New-York tribune., 1918-03-03

the most likely to bring peace that
VIII be permanent.
:. Peoples and provinces are not
to be bartered about from sovcr-
elgnty to sovereignty, as if they were
mere chattels and pawns in a game.
even the great game, now forever
discredltcd, of the bclance of power;
but that,
s. Every territorial settlement in
vowed in this war must be made in
the interest and for the benefit of
the populations concerned, and not
as part of any mere adjustment or
compromise Of claims among rival
states; and,
4. Al we'll defined national aspira-
Nons shall be accorded the utmost
satisfaction that can be accorded
'hem without introducing new or
perpetuating old elements of discord
and antagonism that would be likely
IN time to break the peace Of Europe
and consequently of the world.
The text of the speech follows:
Joffrc's Prediction
"When had the privilege and
honor of visiting the Western front
in the summer Of 1916 | was deeply
impressed with the abiding contidep &c
winch the two commanders of the
French and British armies felt in a
conclusive victory on the battlefield
IN the following spring. At that time
the French were not only holding
their own at Vcrdun, but slowly push
ing the invaders back, while on the
Somme Sir Douglas Haig's armies were
daily thrusting their foes from seem
lngly impregnable positions. The feel
ing was general that the end was in
sight, and and can no better illus
tratc this than by stating remark
that General Jofirc made to me at
the end Of an Interview which | was
greatly privileged to have with him
at his headquarters at Chantilly This
was early in August, 1916. and he aske d
me Wrcn was returning to America
replied, Within a few days and
then. with quiet smile. be added as
an adlcu. Come back in twelve months
and the war viii be over
We're these two great commanders
cheating themselves with vain delu-
slons? We're they simply indulging in
idie boasts in the manner of the lIo-
mcric heroes? Both General Haig and
General Jofrc are men Of very few
words. They never indulge in vain
prophecies, and neither of them has in
the slightest degree the spirit of boast
ing. Their confident belief in an early
victory was based uoon seemingly sure
premises and sound reasoning. They
knew that on the Western front they
had at length attained manifest su.
periority in artillery, man power and
alrplanes. This they had dern rnonstratcd
on the Somme with six months Of al
most consistent victories.
nat IS more important, they knew
that Russia's mighty armies were being
slowly equipped by the material re-
sources OF Great Britain. France.
Japan and the United States, and that
by the spring Of 1917 they would be in
II position OF overwhelming superiority
on the Eastern front. They knew that
the Russians were good soldiers and
mad rs able generals as those Of anv
country, for the greatest victories, ex
ccpt that Of the Marnc, which had
been won for the Allies, had been those
Of the Russian armies. Twice they had
invaded Eastern Prussia and twice they
mad swept IN triumph through Galicis
ana reached the crest of the Carpa
'hians, rom which they could view The
plains Of Hungary. They had suffered
0niy Two disasters, the ono at Tannen-
berg, through either the stupidity or
~, 'iH"N"ciy oI ,nclr generals, and the
other at Donajoc, where, through the
failure Of tho Russian government,
either through maladministration or
trcachery, to forward the necessary
snprlies or munitions, they had bean
forced hack.
"Ail this Was being remedicd in the
manner hnvc indicated, and there was
thereiorc very reasonable cxpccta-
tion that N the spring Of 1877 the Tcu.
tonic armies would face forces both on