Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-10-07
THE PEACE TALK.

than at the present time:
No terms will be considered
but immediate and unconditional
surrender. l propose to move
Immediately on your works"
Unofficial opinion is that that will
he substantially President Wilson'S
reply to the latest peace proposals
emanating from Germany. Il will
only extend my hand for an honor,
anle peace" says the Kaiser, coinci-
dent with his imperial chancellor 5
proposition-and IAN honorable
peace" of Germany's own notion
would be "a peace without victory
Tor the Allies and a peace equivalent
to Il ,ictory for Germany.
Only last week the overseas dis.
patches reported this incident, which
best illustrates the German mind and
character. Surrounded by New YorK
troops, d force of Germans rushed
from their defenses, with hands up,
shouting "Kamerad!" Believing, of
course, that the Germans wanted to
surrender. and were pleading for
mercy, the Americans lowered their
guns, and when they did so the
treacherous Huns quickly jerked hand
grenades from their blouses and
pockets and hurled them at the New
York boys, killing scores of them
For the first time since it began this
terrible war, more than four years
ago Germany now finds itself facing
disaster It's dream of Mitteleuropa
has vanished in smoke. It's arrogant
and self-sufficient egotism has receiv-
ed a staggering blow. Its armies are
sorely pressed, and its people are
seething with discomfort. But the
Teutonic idea of superiority still OBJ
tains-that they are divinely-ap~
pointed, specially endowed folks, bet
ter and more capable than anybody
else, is still uppermost in the German
mind.
The United States wants peace
the world wants peace-but it must
be a peace written with the point of
a sword. 1t must be a peace of our
own design and making, and such a
peace involves only one substantial
fact-the unconditional surrender
Germany, restoration of despoiled
territories and ample indemnities.
Should the United States and 'the
Allies agree to an armistice, and sus-
pend all hostilities while peace nego-
tiations were conducted, what would
be the result? Germany would get a
desperately needed breathing SPELL
that would last, perhaps, for months.
Peace parleys are slow affairs They
proceed with infinite pains, and, if
Germany desired such a program, the
one proposed to be held could be pro-
longed until next spring. By that
time Germany would be refreshed, 1t
could have established more defenses,
brought up more reinforcements, and
in every way it would be strengthen
ed. And the war would start all over
again.
The world already is only too ia
miliar with German knavery, deceit,
rascality, and faithlessness. No de-
pendence whatever can be placed in
a nation that has violated every con-
fidence, broken every treaty, and
abused every principle of honor and
righteousness.
Germany knows that it can get a
square deal in the worlds forum, 1t
knows that the Allies are honorable
and will live squartely up to every
pact. If Germany is sincere, there
fore in its professed desire to nego-
tiate an early and unequivocal peace,
it will withdraw its troops from the
territory it has overrun. While Ger
man soldiers hold thousands of miles
an5 Sorhia n