Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-07

, ting the best terms he can.
It hardly Is taking a position in
advance of the American govern
ment to say that if the present prop-
osition signifies Germany's unqual-
flied acceptance Of the IA princi-
piles of peace laid down by Prcsi-
dent Wilson in his Fourth of July
speech at the touch of Washington,
it will be considered. If it does not,
if it be an acceptance in principle I
with saving diplomatic language
paving the way for quibbling around
a council table, it will not be con-
sidered.
Terms in Single Phtase. !, s
Those terms accepted by all the
allies as their own the president
compressed into single phrase:
"A reign of law, based upon the
consent of the governed, and sus-
tained by the, organized opinion Of
mankind"
They provided for the destruction,
or reduction to virtual impotence of
and arbitrary power capable of dis
turbing the peace of the world; the
settlement of every question on the
basis of the interest of the people
concerned, and in effect league of
nations to enforce peace.
Must Withdraw Armies.
If in the offer of Prince Mamirns
iiian, the new German chancellor,
Germany is willing to accept these
terms, and the remainder of the
world is satisfied that he speaks not
alone, but with the military masters
of Germany in acquiescence, the
next~logical step would be the with
drawal of every German soldier
from every foot of occupied terri
tory. From that point the allies
might begin to test the sincereity OF
Germany's willingness to conform
to the world peace preserving pro-
gram.
No one in Washington gives much
thought to any proposal that the
victorious troops of Great Britain
France, Italy and the United States
should halt in an armistice while a
discussion" is conducted, but there
might be an armistice of uncondi-
tionSl surrender. r
Offers to Go Under Acid Test.
When Austria proposed a peace
negotiation, the official view was
summed up this way: austria is
breaking; that is the time to hit
her hardest, not the time to talk
peace" q!
There is nothing to indicate that
the view has been changed. No one
here doubts that sooner or later
Germany is going to make a peace
offer that may be worth consider
ing. None of the allies wishes to
assume the responsibility Of pro-,
longing the war a day longer than
is necessary to insure the future
peace of the world. Therefore, it
is realized that offers of peace are
not to be rejected before they are
examined. Prince Maxmilian's Of
fer, with those said to be coming
simultaneously from Austria and
Turkey, will go under the same acid
test which has been applied to all
the others. If it fails to stand the
test it will go the way of all others.
Germany herself is participating
formally now for the first time in an
open and direct proposal of peace.
The move is believed to mark the
beginning of the last phase OF the
effort to substitute diplomatic dis
cussion for military operations be-
fore the allies cross the Rhine and
give German soil taste of what has
happened to Belgium and northern
France. Apparently no one here
is ready to conclude that the kaiser's &
government has reached the point
where 1t will accept without more
lighting the only terms upon which
their enemies are willing to lay
down their arms.
Power Still in Kaiser's Hands. HI
Officials informally say they find
no reason for thinking peace will b 4,
brought appreciably nearer by the
latest Developments. Actual power