Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-27
MORE PEACE POISON GAS
Germany's Feelers Must Be Met by Re.
doubling the Force Of the Attack
i'm the Field

speeches of Doctor Won Kuehlmann,
the German foreign secretary, and of
Chancellor Won Hertling lies in their
revelation of the state of mind of the
Junkers.
Georg Bernhard, one of the most en-
thusiastic Pan Germanists, said last week
in the Vossische Zeitung that "this war
cannot be ended by any military, but only
by political action"
Won Kuehmann, this week, talks about
political action, that is, about negotia-
tions between the warning nations look
ing to an agreement on terms of peace.
He asks for a peace offer which will
satisfy Germany's vital needs These
needs, says he, are "for the German
people and our allies free, strong, inde-
pendent existence within the boundaries
drawn for us by history, over
sea possessions corresponding to our
greatness and wealth; the freedom of the
sea, carrying trade to all parts of the
world"
With his tongue in his cheek he dis
claims the idea of world domination and
says that "the nation which tried it
would bleel to death in useless battle"
Germany has tried fer world domina-
tion. All the evidence proves it. She
has discovered that she cannot succeed,
and that her attempts have lined up
against her the great nations, including
America with her boundless resources.
She sees her impending doom and is
making desperate effort to avert it and
to win by negotiation what she has failed
to secure by force.
But the Entente Allies, conscious of
their growing strength, REINFORCED by
millions of American soldiers, will not
be diverted from their purposes to de-
stroy the power of German militarism
again to upset the world. The last thing
they will consent to is a negotiated peace
based on compromises and concessions to
an outlaw nation.
1t is true. as Won Kuehlmann says,
that the preliminary conditions to peace
negotiations must be certain degrees of
mutual confidence in each others honesty
and chivalry." Germany's actions, from
the violation of Belgium to the disregard
of the BrestLitovsk treaty before the
ink on the signatures was dry, have made
it impossible for the world to have any
faith either in her chivalry or in her
honesty. Consequently, the world cannot
negotiate with her.
The peace which is to end the war is
not to be made by any chanceleries, but
by the democracies of the Entente Allies
in the field. The Americans in France
and those preparing to go there know
what they are fighting for. They are
the real representatives of American
sentiment, and they will not consent to
any compromise which will make their
sacrifices vain. Neither will the democra-
cies of Great Britain and France.
Some few pacifists may be deceived by
the statements coming out of Germany.
Those statements are made for the pur-
pose of enlisting such forces on the side
| of a German peace The demand that
| Germany be allowed to have her place in
the sun and to develop in the way which
| pleases her will appeal cnly to those who
do not know what place Germany has
been seeking, and to those who have for
gotten that the war was started in order
that that place might be seized by force
regardless of the rights of the other
nations, small as well as large. =
| Eight or ten months ago Germany
| ,irh+ hor 10 u IL
hearing in America for such appeals as
she is making. But it is too late
now. The people themselves decided,
long ahead of the Administration in
Washington, that there was no hope that
peace worth days purchase could be
made until the Germans had been con-
vinced by the demonstration of superior
force that they were not the chosen of
God to rule the earth. The Adminstra-
tion has slowly come around to the same
view. The President himself has ad-
mitted that he is disillusioned and his
associates are following his lead.
Germany is defeated today, but she
is like boxer who feels himself weaken
ing and wants to call time" that he may
have chance to get his breath, in the
hope that the fight may be decided draw
before he is knocked out.
But America is determined to continue
the fight until the knockout blow is deliv,
cred and all pretensions to a champion,
ship are abandoned by the man on his
back. The time for negotiation has
passed. The time for action with increas
ing vigor is here.