Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-02

wish TO commit ourselves to partic- !
ulnr demands against France until /
this point is made quite clear But |
one cannot. on the other hand, com
pletely disregard the consideration /
al the peace table The Franklin
ter Zeityng, long the preacher Of .
peace ~ understanding, now the
advocate OF annexation Of Belgium
in scarcely yelled terms said regard
ing the French anneNauonsD I'm
nredlately after the war Briey will be
very useful, The world huugers for
iron, and Gerban muniuon factories
WI be in a position TO satisfy that
need II they have the raw material
which Briey can, in part, supply.
The export of iron will pay for tho
huge imports necessary, will help to
raise the value of the mark, and to
reopen old business avenues
It would be possible to take up,
enc by one, the questions Of the
retention by Germany Of the Chan
mel ports, OF the disguised annexa-
ton of Belgium, of tho imposition OF
indemnities, and show in a similar
fashion that German opinion is now
determined to back up the pan-Cer-
mans to the extreme limit on each
and all of these issues, IL the pam
Germans can deliver the goods In
the west,
The great mass OF tho German
people belong either 10 the Social
list party or to the Catholic Center
party. These two organizations be-
tween them represent at least four
fifths of articulate Germany. When
the Center party, under the leader
oh ~ EN,uI pa
by understanding position last sum
mer and forced through the Reich
stag on July 10 the no indemnities
ana no annexations resolution. to
which they compelled the new chan
cellor, Michaelis, and later Count
Hertling to do lip service. 1t seemed
10 many observers outside Germany
that the German people at length
was rousing itself 1t is now known
here that the reason the Center
party demanded peace was because
Austria. last summer, declared un-
der no circumstances could she fight
on beyond Christmas Erzberger
read in secret session letter from
Emperor Charles to this effect. The
peace with Russia and the victory
over Italy determined Austria to go
on; the Ludendorff successes in the
west removed the last reason why
the Center should keep up its hypo-
critical attitude any longer.
! 1t Is understood hero that the
chancellor compelled the leaders OF
| the moderate" parties, In secret
meeting on April Ia TO repudiate
formally the reichstag peace resolu'
ton. Hertling is reported to have
declare dthat unless this was done
at once he must resign, that he was
voicing the demands of the high
command. Hlndenburg and Luden-
dorff. Whether this is strictly ac-
curate or not / do not know, but
l have obtained the texts OF two ex-
tremely important semi official
statements in which the Center and
Socialist majority parties cynically
repudiate their long proclaimed
principles and declare themselves, in
somewhat obscure language. pre-
pared to endorse a policy OF loot
and plunder.
Eight hundred delegates of the
Center party met at n secret con
ference at Cologne on Apri e, where
they debated the peace policy of tho
party under the intoxication OF what
were officially proclaimed tho de
cisive' victories of st. Quentin anc
Bapaume. Herr Trimborn, "A reich.
stag deputy, declared that since tn
reichstag's endeavors TO bring abou
a. friendly peace led to no result
victory must bring peace 1--WE ar
waiting quietly and calmly 70
further Developments" he adde
signtficantly, amid great applaus,
Il am convinced that the peac
terms which emerge, like the peac
terms in the east, will be unanl
mously approved by the party an,
us deputies. At any rate, we hav
no need to disagree about our for
eign policy. neither about the cas-
nor about the west"
This IL the Center partys subse
quent declaration of war aims, II
which II treats Its previous prin
ciples as scraps of paper:
Tho Centrum had no need of an,
pressure In order to proclaim tht
Tree hand In the west, because from
the nrst 1t had expressly provided
for free hand at this juncture. we
recall first, the speech delivered
In the reichstas by Deputy Trimborn
the acting president of the party
Should the enemy compel US to
new sacrifices, these must, as a mat
ter Of course, be compensated at the
ilnaf peace. which will he determ
ined by the military situation then
existing, as well as other consldera
tions. At this serious moment
specially emShasize this That Is
what the leader Of the Centrum said
at time when the chancellor him
self was still occupied with Presi-
dent Wilson In order to throw nc
obstacles In the way of an under
standing.
30 the Center party proudly de-
ciares Itself for free hand in the
west-but - the socialist majority
party, while doing the same thing,
hangs It's head and tries TO pretend
that 1t Is sorry, but can't do anything
to stop the imposition of Vassalagt
on the rest of the world.
Minoritics are powerlcss and can
DO nothing more than protest. a
Reithstag majority determined to
Impress its will upon the coming
peace does not exist. Social demOc-
racy will do its duty to the end. and
Will utter warnings against what il
considers unsalutary. 1t will main
tain It's conception Of the coming
peace even against the opinion of the
greatest military leaders, and not
HSaken Its efforts to make It's con
Tctions felt. How far this will be
possible depends upon the sudgment
and energy of the bourgeois parties
therefore there is no reason to looR
into the future too optimistically as