The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-26
PREMATURE PEACE.
(Written by Gertrude Atherton for
 the National Security League.)

country might have been divided roughly into two classes: Those that read about the war and those that did not. Today practically everyone in the nation Is interested in the war, but again may be divided into two classes: Those that think and those that do not-or cannot,
 It is only those incapable of grasp ing this great war in it's entirety, of looking beyond the mere casualty lists which horrify them-that hope and pray for an immediate peace by ne- gotiation; a peace that would leave the German empire in the position of a man who has had severe illness but only needs time and care and re- cuperative rest-something the G. B. now yearns for-to be stronger than ever again.
 By this time 1t would seem that the | densest person in the United States must know that Germany is insatiably i greedy, mad for world power, con stunned with hatred of her rivals in wealth and importance, as ruthless | and savage under a thin veneer as the ancient Huns, without pity, mercy, | honor; psychologically incapable of i telling the truth, or considering the 1 rights of others, and with no sense of fair play whatever. And yet you hear constantly-for the less intelligent of Americans are incurable optimists- l "Oh, be sure she has had enough. Her people never will stand for another war. She really desires peace now, and recognizes her mistake in plung- l ing the world into war-she never dreamed it would go so far. But let us stop this killing business. The future can take care of itself any how"
 If this war finishes with the Hoh- enzollerns and Prussia in power and an undismembered Austria-Hungary | to support her, it will be because of a breakdown of morale on the part of
 the Allied powers, which has let them drift supmely into a negotiated peace i And if Prussia remains in the saddle and the Southern Slavs have not been permitted to form a strong buffer
 state, independent of a crippled and impotent Austria, we shall not only be plunged into another war ten years hence but into a hopeless war. The Qe1nOTd1lZdl1On
 European Allies to consent to com
 promiss would have relaxed their
 moral fibre to such an extent that
 they would make little more than the
 gesture of war. We, meanwhile
 should be en armed camp from the Pacific to the Atlantic, with a navy
 some three times it's present size. Oul
 present taxes would be a mere trifle
 to what we should groan under unti
 our issue with Germany was settled
 once for all.
 Prussia has not altered it's charac , teristics in 1,500 years; not since the , days of Genseric and Alaric, when tht northern tribes of Germany under , those historic freebooters lived fol
 war and the spells of war, and wo1 l the honor of being, with Attila, thu most brutal trio in history. The re cord of Prussia is even worse today Is any one really so innocent as tt
 imagine that she would have change
 of heart in our time? Yes, when tn
 leopard changes his spots to the golt
 stars of sacrifice. She would whil
 Russia into shape, and then, heaC
 down, charge the world again witl
 something like 20,o0o,0Oo of trained
 fighting men behind her.
 ) There would be no doubt whateve 5 about the fate of Europe. We shoulC r have a better chance of resistance but none whatever of conquest, no even If we sank the German navy. Il any case the war would drag on fo
 years. Now, if the pacIfists, socialist
 and traitors in our midst as well a U those weak timorous souls that wee a over our men who are delighted to b f over there and doing their duty, cal s be silenced. we stand a fair chance o I winning the war by sheer superiorit
 of numbers and generalshtp, smash
 ing the military machine and chas
 ing the wicked ambitions and un
 scrupulous powers that alone are re
 sponsible for this hideous scourge into a limbo from which they neve
 will emerge.
 :. The future of the world literally lie in the hollow of our hand. At pres
 ent that hand is fist and Germany
 mean little soul has shuddered ant shrunk under it's impact. But le
 those iron fingers relax before Prussii
 Is on her knees begging for mercy
 and we may as well make her pres , ent (With impressive ceremonies, ol a golden platter) of modern civiliza tion, including those mere side issues ] democracy and individual freedom 7 and have done with 1t. A compre ! mise peace and Prussia will lick he chops and sit down to the leisurel
 task of eating us alive,