El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-03
GERMANYGOVET5
FRENCH MINERAL
Rich Iron Mines to Be An
neXed IF the Kaiser Can
Force Own Peace.
lContlnued from page -

Z under no circumstances could she
fight on beyond Christmas. Erzber-
Z ger read in secret session letter from
I the emperor Charles 10 This effect
I The peace with Russia and the victory
I over italy determined Austria TO 90
on, the LudendOrff successes in the
west removed the last reason why the
{ Center should keep up its hypocritical
attitude any longer
Repudiate Peace Resolution
II is understood here that the chan
/ celor compelled the leaders of the
moderate parties. in a secret meet
ing on April 14, 10 repudiate formally
the reichstag peace resolution Herr-
ling is reported TO have declared that
unless this was done at once. he must
resign, that he was voicing the de-
mands Of the high command, linden
burg and LudendorfE
Whether this is strictly accurate,
do not knOW.-but I have obtined the
texts OF two extremely important
semiofficiaI statements i'm watch the
Center and Socialist majority parties
cynically repudiare their long pro-
claimed principles and declare them
selves. in somewhat obscure language.
prepared 10 endorse policy Of loot
and plumber.
Secret Meeting az Cologne.
Eight hundred delegates or the Cen
ter party met az q secret conference
at Cologne on April s, where they de-
bated the peace policy Of the party
under the intoxication Of what were
officially proclaimed the decisive
victories Of St. Quentin and Bapaume.
Herr Trimbcrn. a rechistag deputy
declared that since the reichstag's en-
deavors TO bring about a friendly
led 90 no result, victory must bring
peace we are waiting quietly and
calmly for further iopments.' he
g. HaHn
plause. Il am convinced that the
peace terms which emerge, like the
peace terms in the east, viii be unani-
mously approved By the party and its
deputies. At any rate. we have no
need 10 disagree about our foreign
policy. neither about the east nor
about the west"
This is the Center perty's subse-
quent declaration OF war aims. in
which 10 treats its previous principles
as scraps OF paper:
-rhe Centrum had no need OF any
pressure in order TO proclaim the
free hand in the west because from
the first il had expressly provided for
free hand az this 1uncture. We re-
call, first the speech delivered in the
reichstag By deputy Trimborn. the
acting president Of the party. should
the enemy compel us 20 new Sacrifices
these must, as a matter of course, be
compensated at the final peace, which
VIII be determined By the military sit-
uation then existing, as Wen as other
considerations AT this serious mo-
menr specially emphasize this. That
is what the leader Of the Centrum
said. az q time when the chancellor
himself was stll occupied with presi-
dent Wilson in order 10 throw no OBJ
stacles in the way Of an understand
Ing
-Not only did the Centrum then
take the view that If the enemy cone
unued In his wiz 10 destroy us we
should reserve for ourselves complete
freedom Of decision. despite the July
resolution, but it previously had an
n0uuced t. would take up this same
attitude az a definite date. Deputy
4 eorenoacn. one o. the Warmesr and
most convinced supporters Of the July
resolution, defined its sense and
meaning ia these words; The fOunda-
tiou Of the peace resolution is based
on the military and worldwide politi-
cal situation; its goal is an honorable
peace in the course Of the year 1917.
But II our enemies VIII not have this.
they VIII be the ones who give US
back again the freedom Of our de-
cisi0n- This, too, was in the reichs-
tag. October @. 1917.
Every intelligent Individual must
admit that the present attitude OF the
AAaN ANH "a aaEaAAA. anu AallIlL-
ale-y out or It's policy in 1917. and
rightly So From the beginning. the
Centrum has taken the standpoint Of
the government. whose three chancel- Z
0rs have agreed with the July resolu- /
ton, with them it has always main I
tanned that the July resolution ike
the German answer Of August 10 the I
papal note, was 10 be nOnlicense 20 ]
our opponents 20 prolong the war at
their pleasure.
Proudly Declares sFree Hand
So the Center party proudly de-
clares itself for a free hand in the
west but the Socialist majority par
g, while doing the same thing. hangs /
lis head ana tries 10 pretend that i'll
IS sorry, but can't do anything to I
STOP the imposition Of Vassalage on I
the rest Of the world IN all parties"
declares the official Socialist formula I
drawn up BY the leaders there are +
probably men who are convinced thar ]
an annexation peace i'm the west as q I
supplement 70 the annexation peace fn /
the east would not De Tor Germany /
good, but there is no solid majority /
VIII in the reichstag TO act consist
entity on this conviction If the action
n The west closes with a complete
success. II France and Eng
land can really be, forced 10 submit 10
The conditions imposed upon them by 3
hat the reichstag VIII appear as a
iecidinE factor.
-Miuorities are powcrless and can
DO nothing more than protest. A
-eichstag maj 0ritv determined TO inn
press its VIII upon the coming peace
ioes not exist. Social Democracy viii /
10 its duty 20 the end, and VIII utter
warnings against what IL considers
llzsalutary- tt VIII maintain its con-
,epuon o. the coming peace even
gaiust The opinion Of the greatest
military leaders, and not weaken its
sforts To make its convictions felt.
How FAR this VIII be possible depends
bourgeois parties, therefore there IS
no reason 10 look into the future too
enthusiastically as far as this matter Is
The spirit Of this declaration is well /
iummed Up in a remark og an ironical
socialist deputy, Even II a strong
leaee IS obtained in the west, Social
Democracy win know how 10 put up
With H."
Progressives Go over.
There remains one small party. theI
ressiFes. who have protcsse0I
themselves ready for a just peace
Without anneXations. Their spoEes-
nan, Dr. A1lass, explained In public
he Progressive attitude now as fol-
oWs- The much attacked peace reso-
ution was az that time an absolute
.ecessity, TO prove TO the people thar
E was no desire for annexati0ns that
vas prolonging the war The peace
oncluded in the east and the results
aimed there were a VindicaUcn OF The
he peace resolution Of July 10 was
ot am unalterable program. 10 was
lot an oLEer TO the enemy by which
he relcnstag had bound itself FOR all