Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-30
THE POPE'S PEACE


1oflty, was to be erected into an indie
pendent state. The southern Slavs from
in the Serbian state. Trieste. the Tren-
tino. II portion of Dalmatia and the
Adriatic islands sim preserving an Ital-
IAN character were to he Joined to Italy.
and the Latin population of Hungary
was to be joined to Rumania. leaving
"a much reduced kingdom OF Hungary
and Il mere shell of Austria-the re-
gions actually inhabited by Germans or
by Magyars.
Here, at Its maximum. We're the allied
war aims, all outgrowths of peculiar
conditions in Europe. all resting. so far
as the European proposals were con
cerned. upon the liberation of races held
subject to German. Austrian or Hun
garian tyranny.
Modified by the Revolution.
The Russian revolution. carrying
with 1T Il remuneration of the Russian
ambitions i'm Galicia and at the OAR
danelles. materially and instantly modi-
flee the allied program. II eliminated
h question of the partition of Asia
Minor and of eastern Austria. BY with
drawing Russian support from Ru-
mania n Serbian ambition it auto
matically terminated the hopes of these
people for the liberation of the por-
tions OF their race still under Austrian
rule, and in fact it demolished the
whole allied program for the d%estruc-
tlon OF Austria Hungary. since it was
not possible to conceive OF the liberia.
ton of II Slavs Of Austria-Hungary
without the direct aid of the great Slav
state of Russia.
ton entirely changed the war aims of
the allied nations, who, while they still
might believe in the justice of the pro-
gram which contemplated the liberia
ton of he Rumanian, the Serb, the
Czech and the Pole, were bound to rec
ognlze that such "A program was beyond
the resources OF the western nations.
once. Russia had renowned her part in
this policy.
There emaine W. sets of wal aims
the original purpose of the allies at
the beginning of the war to defend
Serbia and Belgium and the issues
~predicated upon the old wrongs Of AL
sace-Lorraine and of the Italian lire
denta. We have had in recent months
many reaffirmations OF the purpose of
the people of Great Britain and OF
France and of Italy to fight on until the
independence of Belgium and of Serbia
is assured and until the Serbian and
Belgian. people are Unidentified for the
sufferfngs n the losses incident to the
application of the German and Austrian
policies Of ruthlessness to their states.
We have had the declaration of the
French people through their prime
minister that France will fight until
Alsece-Lorrain is regained, and we
nave had the declaration of Mr.. Balfour
that England, in his opinion. must sup
port this French purpose. 1t is incon-
ceivable that Italy at this time would
lay aside her demand for Trieste and
the Trentino.
The p~roposal-of the pope as now for
Swallowed meets clearly the allied war
aims, so FAR as the independence OF Ser
bia and Belgium is concerned. Nor
could less be expected because without
such recognition no offer of mediation
would be considered by the allies now.
AS to the secondary questions OF AL
sace-Lorrain, Trieste and the Trentino,
papal policy contains the SUCCESS
ton that these, as we'll as the question
or Poland, be settled by negotiation and
by discussion. So far no suggestion
has been advanced as to how these
questions can be settled, or what court
OF last resort could be established to
settle them. and whose decision would
be accepted as final by the parties con-
cerned.
We should recognize at the outset of
all peace discussion that while in fact
the pope's proposal must be closely as
ISOLATED with Austria and with the
catholic party in Germany. the mere
NSs SAAS ~ AlASIuucS tu0 restoration or
Belgium and Serbia makes it tanta-
noun to demanding the defeat of Ger
many and of Austria. For it was over
Serbia and Belgium that the world went
70 war. 1t was to defend Serbia that
Russia drew the sword: the Belgian
episode supplied the occasion for Brit
ism entry into the war;: and If the terms
OF peace establish the independence OF
both these countries German defeat ia
unmistakable.
we must recognize also that the lib
GRAFTON and restoration of Serbia and
montenegro would restore that condi-
ton created by the second Balkan war.
which barred the rOa for the central
powers to the near east. 1t would re-
store the barrier between the comno-
nent parts of the German Mitteleuropa
empire. n thus 1t would leave Ger.
many and Austria, even had they no
other concessions to make, still in that
situation which seemed to their rulers
30 intolerable as to justify precipitating
o world struggle.
ltaiy 10 Get Trentino.
We can conceive easily that Austria
is prepared now to offer Italy the Tren-
tin0. since practical offer Of this ter
ritory. vital to the safety OF Italy and
inhabited by the Italians, was made
prior to ltaly's entrance into the war.
n there 10 any chance Of an Austrian
cesston OF Trieste IL unthinkable. Com
|ceivably-and only conceivably-the
Germans may. under pressure from
Austria, consent to the restoration Of
Metz and the small French speaking
portion Of Lorraine around that city.
That Germany would make any further
|conceasion In sAlsace-Lorraine at this
time 10 unbelievable.
Actually. 30 tar a. one IAN see. the
possible cessi0n Of the Trentino % italy
= OF Metric France is the extreme
that papal mediation can hope to reach