The Washington herald., 1918-06-02

peace offer. before the offensive. we
must demand from them a reckoning
for all the blood and money needless
ly sacrihced. We are no longer bound
to our earlier conditions
On my desk is material for a large
book, instead of a newspaper story,
quotations from politicians and pro-
fessors and divines before the often
sive, breathing peace and good will
and desire for understanding, and
after the offensive. shouting for the
earth as hard as they did before :he
battle OF the Marne. Perhaps the
most remarkable and brutal of these
latter pronouncements comes from
Prof E. Troeltsch. who is a mod
crate" OF the "moderates." supported
the Reichstag peace policy. and de-
nounced and deplored all talk OF an
nexations in the west when he thought
he couldn't get them. After defend
ing the anneXagons in the east be-
cause mo room was left for choice"
he goes on:
I'm the west, diplomatic DEALINGS
failed to obtain a peace by agreement;
h failure due TO the obstinaCy> OF
CIemanceau and Lloyd George. helped
by the attitude of Wilson. 1t would
not be decided whether German diplo-
macy went the right way TO work
There remained the offensive. BY
compelling the offensive Of 1915. the
entente had entirely changed the sit
uation in the west Proposals that
were possible and necessary before
this sacrifice are now out of date.
Here we shall not think of con-
tinental anneXations. as they cannot
be reconciled with the modern princi-
pie OF nationality, and only create
internal difficulties. But the idea Of
compensation, so far as it is possible.
and Of securities to guard our danger
zone. are taken for granted. There
is only the question OF their posi-
bility. not Of their legality.
1T is ridiculous to prolong the war
for the sake OF compensations, but
equally so to reject them So Briey
and Longwy are now in quite a diff
ferent position. The Belgian ques-
tion-a question Of right-must he set
against the desperation that denies
neutrals all rights and employs the
barbarous blockade war towards Ger
many.
Wants Pay and Securities.
Injustice musti be set against in
justice; dire need against dire need.
Germany cannot do right alone. Her
policy of agreement gives her now the
right to exact compensation for the
prolongation Of the war, and securi-
ties. In a defensive war it often
happens that the assailants arc them
selves overthrown and forced to fight
to the knife, so now the defenders
cannot simply restore the status quo.
but must obtain a new position rest
ing on force. Germany has no need
to repent her warfare for a peace of
understanding, which put her in the
| right when it had become impossible
to restore the status quo ante.
There must be a return to the
peace by understanding. il the trade
of the world is to be restored. But
this understanding cannot be based on
the principles of the Pope's note and
the resolution of the Reichstag. That
Is no longer possible today, as must
be definitely stated. Owing to the re-
lection of the German peace pro-
posals, the former principles no long.
er correspond to the situation, al
! though our war remains a defensive
war.
THE war arose out of the attempt
o. the states on tne OutSklfls OF Eu-
rope to repress the Central Powers.
! whose overflowing population and in
dustry demanded an outlet, and a
voice in the final division of the
planet. So 1t remained defensive. al
though the war has become a desper-
ate struggle for existence; and the
need of a supply of raw materials will
| necessitate a thorough reckoning
with the foe"
May Sing I'm stin Another Key.
So German thought ran two or three
weeks ago. as have sketched 1t in
this story. under the first flush Of
exultation. struggling with poor sue
cess to cloak under hypocritcal
formulae its easerness to strange
the allies, restrained from open ex-
preston as in the case Of Rumania
only because the Germans were not
quite sure Of the ultimate Sedan in
the west Today they are. ! should
imagine. still less sure. When this
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