The Monticellonian., 1918-02-01

The state department knows well enough that Germany has tried unsuc- cessfully endless moves to make peace a decoy-to create q morbid appetite among the peoples who have been try ing to make democracy safe-an appe- tite for rest, for an end of deprivation loss, suffering, for relief from stress, for a temporary comfort bought at the price of principle-the principle of fin ishing the job.
 The secret service of the allied countries know well enough that mill lions of German money has been apsnt to make Americans talk and think not of the job to be finished but of peace.
 Some day there will be exposed, in all its extent, the systematic, elaborate methods which Germany has used in an endeavor to poison the opinion of neutral countries and plant among the weaker and more gullitle citizens of those countries fighting to rid the world forever of war and the tyranny of mlitarism the weed of premature peace. It has been Germany's purpose to choke the crop of courage and steal the nourishment away from deter imitation.
 Trail Is Found Everywhere.
 The trail of this well-organized at tempt can be found everywhere.
 In Russia, back in the days of the czar, industrial leaders of Petrograd and Moscow who came in contact with workmen, bureaucrats in the offices of government, and officers at the staff headquarters of the Russian army at Mohileff, who came in contact with soldiers recruited from various parts of the empire, told me that one of the well-defined purposes and special eff forts of German agents was to stimu- late among the industrial and laboring classes in Russia thoughts of peace, of the comforts, the relief, and the hope of peace, all of which would serve to eat like rot into the hearts of the people, tolling them away from the will to fight and the will to make a final peace upon sound principle only, and only when the job had been fin ished.
 Men will not fight hard when there is peace talk behind the trenches" General AleSieff said. And he eX- pressed also almost the identical idea expressed to me by the retired Brit ish petty officer who took me to Scot land Yard, when the latter said, "If you see two men fighting, would you bet on the one who was wondering when it would be over?"
 Should Learn From Experience.
 The experience of other countries and our own experience with the desire of Germany that her enemies shall think, talk, and wonder about the com ing of peace, ought to be enough for us.
 Any contribution made by any Amer iean citizen to aid this purpose of Ger many is an act which compares with soldier at the front who turns his face to the rear.
 Such a contribution may be actually traftorous. There are still constant in- stances of treason among those per sons who stimulate peace talk with full knowledge that they are aiding and abetting the enemy.
 Such contribution may be morally rotten. There are those who talk peace because peace to their warped souls is dearer than the end for which we have entered the war.
 Such a contribution may come from flabby sentimentality. There are still men and women who can only think of the horrors of this war instead of the greater horrors of other wars which are sure to come if wh do not now make the menace of Prpssian plotting and militarism impossible for the ages and generations of the future.
 Such a contribution may be the re- suit of a love of the sensational. There are still individuals and even news papers who seek to attract attention by pretending that they have advance information of the coming of peace.
 Such a contribution may be igno- rant There are still individuals so benighted that the cause of America is not clear and real in their minds. They fail to understand that America has entered this war to make democ- racy safe; to guarantee small nations the right of freedom from ruthless con quest; to crush the doctrine that the choice of development of each human being must be wrested away from him or from her and put in dominant and autocratic machine of government. Failing to understand the nobility of our purpose, they endure the war pas sively and prick up their ears at any word of rumor which concerns the end of the war.
 Such a contribution may be merely sloppy. There are those who forget, who do not think, who lapse into lazy nothingness, and as yet far away from the bite of war, ask each other, Well, when will the war end?"
 Comforters of Enemy.
 Consciously and unconsciously these are all comforters of the enemy.
 Upon them and upon their traitor ous or lax attitude of mind, Germany depends. She leans upon all peace gossipers."
 Germany has no need to fear na- tion interested in peace and always talking and wondering about peace.
 She may well fear when every last man and woman of us has no interest T