The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-04-13

alton against attacks, while Russia
agrees to deliver to Roumania the sur
plus Of grain In Bessarabia.
Ia
Teutonic diplomats seem to be the |
stupidest on earth, and seldom nave
they been more stupid than In their
latest "peace offensive" This was
launched by Count Czernin, the Aus
trian premier and usual catspaw for
Germany In such matters. 1t appar-
emily was designed to separate the
United States from the allies, for the
count undertook to show that Frances
claim to Alsace-Lorralne was the only
real obstacle in the way of peace. He
said Premier Clemenceau had inquired
through an intermediary whether Aus
ria-Hungary was ready to negotiate
| and on what terms. To this Glenn
enceau replies merely: "Czernin lies"
The Austrian leader said nice things
about President Wilson's peace aims,
but declared his country would not beg
for peace but would enforce 1t by NOR
al right and physical strength.
The Teutonic leaders are blind If
they cannot see that neither America
nor the entente allies will for mo-
ment consider peace settlement that
leaves their military power unbroken
or that does not carry, as q prerequis-
lite, the evacuation by Germany Of the
/ invaded territory she now holds. only
a few days ago President Wilson, In q
| letter to American Methodists, reiter-
ated his determination to carry on the
ssss.a6 until the German power Is crushed.
Il - ss'6'ai
/ With a rush that promised to carry
all before 1t, the Third Liberty loan
campaign started Saturday. In every
town and hamlet In the country the
event was celebrated with parades,
salutes and speeches, and the enthusi-
assn was such that the success Of the
| $4,500,000,000 loan cannot be question
ed. Helping to make 1t success, with
money and with work, has been es-
| tablished as test of patriotism, and
| few will care to evade the test, Most
appropriately, the opening of the cam
paign conceded with the first anniver-
sary of Americas entrance into the
war and Saturday was made day of
remembrance and action that will not
soon be forgotten.
] IA
/ Warned by their constituents that
intolerance Of pro-Germanism Is so In
ereasing that 1t will m take the form
of lynch law, the members of the SEN
ate have awakened, and on Tuesday
three separate measures were intro
duced providing for dealing more dras-
tically with disloyalty. One would
greatly enlarge the scope Of the es-
pionage act and increase the severity
of the punishments provided; the sec
ond would bar from the malls any pub
licatlon printed In an enemy alien
language; the third calls for the dis
missal Of any government employee
who unwarrantably criticizes the gov
eminent or makes disloyal utterances
The governors of the states, at the
first session of their conference on
AmericanizatiOn Of aliens, also were
reused to speech and action concern
ing the prevalence Of disloyalty. Res
olutions calling on congress to provide
for the enforced naturalization Of oil
aliens Of draft age and to suppress all
German language newspapers for the
period Of the war were introduced and
probably would have been adopted If
Secretary Of the Interior Lane had
not interviewed with plea against bit
terness and for campaign of educa-
ton. Many of the governors did not
like this, and next day they resumed
their demands that the government
deal more drastically with disloyal-
lists, spies and the German language
press.
In Colllnsville, ILL.,, man Of Ger
man BIRTH who was accused of max
Ing seditlous remarks, was hanged by
an exasperated mob and In many 9TH
er places pro-Germans were roughly
handled.
"a
In the Wisconsin senatorial election,
In which Congressman Lenroot was
elected, the Germans of the state did
not show up any too we'll, for they
gave the indicted Socialist, Berger, q
sIzeable vote, especially In Milwaukee
and other German regions. Also MIL
waukee reelected its Socialist mayor.
There may be nothing against such
men as Socialists, but the very name
now smacks Of treason.
Chicago did better than Wisconsin.
for in its aldermanic election every
Socialist and anti-war candidate met
defeat.