The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-02-27
Hert|ing's Speech Comes at
Time When None Believe
Germany Trustworthy.
WILSON TO REPLY SOON
Offhand Rejection Less Effec.
tive Than Full Exposure
of Specious Words.
(By David Lawrence.)

(By David Lawrence.)
| Copyright, 1918, by New York Evening
Post Company
Washington, Fob. 27.-OrdinariIy an
acceptance in principle by both sides
OF the fundamentals of peace would
lead promptly to cessation of hos.
tihties, it not direct negotiation for a
settlement, but Count Won Hertlinqs
expressed agreement with President
Wilson'S four stipuIations fell on an
unresponsive Washington.
1t camo at time when men of ey-
cry variety of thought on international
problems, men OF all parties in our do
mestic politics, those who favor a fight
10 the bitter end and those who favor
peace by negotiation had come to be :
lieve that when President Wilson. in
MS Famous reply to the pope, said the
present government OF Germany could
not be- trusted, he spoke a truth that
stiil persists as the greatest obstacle
to the making OF peace.
But off-hand rejection of what en-
ehy sPokesmen say. merely because
lhey do not manifest sincerity in their
carded. uiS-
1t has been, disearded In favor ~ AZ
much more effective method of making
ciear not only to our own peopIe bn1
so far as possible the people ef Ger
many and Austria and the neutral ma
tions exactly wherein the words or tho
uerinan chancellor are specious.
For President Wilson now has
,ne opportunity, and he will avad
n'mseIf OF 1t at an early date, to
demonstrate simply by an anaIvsis
o! what has just happened in Rus.
sra the perfidy Of Germany in its
latest form.
When Count Won Hertling saws
therefore, that he can fundamentalIv
agree with the four principles, which.
IN president Wilson's view, must be
appiled IN mutual exchange of views,
ana mus declares with President Will
son that general peace can be dis
cussed on such O. basis. the German
chancellor uses words which are cal
cuiated to mislead the German people
10 believing that their present govern
ment Is really desirouS OF a general
peace but the allies misguidedly block
the way.
As matter of fact, every one of
the tour princi Piles enunciated by
President Wilson have Just been
tiagrantly violated in actual prac-
tee by Germany in Russia. Read
those principles in the Iiqht of
what has just been done by the
German autocraoy with helpless
Russia and the conclusion is in
escapable that until there is better
evidence OF German sincerity than
.he world has yet SEEM, official
Washington will not for a moment
entertain the idea of ceasinu the
present conflict.
Two points of view immediately
were expressed, however, as to the
purpose of Count Hertling's general |
Zatlon. There was first the idea that
the German chancellor sought to di- |
vide the allies by calling attention to |
Lhe TACT that the position of President |
Wilson has not been fully indorsed by |
all the entente belligerents.
Count Czernin was compelled by |
public opinion in Austria to express an !
agreement with President Wilson's /,
inns, because they appealed so strong !
y to the masses. Count Won Hertling, |
{ Is now reasoned, must follow the |
same course.
In other words, the last two
speeches Of the German and Aus
trisn chancelIors mean simply that
neither country can afford to re-
ject the great principles Of a settle
ment pronounced by Americas free
and nonimperiaIistic spokesman.
Both Czernin and Won Hertling
alsely characterize the war aims of
ertain sections of British and French
pinion as imperialistic and mislead
heir auditors into thinking that the
British and French people actually
greed with those minority views, but
either the German nor Austrian gov
can declare that the United
tates is bent upon n war of selfish
ess, Imperialism or conquest, and be
elieyed by their respective peoples.
President Wilson knows full we'll
his strength as a moral leader in
the world situation. His iteration
and reiteration of the fundamentals
of peace since the famous war ad-
dress Of last April have gradually {
sunk into the minds of all peoples.
Reluctantly, therefore, but never
theless openly, the German chan '
eellor is compelled to make this
significant statement, Meanwhile, {
I readily admit that President Viii {
sons message of Feb. II consti- :
tutes, perhaps, a small step toward
mutual rapproohement."
But the president can now tell why "
n approach to an understanding so far S
} the United States and the allies are q
,ncerned has been swept away by the i
Ipliclty- of the German government in T
lndling Russia. +
Mr.. Wilson must make the record a
ear, not only for the sage of the {
lture. but for the sake of the masses
Germany and Austria, who, sooner t