The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-01-25
WAR MUST NOT
Be CALLED DRAW
Germany Cannot Be Given
Chance to Repeat Crime
Against World.
DANGEROUS MOMENT AHEAD
Americans Must Guard Against Dsy
When Teutons, Beaten, Offer
Peace on Basis of Status
Quo Ante.
BY j. FRANK DAVIS.

I,
Perhaps the most dangerous momen
for America in all this war will be the
moment when Germany, admitting she
cannot win, offers to make peace on the
basis of the status quo ante-to e
back to where things were before sht
set forth so blithely upon her great ad
venture.
Already her newspapers talk of sucl
a peace. The reichstag ''no annexa
tons and no indemnities" resolution IL
'feeler" for it. The war lords allow
this talk to be made, although they
have not officially sanctioned the prop
0sition.
The day will come when they will
| however, and that will be a dangerous
day for America.
From what we see quoted from Ger
man newspapers it is quite clear thai
the people of Germany think they have
only to offer to go back to where they
were before the war to gain peace
When they say mo annexations and NJ
indemnities" they mean no annexationfs
| by Germany and no indemnities TO be
collected by Germany, because 1t has
not even entered the head of one mar
in ten in all Germany that they may be
forced to make reparation.
Germans Still Deceived.
Also Germany does not understand
that any mere promise on her part moi
TO attack her neighbors will not BIZ
taken. The Germans as whole still
are deceived into thinking their rulers
did not start the war. They do not ap
preciate that their promise not to of
fend again would be a worthless prom
Use. They do not know that their ma
ton is morally bankrupt; that the
word of its overlords is no longer OF
the slightest value in the councils OF
civilization.
When they get ready to admit thai
they cannot win and to offer to return
to the status quo they will expect theil
enemies to accept those terms-in eff,
feet peace made in Germany. And
we must be prepared for considerable
movement in the United States advo
eating the acceptance Of such an offer
The hyphenates and the pacifists
and the towards and all the other cop
perheads will be for it. "What more is
there that we should fight for?' they
will shout. "Why should we take sides
In any European quarrel over terri.
tory or indemnities? Let the Germans
return Belgium and northern France
and let the British and the Italians give
back the former German colonies an6
the territory taken from Austria. And
let us all get ogether-Germany to dc
her share, of courSe-and rebuild the
towns in France and Belgium that have
been destroyed. Let us be generous
May Gain Following.
II only the traitors and the pacifsts
were for such plan we should have nc
more to worry about than we now have
TO trouble us in the activities of !. w.
W. and peace councils and disloyal pro-
German newspapers. But they may
gain an additional following among
lack-brained folk who now are not with
them.
We Americans are a sentimental peo-
pie. We like to think about Furnishing
but we seldom like to punish
them. We will not repeal our laws
against capital punishment, but We
hate to convict under them.
The cry that will go up from all the
German propagandists when the offel
Of status quo peace,is made will be
oud one, and thousands of Americans
who are loyal enough at heart, but
oose-thinklng, may be attracted by It
Germany, in that hour may be depend.
ID upon to use every tool at her com.
nand in this country to throw up dust,
o obscure the issue, to influence Amer.
cans toward peace that shall leave
he world as much in peril as it was
'rior to August, 1914.
Would Be German Victory.
If they can get a great number OF
eople in the United States to agree
nat Germany ought not to be put
here she cannot repeat her crime
gainst civilization, the war will have
cen in vain. If the Germans are able
D cease fighting, unpublished, and &c
ack home to prepare for the next
ar, with Mittel-Europa In their hands,
will have been a German victory,
ven though not such victory as Ger.
lany expected when she began the
onfiict.
Nobody expects to annihilate Ger.
lany. Nobody wants to see her ami.
Hated. Nobody wants to crush her
kept as a military menace. But she
lust keep the peace hereafter, and TO
lake sure that she does so her power
, repeat her offense must be de-
royed. And-most important of all
lie German people must have learned
lat the militaristic policy Of their war
rds does not pay.
Watch ana guard against the day
hen Germany offers to call 1t draw.
1t would be black day for the world
Americas influence were then to be
rown into the scale In favor Of such
peace