Evening star., 1918-06-21
REAL PEACE TALK OVER
IN OPINION OF BALFOUR
German Effort, by Offers to Single
Enemy, Aimed Only to Dis
rupt Allies.


Morrell. liberal, representing a small
pacifist group in the house of COM
mons, today started, as his group
does on every possible occasion. a
debate on the question of peace by
agreement by moving the following
resolution:
That this house desires that the
government will lose no diplomatic
opportunity to settle the problem of
the war by agreement, and that to
that end 1t expresses it's opinion that
secret treaties with allied govern
ments should be revised, since. in
their present form, they are incon-
sistent with the object for which this
country entered the war and are.
therefore, a barrier to democratic
peace
The motion was negatived without
division.
In moving his resolution Mr.. Nor
rell declared there Is a passionate
desire for peace in Germany. II 1t
could be got with security. but the
Germans believe the allies unwilling
to listen to reasonable terms. and
that only by supporting the emperor
and the military party can they Sc
cure the peace they desired.
Peace Offensive Defined.
Philip Snowden. socialist. in sup
porting the resolution, asked Mr..
Balfour, secretary for foreign affairs.
to define what he meant by peace
Offensive
Mr.. Balfour said that by peace Of
fensive he meant any effort, by
speech or otherwise. under the guise
- lit,
Of the present war, to divide the
allies and discourage individual MEM
bers Of the alliance.
Mr. Balfour declared 1t was a fact
that Germany was pursuing her aim
of universal domination with persist
and with a ruthless, -blooded de-
termination which left Napoleonle
tradition far behind.
Contending that Belgium remained
the greatest blow to German honor
he asked whether Germany had ever
In any document or speech openly or
plainly offered to restore Belgium to
absolute political and economic inde-
pendence. He knew Of no such oner.
There had been suggestions but never
frank avowal.
Allies Aims Alike.
Mr.. Balfour emphasized that in the
matter of war aims there was not the
slightest difference between Great
Britain and the United States. He
denied that secret treaties were an
obstacle to peace. 1t was quite a mis-
take, he said, to suppose that the
treaty with Italy would stand in the
way Of peace.
"Certainly." he continued. 1.-The gov
ernment are not going to shut their
ears to anything that could be called
reasonable suggestions. II such sug-
gestions should be made. These hes da,sa- trea-
try with others as members OF an
alliance. BY these treaties we stand.
Our national honor is bound up IN
them"
No More Peace Offers.
This was the very last time, said
Mr.. Ralfour, that the allies were like
" to make proposals to the central
powers, or, so far as he was able 10
Judge, that the central powers were
likely to make proposals to the allies.
except for the one purpose Of a peace
offensive.
What the central powers apparently
wanted to do was not to propose rea-
sonable terms for the alliance as
whole. but to offer some member OF
the alliance terms seemingly extreme
ly favorable if that member consid-
cred only its own interest and not the
interests of the whole alliance. and
thereby disintegrate the members OF
the alliance, some of whom would be
perfectly helpless taken in isola tion
and were strong only so long as they
were united.
He did not blame the central powers
for laying such trap, but should
blame those who fell into the trap.
Most of all he blamed his pacifist
critics who appeared to think 1t al
most criminal not to fall into the trap.
1--WE all desire peace" continued Mr..
Balfour. but not peace which shall
prove merely a truce. ! hope that
the arrangements made by the peace
conference. whenevr 1t comes, will be
supplemented by a league of nations
To enfarce neace thus afYnrdine the