Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-25

from the American executive. The
chancellor asserted that on February
% of this year he declared, in the reichs-
tag, his agreement in principle with
the possibility of discussing general
peace on the basis of the four points
of President Wilson's message of Feb
ruary Q, but that President Wilson,
neither at that time nor since, had
taken any notice of the chancellor's
declaration.
Favors League Of Nations.
Count Won Hertling continued by
declaring that he favored the forma-
tion of a league of nations, the pro-
motion of universal. successive dis
armament in equal proportions. the es-
tablishment of obligatory courts of
arbitration. the freedom of the seas
and the protection of small nations
Denies Thoughts of Conquest.
1--WE have never concealed the fact"
said Chancellor Won Hertlng in the
course of his address. "'that all thoughts
Of conquests were far from our minds,
But how do things stand on the opposite
side? II one credited the utterances of
the enemy, official and unofficial, they
only desire to repel a Germany which in
criminal arrogance is striving for world
hegemony: to fight for freedom and JUS
tice against German imperialism and
Prussian militarism.
I'VE know better. The world war
was prepared years ago by the we'll
known encrcling policy of King Edward.
In France there arose extensive war lit
erature which referred to impending
war with Germany. Austria -Hungary's
influence in the Balkans was to be elm
mated. The Russian expansion move
ment and the pan-Slavic idea demand
ed it.
Blames Russians for War.
Tho match was not put to the pow
der by the Prussian military party, but
while the German emperor was up to
the last moment endeavoring to pre-
serve peace the Russian military party
put through the mobilization against the
will of the weak czar and thereby made
war unavoidable.
THE official account Of the Sukhom~
1tnoff trial made this clear to every
one who desired to see. We can look
calmly forward to the judgment of
posterity. For the present it is true
those who are in power in the enemy
countries have succeeded by an un-
paralleled campaign OF lies and cal
umny in obscuring the truth. When
result was not obtained by the spoken
or written word it was achieved by
pictorial representations-pro
of absolutely devilish fantasy. from
which one turns with horror and dis
gust.
But the object has been attained.
A hatred has been raised among the
enemy populations against the central
powers and particularly against Ger
many-a hatred which eschews all
moderation and chokes off all just
Judgment.
You all have read Premier Glenn
enceau's last speech, a speech which
seemed in it's fanatical hatred and the
coarseness of mind displayed to sur
pass anything hitherto achieved. But
in America it found a many-voiced
echo. as is proved by the pronounce
ments that are reaching our ears from
across the ocean.
Wild War Fury in q. S.
'"rhe widest war fury is at present
raging in the United States. The peo-
pie are intoxicated with the idea that
America must bring the blessings of
modern liberal kulture co to the en-
shaved peoples OF central Europe.
while at the same time they are re-
joicing at the many millions of dol
lars WHICH lne war dTfHdneHIS are
causing to flow into the pockets of
the business men.
Theory and practice are two different
things. The old proverb of the mote in
anothers eye and the beam in ones own
finds constant illustration in the machi-
nations of the entente. They are never
tired of condemning our march into Bel
gium. but they pass over the oppression
of Greece, the interference with that
country's internal affairs and the en-
forced abdication of its king as If they
were matters OF course. They assert
that they are fighting to protect op-
pressed nations. but the century-old
sorrows and the justifiable grievances
of Ireland nowhere find hearing, not
even in America, where the people are
acquainted with them through the num-
erous Irish immigrants. The British
government. which is especially fond of
talking of right and justice, recently
found it compatible with those prin-
ciples to recognize the conglomerate
Iabble of CZecho-Slovaks as a belligerent
power.
Will Not Cringe or Grovel.
meet that? VIII it forsooth beg for
mercy in fear and trembling? No. gen.
tlemen. Remembering its great past
and its still greater mission in the future
1t will stand erect and not cringe or
grovel.
The situation is serious. but it
gives us no ground for deep depres-
sion. The iron wall Of the western
front is not broken and the U-boat is
slowly but surely fulfilling its task of
diminishing tonnage, thus above all
increasingly menacing and restrict
ing reinforcements of men and mate
rial from the United States.
The hour will come. because it
must come. when our enemies will see
reason and be ready to make an end
of the war before half of the world is
converted into a heap of ruins and
the flower of its manly strength lies
dead on the battlefield"
Must Stand Together.