Evening star., 1918-07-24
Peace Terms for Home Erect.

Failure Of the drive at the Marne
may be regarded as the cause Of an.
other 'peace kites which has just ap-
peared above the horizon Of Germany.
Such essays at negotiations usually
follow misfortunes in the field, and
certainly the offensive begun . week
ago Monday Is to be regarded as one
Of the poorest investments in man
power yet made by Germany in the
west.
The terms outlined In the dispatch,
which states that Germany has insti-
tuted negotiation through Spain, are, Of
course, impossible Of consideration.
They are six in number, as stated on
the authority Of Vorwaerts, the social
ist newspaper Of Berlin, not the most
credible source Of statement to be de-
sired, yet perhaps used in this in
stance for reasons known to Berlin.
Two Of them, the first and the last,
are obviously designed as bait, no an
nsxations or indemnities In the west
and the settlement Of the colonial ques-
tion on the basis Of the status quo.
But these are not sufficient to out
weigh tho utter impossibiity Of the
other four.
Germany proposes, according to this
. dispatch, that the treaties with Rus
. sia and Rumania are not to be ques-
toned; that the principle Of self-de-
termination Of peoples is not to be dis
eussed now, but may be settled at the
conference, where the fate Of Belgium
also is to be settled; the Balkan ques-
tion Is to be settled at the confer
cnce; the freedom Of the seas, the dis
mantling Of Gibraltar and the saez
canal and tho establishment Of the
German right to use eoaling stations.
Reduced to a simple proposition,
these alleged terms mean that Ger
many is willing to coneeds the loss Of
her colonies and to relinquish all In
IDENTITIES and annexaaons IN the
west provided she has q voice in the
discrimination Of the small peoples, es-
pecially the BALKANS, with Belgium
held, as Chancellor Hertling has con-
fessed, a. . pawn In the negotiations,
while she gains access to the Mediter-
Sanean, from the virtual control OF
which England. through her command
Of tho two entrances, Is to be elimi-
mated.
These are terms not Of a defsated
power, but Of one that regards tho vic
tory as won. But President Wilson
has said-and his words are indofsed
by the governments Of the other al.
lied countries-that there must be no
compromise with Germany, that the
war must be fought to . decision. The
terms outlined by the Vorwaerts would
be distinctly in the nature Of COM
promise. There Is no possibility Of
their acceptance. Indeed, there is no
chance Of the acceptance Of any terms
Germany may formulate. The peace
conference will not be organized on
The basis Of German propositions.
This spsaes kite" l. doomed to
smash, a. al ne oshers Aoated Arom
Berlin have come TO s1ief. II b Of
! Significance only IN III disclosure that
Germany u In desperate STRATA She
{ probably has no expectation Of con-
aeiderstion being Given to these terms.
sBut she must hsve. something 70 show
ste her people to indicate thss he d
igoing as far a. possible IN an efbft
to bring the terrible war to an end.
These preposterous terms rejected. shs
can point to the allies as forcing the
fighting upon her. The government At
Berlin Is merely saving its face.