New-York tribune., 1918-10-20
We Have Beaten
the Hun But
Can't axe
His Word
Copyright, 1918
New York Tribune Inc.

Asia M nor, and thus the removal os an
the more familiar causes for all wars
Once these things have been written ,nto
treaty Of peace, then Mr.. Wilson has
formu ated pro sramme for the oryan;. d.
eaton Of the a.reaIy reorgaozed
world on the basis of league. Of
peace. But all programmes for such an
organization must derive their AUTHORITY
from the league of nations, wnen cousti-
tuted, and are not details IN the restora-
ton Of peace at the present moment
Having sad these .n.ngs, return now
FIR the n.omeno % he discussion OF tbe
more imn.e diate question, that of peace
Does Germany mean what she says or is
she conducting a new and even mora
daring and gigantic peace offensive de.
signed to do two things, to crease dis.
cord among the nations fighting her and
to deprive the leaders of these nations
of the support of their own pubhcs, while
rallying her own people to new sac.
rifce? No man is justified in refusing
to consider the possibility that Germany
is acting in good faith, but who can be.
actual guarantees have been given?
In ali human prooab.Lcy .ne Question
of peace Or war viii turn on Germanys
Willingness to eVacuate Alsace- Lorraine.
If she is in earnest and acting in good
faith, then she viii agree to the surren-
der Of Metz and Strassburg, prec. .sely as
she demanded IN July, 1914, that France
should evacuate Verdun and Epnal as
guarantee of neutrality She win con.
seat because there is 10 other possih4l-
lty OF gaming an armist.ce, because och
and Ha4g ana Persh4ng are not going to
surrenoer the advantages so dearly pur.
chased in recent weeks and permit Ger
many to reorganlze her beaten arm es
and renew the fight in good condit on
next spring at the line selected by her.
But II germany is ac.ing N bad 1aith
then she viii refuse TO surrenaer Metz
and Strassburg, she will attempt to rouse
the people of America, Britain and Italy
by arguing that they are Kept IN the
hight because of French ambitions, she
viii seek to sow discord among her enc.
mics, she will gamble on a possible will
lngness Of the Pres dent to De her ad-
vocate, and she VIII calculate that rather
tnan sufrenuer A SAGE ana L,rrane ner
people will consent to prolong the war;
that Germany viii rise to the til. eat Of
what will be held by her to be muci.a-
ton as France rose in The last days of
Lou-s XIV and again in 1892.
Our greatest peru now hes ii thinking
OF the war as over or accepting the words
OF the German when these woras are
not translated into corresponding deeds.
Ihe German Is talking peace IN accepta
bic WORDS, but ne is spreading ruin and
waste over the richest and fairest fields
OF Europe Would he continue to do
THIS # he expected to make peace pres.
emily on terms which would compel HIN
TO indemnify his victims for his current
crimes! Would he burn Camb al On
Monoay If he expected On Saturday to
make peace with the guaranteed inaem.
nlilcat1on of the peop4e of Cambra? At
least 1t does not seem likely.
We have come to the most critical me-,
meht IN more than four years Of strug-
gle. We have won the war, We have
beaten the German, but we have not yet
reached TIE point where we can safely
accept his verbal assurances that he de-
sh es to make peace on our terms Short
or the acceptance by the German of the
tact OF defeat, short of his consent TO
the expression in practical terms of our
victory We cannot safely or wisely con-
sent 10 an armist.ce Or permit ourselves
20 beEeve our labors are at an end.
We cannot forget that the German
attacked the civilized world four years
ago and IN defiance of all has written
and spoken pledges We cannot forget
that for four years he has continued to
disregard al pledges until the moment
when his armies We're beaten and all
chance CT ctor's peace escaped am.
we must act with this knowledge N
mind; We must demand immediate guar.
antees which will prevent resumption
OF the contest under conditions favora-
bic 10 Germany next spring Above all
e-se' we must in cur armstlce translate
our victory into positive terms.
These terms are the surrender Of AZ
saee-Lorra.ne and Italia Irredenta, the
temporary occupation OF the left bank
4 the Rhine from Holland TO Switzsr-
land and the prompt enobi
ne German army and navy. Anything
else would be mochers, Il n "a =
al that the world has striVen for for
over four years of aecny, = sure f9gn-
dat:on for new Geman adventure and
agge sion. | do not see hcw we can ne
got ate with Germany in arms / do not
see how we can ask less than uncondi-