The Washington herald., 1918-09-23
HUNIS HOPE TO SEPARATE
ALLIES BY PEACE OFFER
Could Ignore America, Accept Terms of Other
Allies, and Still Have Free Scope in East .
BY JOHN L. BALDERsTON.

tcorgHsht Is1. y The Mcclure Newspaper
London. Sept. 2.-CBy Naii)-The
new German peace campaign is Wig
orously under way, but as yet il is
working under very heavy camou-
hage. 1t is expected that before
winter the mask will be dropped
and Germany will make definite
peace proposals designed TO cause
trouble among the allies. by Offering
terms that will tempt some but not
others. At present neutral diplo-
mats in Sweden, Holland and
Scandinavia are being pestered with
all sorts OF secret proposals and
feelers intended to leak through to
allied authorities. Many Of them
do. but they do not get much con-
sideration, for their origin and
character is in all cases manifest.
From a high source I learn that
Germany is expected to propose
definitely. probably before winter,
and certainly before the beginning
Of the next campaign. TO evacuste
Belgium and France, pay con1pensa-
ton for all damage done, and per-
haps even give up Alsace-Lorraine
and agree 10 satisfy the claims Of
Italy in the Trentino and on the
Adriatic.
The object Of this move, nv In
formant pointed out. is 70 dangle
before the eyes Of the war-weary
French, British and italian peo-
pies. peace which on the surface
will represent victory. The cum
ming German figures that Russi.
and the Balkans are too far away
and too little known in the West
for the public either here or in
America TO agree TO continue the
war for the sake OF winning in the
East the sort of terms Germany now
admits herself compelled TO con
cede in the West
q. S. Would BE Helpless.
As for America, German agents who
are working in neutral countries ad-
nit frankly that they know the
temper Of the Yankee swine" is such
that they will not consent TO any
peace before Germany is beaten II
they can help IL, but the Germans
argue that this does not matter. be-
cause If they can get England out
America cannot send men over the
seas, and IL they can get France out
there will be nowhere for these men
to fight
Admittedly. II Germany possessed
a statesman OF the intellect and cum
ming of Bismarck such a plan as the
imperial government is now prepar-
ing would have been exceedingly dan
gerous one year ago. But now. from
all l can gather OF the temper Of the
British and French peoples, among
whom I have lived for four years, the
period Of danger has passed America
need have no fear that territorial
concession, however tempting, will
move the heroic French or the stead
fast British. The war Is no longer
regarded here as fought for territory
or specific terms Of any sort.
That this Is true is IN great part
due, British authorities tell me, to
the influence Of President Wilson.
who has made it clear TO the whole
world that the overthrow of German
nutocracy is more important than
any terms that can be put in writing
round the peace table. II is some
what unfair that Wilson should get
so much credit. because statesmen
over here said very much the same
thing long before we came into the
war, but the fact remains that his
moral and physical power is now al
most as great with the mass OF the