The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-15
The Response to LLOYD George.

The Response to Lloyd George.
Even the pacitists are paciiied,' re-
ports the Westminster Gazette, and in
deed il is hard TO see how any consider
able body can oppose u statement framed
after consultation with the liberal lead
ers, Mr.. Asquith and Lord Grey, and in.
dorsed in the main by the leaders of the
socialistic labor party. Whatever reser'
walton Mr.. Henderson may have had in
mind in his qualified approval perhaps
relates 10 Alsace- Lorraine, but even on
this point there is no great room for di-
vergenee. Lloyd George in his speech of
Saturday used the somewhat equivocal
expression reconsideration" and British
labor, after at one time making unequiv
ocal demand for the restoration of Al
SAGE Lorraine, has recently come around
to the demand for a plebiscite, To be
conducted internationally, after the com
plete withdrawal of German armed
forces, For this compromise part of the
French socialists are ready. and it would
be in line with the Bolsheviki demands
for Poland, Kurland and Lithuania, but
France as whole is strongly opposed TO
anything less than unconditional surren'
der Of the provinces annexed by Germany
in 1871, and the point is therefore one OF
some delieaey.
Ii is however an academic question so
long as Germany shows no disposition is
assent even To plebiseite on German
lines, with the German army in oecupa
ton. The first response from Germany
does not in the least reward the hopes Of
those who had believed that the German
- cha f,fl
heart. The Westminster Gazette eX-
presses the hope that the enemy will see |
in the premier's statement an opportuni- |
ty to restore peace and will be ready to |
make Preparations and resolutions AZ de- |
sired
But the view taken in Germany, so far
as the first press comments show, Is as
different az possible The Nosssche lei
tung thinks that Lloyd Georges speech,
"the first tangible British peace offer IS
"a sufficient indication OF our strength
and a proof OF England's wee kness This
is of course mere bluff, but the German
reply to Lloyd George may be read in the
added declaration that Peace conditions
At the expense of our allies are not ac-
oeptable to us likewise peace terms Of
fering returns of our colonies IN eX- /
,hange for reinforcement OF the British
position in India This point is hit hard
er by the Berlin Lokal Anzeiger which
saws that under flow of phrases is APP
parent the old aim TO smash Germany 8 |
power forever. and to safeguard Eng
and's power forever" Turkey is the
3erman spearhead aimed at the British
empire, and the sharp tip of the spear
las temporarily at least been blunted by :
British occupation of the roads TO Egypt e
md TO the Persian gulf. Till this issue 9
$ settled peace terms cannot possibly be h
narrowed down to the question OF Al Y
ace Lorraine. c
The German comment, much of it eyi- b
emily inspired, is very much what might t
ave been expected How little was to
Re hoped in that quarter from such an C
ppeal as Lord Lansdowne called for is f
cry clearly brought out by the Nolks- II
eitung; 1.-The British premier bellies his u
rst declaration that he does not desire o
he destruction of Germany by his subse- r,
uent statement that he wishes to detach
.lsace- Lorraine, and to give to Poland b
arts of Prussian territory. Despite as t,
FRANCES to the contrary. he also wishes ri
} rob Austria Hungary and Turkey" :,
here is the difficulty. Unless the allies
i've up what they are fighting for they n
,nnot give Germany pledges likely to "
ave such an effect as Lord Lansdowne h
oked for, and what is meant for reas- ST
rance may to German ears sound more &C
Ike threat. In its present temper Ger. OF
any might indeed use Alsace-Lorraine pl
a pawn to be sacrificed in the great III
lme Of imperialistic diplomacy, but it Cd
rtainly would not assent to this sacri-
.e without huge compensations else st
here. The reception of Lloyd Georges fu
czech is precisely what might have been he
oked Springfield Republican Ii