New-York tribune., 1918-09-01
Hearst Slurs the Victory

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In speech that has been quoted
around the world Henry Cabot Lodge,
Republican leader in the United States
Senate, proposed:
A victory to be won on German soil.
A peace to be dictated by the Allies.
A place in the sun for the Jugo-Slavs,
Czecho-Slovaks and Poles.
A barrier of free peoples against Ger
many's lust of dominion.
A full restitution of all conquered ter
ritory.
The German press protests, as, of
course, it would, saying that so long as
people talk like that in the United States
peace by understanding must be de-
SPARED of.
Alone in this country the Hearst
papers protest, saying it was a silly
speech, and will tend to obstruct a peace
by understanding.
at is too bad" says The Ne1o York
American, "that every time signs of dis
integration begin to show themselves in
Germany somebody in either Great Brit
ain or the United States makes foolish
speech, which has the effect Of consoli-
dating the German people once more be-
hind their military leaders"
That is to say, you must not talk of
defeating Germany by force, because it
will only strengthen the will Of the Ger
mans not to be beaten at all
We have read over and over the edi-
torial entitled premature Peace Discus
sions Are Both Futile and HARMFUL"
and it seems simply incredible that
Hearst dared to print it,
ut is unnecessary" says the editorial,
"to discuss Senator Lodges terms of
peace. Some of those proposed terms are
excellent and some are not only foolish,
but are exactly what the German diplo-
matists would be secretly delighted
with
1t does not indicate which Of the terms
Hearst thinks excellent, nor does it spe-
ciically declare one or more to be fool
ish- But it says:
For example, we can imagine moth
ing that would more certainly insure
Germany's political predominance on the
Continent of Europe and another great
war within a few years than the break
ing up Of what is now the Austro- Hun
Independent states"
Nevertheless it is the official purpose
of the American government and the AL
lies to break up the Austro- Hungarian
Empire into number of small indepen-
dent states We are calling upon the
people who constitute those potential
states to become conscious and rise in
our cause.
William Randolph Hearst protests.
A year ago he clamored for peace,
saying: "Is it not better to make peace
now than to look forward to year after
year of such national and individual sor-
row and sacrifice, to such wastage and
woe, to such destruction, of the best
specimens of the human race?"
Now he protests against peace discus
sions at all, on the ground that they are
premature and harmful, saying: "The
aspects of this war shift as rapidly as
kaleidoscope, and proposals of peace that
may seem sensible to-day might seem ex-
tremely foolish next fall"
In what way has the aspect of war
shifted since year ago? Consider. A
year ago Germany's tradition Of invinci
bility was still unbroken. America had
not got in. The Allies were terribly de-
pressed. Germany alone could afford to
talk peace--peace by diplomacy-be-
cause by the evidence of tangible facts
she was the victor. And Hearst then
sas for peace He discussed it openly,