Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-05
PEACE NOW WOULD BE A
GERMAN VICTORY

| y
dent Wilson IN addressing a joint ses-
sion of Congress solemnly paid tribute
TO the craftsmanship Of Count Czernin,
| the Austro- Hungarian Foreign Minister,
| in these words, "CouW C=crnH seems
| 10 see The fundamental cieWcHis Of peace
| icith cledr cVcs and docs not seek TO
o6scurc thCB,,' the latest eifusion of that
| willy tool of Potsdam might be cOntemp-
tuously dismissed as merely another eI-
| fort to lime the dove of peace. But
unfortunately the recollection is still
! vivid in the minds of the American pco-
| pie. SO it calls for something more than
offhand dismissal.
Of course the Presidents compliments
TO the Count were drawn forth by the
| apparently conciliatory tone Of the Aus
| trian's comments before the ReichSrath
on January 2S upon Mr. Wilson's -four
! teen conditions of peace speech before
! Congress January s. The Presidents
purpose was 70 contrast the difference
between the ways in which C2crnin and
| Won Hcrtling responded to that utter
! ancc. At the time it gave rise to the
idea that Austria-llungary might be
! split away from Germany, and that
| hope did not fade until the revelations
| of the rest-Lilovsk negotiations proved
/ how utterly false wa, the deIusion that
| the imperiaistic cyncism which dom
! mated the course Of Berlin diplomacy
did not likewise infect that Of Nicnna.
In the face Of those revelations Count
| Czernn has the efrrontcry once more to
spread his net Of fine phrases. The
! Tcuton mind is impcrvious to its own
! Inconsistencies 1t can inspire trcach-
cries unspeakahc like those perpctrated
upon the Russian people under the guise
Of peace negotiations and still blandIy
offer to open peace discussion with the
United States on the basis Of the Presi-
dents "four general principles laid
down in the speech Of February II, with
out appearing to realize that they are
| fundamentally. land diamctrically the anti
thesis Of acts deliberately and BADLY com
mitted before Il world aghast.
Count Czemiu is cunning. But he has
| overrcached himself. However ingenious
President Wilson may appear to him
| and his adroit coadjutors at Great
| Headquarters. by reason Of his direct
| honesty and straightforward simplicity
! qualities Of the American spirit which.
| by the way. are likely TO remain wholly
| incomprchcnsiDlc to the Tcuton under
! standmg-thcrc is not "a chance that he
/ can again be drawn into any discussion
| which i'm the slightest degree will weaken
the resolution Of the nation to sec this
war through to it, logical triumph over
| the Central Powers on the field Of battle
! or slow up its preparations for putting
/ the full power Of its resources behind
| the united forces Of the Entente Allies.
What faith can be placed in the words
| Of q statesman who. speaking of the re-
| suits on the eastern front, says, 81 have
| already concluded three moderate, but
| honorable, peace treaties and then de-
| scribcs the aggrcssionS and aggrandizc-
! mcnts in Russia and Eumania as any
! thing but annexation and oppression?
! Consequently when, replying to the SNUG
! intimation that the French Government
! had sought to negotiate for peace secret
! ly. Premier Clcmenceau laconically said.
| "C2crnin lies" no further proof was nee
cssury. OF a surety Czernin lies. lies now
| a. ne lied before and will lie again il he
can find enemies fatuous enough 10 place
any crcdcncc in his mouthings The cf-
| fort to SOW discord among the western
allies and involve their leaders in doubts
and jcaUusics il too paipablc this time.
! Il is too thin Il screen to cover up the
! desire of Germany to gain time for dig
! giug in on its newly won front in France
and recover breath for another drive.
! which might a,luiu the coveted Channel
! ports and Paris.
But there /. ON" uaIugraph i'm the