Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-21
TALK OF PEACE TERMS

The air is now full Of peace suggestions. From Pet
rograd comes the report that Germany is about to make
peace proposals to the Allies, and the dispatches from
that somewhat unreliable news center state what are
represented to be the terms on which Germany Is willing
to make peace, The basis Of the purpprted offer is stat
ed In the familiar phrase. mo indemnities and no annex
ations." But there are some Celebrations and some mod
iftcations. The fate OF Alsace-Lorraine is to be decided
by the people Of those provinces themselves. Great Brit
ain is to retain the German South African colonies. but
is to pay Germany for them. That money is to be used
to repair the damage. SO far as this is possible. which
has been done to Belgium, France. Serbia and Rumania.
Poland i. to be an autonomous state under Austrianrcon-
troll, and the Russian provinces on the Baltic are to be
similarly autonomous under German control. Turkey is to
remain intact. Disarnnament ana international relations
generally are to he left to the dscixon OF a conference.
II is for the confederation Of proposals on this basis
that Germany, according to the PetrogFad reports. de-
sFs the inclusion Of the western Allies with, Russia in
q peace conferences. te.
1t is interesting to note that on the same day on
which these terms were set before the public, and in ad-
vance of their publication. the British, premier in an ad-
dress reiterated the position OF the British government,
which is the position q all the Anies, including the Unit
cd States, as to the forms which must be exacted from
Germany before the war can end. These terms are ip no
sense similar to those nav proposed BY Gernnaag.,sssss~y
The attitude Of the democratic nations on the mat
ter of peace terms has never changed since, in tho carry
days Of the war. they were first formulated. Premier As
auith OF Great Britain stated those terms terselys when
he said that, there would be e1acted from Germany res
titution, reparationsAnd guarantees In other words, Ger
many. without trade. bargain, condition or compromise.
must vacate the territory which she has criminally in
vaded. and which she now wrongfully occupies. She
must make such provision as her puny powers will per
init, when compared with the magnitude Of the injuries
which she has inflicted on the world. to rapair the dam
age which she has done. and to rehabilitate the nations
and provinces which she has overrun and desolate
and whose people she has dispossessed. starved, enslaved
and murdered. And she must give to an outraged world
adequate bonds that she Ftn keep the peace.
Those are the terms that must be. exacted from Ger
many, and the only terms that can be considered.
The report that suggestions Of this sort have come
from Germany is probably correct The making Of peace
proposals has for a long time been \ continuous perform.
anee with Germany. Sometimes she has been defiant
Come times she has given th4 appearance Of yielding
But on no occasion vet has she come forward souareay
with an expression Of willingness to restore what she ha.
stolen or to repay any considerable part Of the damage
that she has done. #r
Some sort of peace propoal. have been expected
from German about this time. Announcements more Of
less official have beeh made Of the coming Of ! Christ.
mas proposal from Germany, And It is the opinion OF
experts that the messing OF German forces on the wes
front would be used ~ a means Of forcing attention tc
the subject Of peace, The collapse Of Russia has frreed
yee front are now numerically equal to. and some an.
thoritiee say supertet ito the Allied strength in that sec
ton. The expert Of the New York Times estimates. tina
the German strength there Is to that Of the Allies Is min,
to eight The gun power OF the two sides Is estimated Il
be about equal since the transfer of guns from the Rus
sian front. In SAsals the Allies are said to have a decid
ed advantage. as also in air power. And the morale q
the Alnes who have been going forward, IL said to b
FAR better than that Of the Germans whose constant ret
rosessaon asshad = disheartening effecHt.
The Germans are evidently preparing forsa spectac
ular blow, and n heavy one. They are not likely 70 bresl
through the Allied lines. but, Asa the Tunes writer put
u. they can bend that line back il they Choose to expen,
mon enough in the entssbrise. The new psSce s,nrMtion
: come II . time whensthe German fore - maDed for
trsuassdo1 stroke and4it n the Neurological mosnsn