Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-20
MONDAY, MAY 20. 1918,
German Optimism Forced, or Real

German Optimism Forced, or kcalF
The recognized extent Of German or
timism is surprising Despite the sltua-
ton on the western war front. which
makes German victory impossible, IT
seizes ,Iron the German victories IN the
cast. due to tho violent overwhelming
OF small and weak countries and th"
enormous advantage afforded by the COW
ardlv surrender Of Russia. rs prcteNt for
claiming German victory and establish
ing the right and power Of Germany 70
dictate terms of peace and settlement Of al
questions arising from the war
According 10 a dispatch from France.
sent bv the associated Press, clear and
definite statement Of German conditions
OF peace was found IN a German trench
recently captured after . raid by tr"nch
soldiers The conditions SCI forth IN fh's
paper rs officially translated. arc most
surprising They wcrc evidently set down
in firm hoicf of an eventual triumph Of
German arms beyond al question Of or
position.
According 10 tins document. the con
dtions essential % the preservation and
development Of Germany after the war
include tho following BELGIUM. c~rc-
cialv the Flanders coast, with Antwerp,
Is 10 remain under German military, econo-
nomic and political dependence Liberty
Of the seas shall ho properly established
for all nations. the Central Powers being
allowed a commercial fleet totahng Ia
500. 600 tons. while that of tho Alhes
should amount TO 10.90o,om tons Our
colonies shall he returned With augmCnta-
ton We are to have more numerous and
stronger naval stations The l0ngWN
and Briev mine fields. which furnished
France its weapons for attack, shall be
come German RcadIustmcnts ot tho
frontiers particularly in the Nosges. to he
according to The military situation and
the appreciation of tho oommandant
Our frontiers must to such that their de-
fence is made easier Tho former Ger
man Baltic provinces shall be lncorporat
cd. their rich soil furnishing now cereal
fields for German peasant cmigrants thus
protecting the empire against the dangers
of famine CourIand lithuana. l.jvonla
and Esthonia arc to bc colonized
How compIacent this sounds An
entirely uninformcd reader, on studying
these declarations. and without knowl-
edge OF existing conditions. would hc
entirely justified in the belief that Ger
many was already in possession Of The
channel ports Of France threatening the
English coast with her great guns, and
was laundering at tho gates Of Paris with
her victorious armies.
But moro was contained IN this com
raccnt German citation. These ma
tions who attacked peaceful Germany"
IT continues, must pay all war charges IN
raw material, ships, ready money, and
territorial concessions. leaving Germany
with only five billions national debt.
And that five billions. no doubt, IS 10
be in marks, not American dollars, which
would mean only about billion.
No doubt this is the assuring pabulum
upon which the people of Germany are
fed, TO induce them TO forget their pres
ent sufferings in the hope of glorious
triumph for Germany in the end. with
rich spoils for all the people and an over
whelming financial indemnity for the
empire But whnt lot Of empty
husks" the people Of Germany are being
fed upon.
All the world outside Of Germany now
knows how this war viii end The advent
of the United States, the addition Of our
enormous resources and our powerful
military and naval strength to that Of the
Allies, makes the, result certain. Ger
many will be overwhelmingly defeated
In the peace negotiations she will have
to sit by and accept the best terms she
may be able to secure through diplo-
macv And those terms, ii may be set
down in advance, will include, first of all,
financial indemnity to the last dollar,
with full measure of reparation in other
respects, to Belgium; reparation to Serbia
and Rumania, whom she crushed with
brute strength, p tremendous indemnity 10
all the other Allied countries, TO recoup
them for the costs of the cruel war which
Germany so brutally forced upon the
world, and q complete surrender of all
her military power. In word, to submit
to everything that will make world peace
an absolute assurance for all time there
after