New-York tribune., 1918-03-03

to a compromise. They will tolerate
mistakes, but not retreat from our
high empoise.
while the value of President Will
sons speech on January s, with it's
fourteen formulas, may be open to fair
debate and reasonable difference of
opinion between men of equal patriot
ism and intelligence, yet his later
speech Of February IL, when the four
teen formulas were again Whitfield
down to four exceedingly vague formu-
las. does not seem to me to be open
to such debate. Nothing bore unfortu
nate has happened since we entered the
war 1T revives old doubts. 1t be-
wildcrs our judgment. 1t disturbs our
morale.
German Chancellor Accepted Them
hat these four formulas tend to
dlsslpatc the great moral issues of the
war into meaningless phrases can best
be shown by the fact that the German
Chancellor had no difficulty whatever
IN accepting them. Thus, the statement
that each part of the final settlement
must be based on the essential Justice
OF that particular case does not get
the discussion of peace very far. for if
we have learned anything in this war
1T is that the German conception of JUS
tlce is not that of the rest of the world.
he statement that peoples and prov
lnccs are not to be bartered about as
pawns' IS too vague for concrete appli-
cation, as is the third formula, that
territorial settlements are to be made
IN the interests and for the benefit of
the population concerned.
Here AGAIN, Germany can accept the
formula IN principle, for, taking the
specific instance Of Poland, it would
ha+ !
interests of the Polish population
would be observed by German rather
than by Russian rule. The nearest ap-
proach to specific formula capable of
concrete application is the fourth. bu.
| is practical meaning is defeated bv
the proviso. for, while it says that "all
well~deiined national aspirations shall
be accorded the utmost satisfaction. it
IS with the provlso that such recogni-
tlon shall be without Introducing new
or perpetuating old elements of discord
ard antagonism'
This certainly does not lead us vorv
lar, for taking the specific instance Of
Poland again, if the Allies in applvino.
,heSe four formulas shalls as | fervent
~ nope, seek to erect an independent
roland on its ancient historic lines hv
incorporating the present German and
Austrian Poland, Germany would reolv
that to take a portion Of Germany TO
felnstate the old nation of Poland
would perpetuate an old element of dis
cord, II 1t did not introduce a new one
Ut may be suggested that those
formulas which are thus proposed 70 =,
government characterized onlv last De.
cember as "a thing without conscience
or honor or capacity for covenanted
peace do no harm, but may do good in
olslntegrating the Central Powers. rho
more we depart from the great ideal of
justice, and attempt to reach an imnos-
slble ground between justice ard IN
justice, the more we weaken our own
cause and strengthen that of our
enemies. WV
Peace Talk No Way to Win
he best way to win the war is 10
stop talking peace. and the surest wav
to lose 1T is to dissipate the energies
O. our people by premature parlevs for
peace. especially where thev are on onr
own initiative and do not represent Iha
Judgment or wishes of our faithful
allies: who for more than three years
sustained without our aid the awful
burden of the war. -
IF the great quarrel between tho
Central Powers and the rest of The
world shall be compromised bv conven~
tional formulas and without punitive
justice, then the dead will have died in