Evening star., 1918-01-13

the days go by each effort at continued
struggle Is weaker and weaker
With the entente group OF nations
showing no idea OF compromising in
wrest the world from threatened Teu-
tonic domination. and Germany con-
tinuing to breathe defiance, it would
appear that peace Is remote-more re-
mote, In fact than 1t appeared two
weeks ago. when 1t was believed pos
be inclined to temporize in the slightest
degree-at least create grounds upon
which the kaiser might stand. There
is not the slightest doubt now. There
entente group as expressed through
David Lloyd George and woodrow Wil-
son, and hailed by their colleagues In
other nations. has been indelibly
stamped into the pages of history, and
the entente group Of nations will rise
or fall thereby. There will be no de-
Walton in the least from the fixed pur-
pose It is to be a war to the finish.
When the end will come is another
question. But that 1t is nearer than
of conditions in Germany, is accepted
in high official quarters most cognfzant
Of current events and where a. finger is
kept on the pulse of the world through
governme channels.
The German government voices its de-
fiance to the entente and boasts that
the entente is
Bold Challenges to be defeat
Net Representative. the -giorious'
aims of the fatherland are to be
achieved. notwithstanding this it gen
orally is doubted that the bold pro-
nunciame1itos Of the kaiser and his
war lords reflect the real opinion Of
Germany,
Concrete evidence of serious split in
the German nation itself over the ques-
tion of war policy and peace aims has
been received. The kaiser through his
ernmissaries at Brest-Iaitovsk. who were
sent to arrange an arTnistice. then sep
arate peace with the Russians. osten-
sibly met the Russians on the Siavs
chief contention that there should be
self-definition for subject peoples. But
In reality the pan-Gefman annexation
ist principles OF the government made
their appearance. While processing that
the peoples of all that RUSSIAN terri
tory occupied by the German forces In
the east should have the right to ex-
press their own desires on the question
of se1f-definition, the Germans at the
same time insisted that these people al
ready had done SO, and had consented to
come under the Teutonic yoke, claim
which was even hooted in Germany. 1t
was pointed out that through the CEN
turies there had been nothing but an
antipathy between the Germans. Let's
Lithuanians, Esthonians, Courlanders
and Poles.
The attempted perfdious conduct of
German mi1itarists at Brest-Litoysk In
BY Foreign Minister Won Kuehlmann
and Count Czernin Of Austria Hungary
has ushered in q political crisis of un-
told proportions. The socialists, cen
trists and national liberals composing
the reichstag majority, which has stead
fast1y insisted on peace without annexa-
tions and indemnities; has unloosed the
foodgates Of their wrath against the
German government. which dares to be-
tray Its own promises to the peoples
representatives in Berlin.
The inilitarists, backed by a press ab-
solutely In control Of government and
annexationist interests, are attempting
to discredit the reichstag fno-annexa-
tion propaganda The issue Is, clear cut
as between the two factions in the CEN
tral powers. The line Of demarkation
between those elements which realize
that the policy Of annexations Is against
the best interests Of Germany, delaying
as II does much desired peace, and those
elements which declare that Germany
must retain all occupied territories II
her economical and financial future is
to be sAfeguarded. is sharp.
4
~
Following Immediately upon the split
caused by the German stand at Brest-
- Litovsk came
viii the People the speech of
ns p r m 1 Q r
Danu necnonAnS' Lloyd George
Of England. Tho kaiser for more than
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