Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-17

real reace any nearer" says ,he Ex-
press. preliminary conditions TO
peace have been stated over and over
again by the allies. md there is not
,ral powers Will agree TO my one of
. n -Sr condition They who drew the
s*1.'i are scheming 20 save themselves
fr III perishinG by t5e sword. The ms
it WIS written in Wire 'mntrassc, Ber-
lin
Relative to the offer of peace to Bel
GUM the Express says:
This is another Brest Litovsk
scheme and part Of the same plan for
preserving the power Of the Hohen-
"ollerns."
DEMOCRACY NOW AT
HELM Of WORLDS AFFAIRS
After referring 10 the sinking of the
liner Galway Castle as a. coincidence
% the offer OF peace. the newspaper
Gays:
The allied peoples viii not shake
hands They Will not< be friends nor
VIII they agree 10 any hole in the
corner negotiations. Democracy is
nov at the helm Ui the worlds affairs.
nan people desire 10 save themselves
from falling with II they must Insist
on the preliminary conditions which
alone make useful talk poss bic"
abundantiy clear" says the Post.
when Germany and her dependents
are ready to accept them they can
lei us know. There Will be no abate-
beaten. and must recognize she is
beaten. Until then her suggestions
for peace conferences are not TO be
regarded any more thar the cracking
Of thorns under pot"
The pacitst Daily News is the sole
exception TO the prevailing tone of
commeLt. Anticipating general rejec-
zion of the Austrian proposals, it says
hat responsible. sober minded men
should nevertheless face the proposals
squarely. The newspaper argues that
discuss ions must take place sooner or
later As - preliminary to peace. and
says
There is no solid ground upon which
statesmen sincerely Jealous for peace
trian proposals. Discussion would not
involve an arnistice. There would be
no question o! the allied compromising
their fundamental principles. Against
the more than remote prospect that
discussions might leave Germany OBJ
duraie, they might have very differ
ent result in the case of Turkey, Bull
garia and even Austria The allies
everything Ia gain and nothing to lose
by diScL 7sion.
"An imNidsnt sham" is the Mails
editorial head over its comment on the
note. Which it describes as another
orm IF an old German trick"
,!EAR KAiSER'S VOICE
IN AUSTRIAN TELEGRAM
The German Emperor Is ven,rilo-
quiSt whose voice may hear In
this Austrian telegram" the newspa+
per continues, and we hear il because
the military masters under whom Ger
many is bleeding are afraid. 1t is not
humanity which they have in View
but the safety OF their own skins This
German trick has been disposed OF In
advance by President Wilson's mas
tcr!y addresses. MIR. Wilson'S grcat
watchword, no peace with autocracy'
applies 10 Austria as well as pruss,a,
ana for the same cause no German au-
tocracy can be trusted for an hour
ms allied attitude is clear. We re-
quire reparation, restitution ana guar
antees and since the fresh German
outrages upon French territory w.
require the punishment OF the cri,ni-
nails. Nothing less will do We re
mind tho enemy of President Wilson I,
words there can be no compromise.
iD halfway decision is toierable.''
AS TO the offer to Belgium the Mail
SAYS it is insulting ana only "oners
..IEians one more scrap or paper
NOTE ABSURD On
IT'S FACE. SAYS TELEGRAPH
The note is absurd on the very
lace lace OF II. says the Telegraph. 1t is
u ,.SiI ,n1 cynical and insncere.
insincere and nsolent. Germany as a
power Is not to be trusted. Her most
s so,inns coimnpacis are faisihed by her
icrmany. and German policy carried
out by very different rulers before
We can even hope 10 discuss neace
IL is true that all nations desire
the end OF the war. but peace must
be lasting. 1t must Ice one founded
Upon upon INC recognition, of the indepen-
dchce or nations. Above all IL must
BE one which. in Mr.. Wilson'S words
makes the world safe for democracy
Ncgotiations at the present moment
! even though they brought a temporary
peace, would only postpone the strug-
| Eie OF right and might As long as
rtct with irresistible authority ~.
destinics OF Germany, 50 long can there