IF the collective common
sense of mankind does not
find some means Of ending
this hideous war before it is
too late, Europe will become
a desert, peopled only by old
men, women and children"
Our purpose in taking part
in this war, unless all our pro.
fessions were false, was to
bring peace to the world. We
expressly disclaimed any desire
to make gains, to annex ter
ritory or to exact indemnities.
Now, it seems to us that the
opportunity to end the wal IL
knocking at our door, that it
invites our craftsmanship and
solicits both our magnanimity
and our self-interest.
We think that Our Govern
ment, being in a sense disinter-
ested and wholly apart from
the hidden intrigues and com
cealed ambitions Of the Europe-
an Cabinets, should earnestly
counsel the allies to agree to
a preliminary peace conference
at least.
One thing is certain. There
can never be any peace at all
without a previous conference.
And it is most equally GER
tain that il the war should BIS
prolonged one year or two
Iyears or ten years, the warning
alliances would find themselves
in about the same relative po-
sitions, and that there would be
then practically the same rea.
sons for and the same objec-
tons to a peace conference
which exist now.
It seems to us that the bright.
est and perhaps the only hops
OF restoring peace to Europe
upon the basis Of ordinary in.
stitutions lies in our Govern.
ment's urging and, if need be
compelling, a conference OF the
warning groups.
1t goes without saying thai
we could compel such a con-
ference by appealing not only %
the self-interest and to what
ever is left OF the good sense
OF the warning Governments,
but by also appealing to the in
terests and the ~anxieties Of the
harassed neutral Powers-or, in
|: other words, to the collective
| common sense of mankind"
We think that no man liv-
! ing can point out any probable
! change in the present relations
of the Powers, or any likelihood
: of the conquest of one group BY
the other, or any desirable re-
suit at all that is likely to oc.
I our from the prolongation Of
this war, which is wasting
! humanity and destroying civil
: cation.
We think that we can fore
: see the most serious possibilities
! and the gravest periIs that may
: easily arise to threaten the
white peoples in case this war
S is insanely prolonged to their
mutual exhaustion, if not to
their mutual destruction.
Since we feel this way, ws
would be recreant to our own
conscience and to our OWE
sense Of journalistic duty, and
e to our own affection for OUT
most dear native country, If we
did not earnestly urge upon
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