New-York tribune., 1918-02-22
Hunors of a
Peace Pact
a PPARENTLY in it's present For
IN cign Minister Germany is singu-

he must be a delightful and engaging man.
Hardly ever has q great power had For
eign Secretary like him.
His candor is something more than
naive it is irresistible. Yesterday when
we read his speech on the peace negotia-
tions with Russia and the Ukraine we had
serious misgivings. Was a hoax being per-
petrated, over which, after it had been
duly spread abroad, Germany might
chuclle deeply and long?
But there is no likelihood DR.. Won
kihlmann seems to have been as serious
as he was expansive. Did all of our read
crs, we wonder, give meet attention to
some Of his expressions? Did they note
his deep regret that "the pacific inten-
tions of Russia could no longer be credited
and that eve must see that peace and
order prevail in the occupied regions of the
adjoining countries"?
A German peace and order, naturally.
Did they read of his earnest hope that
"Germany's new war with Russia will
strengthen the inclination for peace at
Pctrograd"?
Considering that Russia will offer no
resistance--that the German armies have
only to march forward-wc are sure that
DR.. Won Kiihlmann is right. The inclina-
ton for peace at Petrograd and elsewhere
ought to be enormously accelerated.
Gwen today" he added "wc arc pre-
pared to conclude a peace ch1ch corre-
spo,,ds arith or interests
I G, itc Duc an, \,
German statesman defined so clearly and
with so little ambiguity Gcrmany's desires
and Intentions One might say that they
arc quite unmistakablc.
We are also enlightened as to the course
Of the Ukrainians.
"Whcn the people Of the Ukraine real
zed that the Petrograd Cabinet was not
pursuing a sincere peace policy thclr rep
rcscntativcs adopted the standpoint or end
ing the war by peace; they would in no
wise be responsible for the sins of Car
ISM
The alluson to the sins of Czarism is a
little obscure: but not, we trust, the
nature Of the peace with the Ukraine. We
have Dr. Won Kuhlmann's own assurance
that "thc (Gcrman) people received the
conclusion of the Ukraine peace with relief
and JOY and hailed it as the first step
toward the restoration of the general
peace which we all desire and which with
calm, clear, firm and resoutc conduct Of
our foreign policy VIC hope to obtain IN
measurable time"
"The UKRAINE the worthy doctor adds.
''is a rich country, and the decisive factor
for the conclusion Of peace was economic
For economic" spell "food.'
There were, it seems. some difficulties.
''The negotiations were not quite so easy
cases with such young peoples" Strange
to say, they had Irrational ideals and de-
sres, which were not free from the exuber-
ance of their representatives They made
territorial demands which were hardly
capable OF realzation.' But Germany
came through, with commission which
will include mot only representatives Of
the (Teutonic) allies, but also Polish dele
gates. We have done everything possible
to attain just demarcation Of frontiers.
We may trust to Germanized Poland to
do everything which Germany may wish
toward a "iust' demarcaton.
The only flaw in the broad smile Of salts
faction Of the German Foreign Minister
our pen had almost written of the tiger
was that so little trust could be placed in
the promises of the Petrograd Cabinet.
"We will not indulge in JOY about the
great result of real conclusion of peace
with Russia until the ink on the treaty is
dry
AS to the nature of the measures which
will bring about this much desired result
we gain little added light from the
equally clear expressions of one of Dr. Won
Kuhlmann's coadjutors, the vice-prcsi-
dent of the Reichstag, when he said:
1--WE now shudder at the contemplation of
the crueties of the awicss bands which
support the present so-caled government
Of Russia, and we hope that energetic ac-
tion our part will help the races whc
severed themselves from Old Russia. ac-
cording to the principles of the right of
self determinations to return, to peaceful
work, freed from the terrible scourgc of the
Bolsheyik border hordes.'
AS to the precise measures involved in
"energetic action" we have perhaps some
little clew in the records of the German
occupation Of Belgium.
The Hun Must Be Thrashed