New-York tribune., 1918-04-21
People Dealing
With Us Must
Keep Treaties
Neav Spirit in Germany Is
the First Requisite
to Peace
By William Almon Wolff
Of the Vigilantes

-! efto tyU0HtSS
CUPPOSE you made bargain with
~ Jones, who lives across the
street? Suppose he gave you his
word to do certain thing-say, to
Fay back $50 that you lent him, as a
friend and neighbor. without a note,
without any evidence of Indebtedness?
and suppose he wantonly and cynically
refused to keep his word? Probably
things like that have happened to you.
And then suppose that Jones came
TO you, after while, chastened. per-
haps, by adversely, and said that, of
course. he had been wrong, and that,
alter while, he would discuss with
ycu the matter of paying you back
your $50, but that, meanwhile. ne
would like to enter into All arrange
ment with you to do certain things.
what would you do? Wouldn't YOU toll
nm that, since it was to your interest
as we'll as his, to deal with him. YOU
"ould-provided you got a guarantee
OIL good faith from him? An agree
Ment, say, sealed and witnessed with
bond, probably, for the faithful ner-
romance OF his part of the contract? :?
and suppose Jones drew himself up,
sunny. and said you were insulting
hlm-that his word was GOOD. What
would you do? Tell him to go to the
devil. of course.
The Kaiser and Jones
Germany ouor,,t.aJ
o. Belgium. Germany broke her word
You can't trust the German govern.
mIent that committed that monstrous
oreach OF falth any more than Won
could trust Jones.
Inc German people are probably
pretty we'll disillusoned. They have
srHered enough, it may be, to chasten
item, and incline them to be ncigh-
borly and. law abiding. But, as mat
ters stand, 1t isn't with the German
people that peace can be made. In
England and in France there are re-
spchslole governments. In Germany
.EeTe isn't. Pro-Germans and German
Sfologlsts use good deal of camou-
Aage in this matter. Americans mnst
60 behind that and realize the truth.
me talk of representative government
IN Germany is part of that camoutiaee.
IT centres in the Reichstag. which. in
Germany, is equivalent-the German
apologsts would have you believeC-to
Parliament in England or CONGRESS-
here. They will talk to you about the
system by which its members are
chosen. They will tell you that the
system OF proportional representation
Is actually more democratic than our
own. Well-maybe it is. 1t does
give better representation to minori-
l..
the Republicans in the South a voice
III our government.
Helpless After Elected
But, heavens above, what's the nse
OF the best system in the world of
electing a member of body that is
helpless after it is elected! What can
the Reicnstag do? Talk! Suppose Il
d'sapproves of the Cnancellor's poli-
cles. Nothing happens. If a British
or French ministry is beaten in a
Vote IN Parliament Or the Chamber of
Deputies that ministry falls and new
one comes in. That isn't true in Ger
many. And until there is a ministry
IN Germany responsible to the Reichs-
tag and SO to the German people. T..
Tor one. don't see how there can be a
peace IN which it will be possible to
believe. What good are the treaties,
the promises. the agreements, of a gov
ernment that doesn't keep its word :?
You wouldn't trust man like Jones,
who had proved himself to be liar.
How can you trust a government that
has proved itself to be liar?
1t isn't, as I see it, question of the
Kaiser so much. If the German peo-
pie want to keep him on. let them do
1t! They ought to be punished to a
certain extent. anyway, and perhaps
keeping the Kaiser on the Job is a
good way. But-thev can't expect the
rest of the world to deal with him.