Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-10
THE GERMAN PEACE TERMS

Despite the OlflCldl aHnOuuSonnoA.
nv Minister Balfour that no neutrai
agent of the German government mas
offered peace terms to England. II IS
not unreasonable to regard the propos'
ala outlined in yesterdy's dispatches
from The Hague as approximately
tbose ON which Germany would De
glad to base negotiations Tor peace
This is the list: !,
claims In the west
2-Restoration of Belgium.
2-AIsace-Lorraine to be auton-
on,o,a within the German fedora
ton.
:. THE status in the east to re-
main as at present.
5-Austria to make certain con
cessions to Italy in the Trentino.
6-Balkan questions to be solved
by international conference.
All colonial questions afIect-
ing Africa and Asia Minor to be
settled by a conference by all the
belligerents. -
S-Germany to abandon all
claims to her former Chinese pro-
tectorate of Kaochau, but IN ex-
change to reeeive certain eco
nomic concessions in China.
The impossibility of acceptance OF
these proposals is too obvious 10 pro
woke discussion. or the eight, only
one could demand attention at the
hands of Ger1nany's enemies: the res
toration OF Belgium, presumably at
Germany's expense.
Germany, according to the supposed
terms. would renounce her claim TO
the French ana Belgian territory In
the west, where her armies even now
are finding themselves blocked effec-
tually In their efforts to establish
real foothold. She would renounce
her claim to Kiaochou, from which the
Japanese ousted German forces and
German influence in 1914, but in re-
turn for that magnanimous action sne
would expect some economic conces'
sions and trade relations IN the chi
nese markets.
J She persists in her determination to
keep Alsace-Lorraine, despite the de-
sire of the people Of that territory to
he taken again under the government
of France. And she demands that the
status In the east remain as 1t is, with
Russia and Siberia at the kaiser
mercy; Ukraine, Poland, Finland and
the Baltic country under the sway OF
the mailed fist; Scandinavia and Hoi'
land permanently menaced; southern
Russia and much Of the far eastern
battle-ground in the hands Of the muir
derous Turks. Then she would settle
tha Balkan questions at an interna-
tional conference, with the problems
regarding colonies thrown into the
scales for settlement also. That con
terence would afford Germany's diplo'
mats ample opportunity to improve on
the trickery they exhibited to the
world In the farcial parleys at Brest'
Litovsk.
The whole proposal. If It were &C.
cepted. would mean nothing more or
less than German peace which would
leave the Hohenzollerns, free to reign
undisturbed and unchal1enged over a
vast empire which eventually would
be forced into submission. 1t would
leave the way clear for German
route to the far east; it would enable
Germany and her race to expand and
it would lay the foundation for an
other war In which greater Germany
would be able to complete the con
Quest of Europe and terrorization OF
the world in the name OF kultur.
II it we're not for the certainty that
given sufficient time, America will be
able to put into the field an army great
enough to crush even the apparently
endless procession OF Teutonic divi
sions, such peace proposals as these
might demand serious attention from
the entente nations.
Time Is the element of greatest i'm
portance in the world war today
Every day of inaction along the west
ern front makes Germany's ultimate
defeat so much more certain. Every
local gain by the allies strengthens
their positions for defense and in
creases the price which Germany mus,
pay in fighting men IL the offensive
which began in March is to be carried
on to it's detectives.
But In the meantime. the United
States cannot afford to lose day mol
throw away any of the advantage
which the stubborn and almost unbe
lievable defense of the allies is Great
ing. England and France are neal
the limit of their man power. They
cannot continue to hold back the
Prussians indefinitely. Time will moi
fight always on our side. Only haste
and unity of action in America car
bring victory.
SANE rnC WHEAT