The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-01
WAR MUST NOT
Be CALLED DRAW
Germany Cannot Be Given
Chance to Repeat Crime
Against World.
DANGEROUS MOMENT AHEAD
Americans Must Guard Against Day
When Tcutons, Beaten, Offer
Peace on Basis Of Status
Quo Ante.
BY J. FRANK DAVIS.

Perhaps the most dangerous mcmenr
for America in all this war will be tho
moment when Germany, admitting she
cannot win. offers to make peace on the
basis Of the status quo ante-to go
back to where things were before she
set forth so blithely upon her great ad-
venture.
Already her newspapers talk Of such
a peace. The reichstag mo annexa-
tons and no indemnities" resolution is
a 'feeler" for It, The war lords allow
this talk to be made, although they
have not officially sanctioned the prop
osition.
The day will come when they will.
however, and that will be a dangerous
day for America.
From what we see quoted from Ger
man newspapers it is quite clear that
the people of Germany think they have
only to offer to go back to where they
were before the war to gain peace.
When they say mo annexations and no
indemnities" they mean no anneXations
| by Germany and no indemnities TO be
| collected by Germany, because it has
| not even entered the head of one man
In ten In all Germany that they may be
forced to make reparation.
Germans Still Deceived.
Also Germany does not understand
that any mere promise on her part not
| to attack her neighbors will not be
taken. The Germans as u whole still
are deceived into thinking their rulers
did not start the war. They do not ap-
preciate that their promise not to Of
fend again would be a worthless prom
Use. They do not know that their ma
ton is morally bankrupt; that the
word of it's overlords is no longer of
the slightest value in the councils of
civilization.
When they get ready to admit that
they cannot win and to offer to return
to the status quo they will expect their
J enemies to accept those terms--in eff
, feet peace made in Germany. And
I we must be prepared for a considerable
!. movement in the United States advo~
: eating the acceptance of such an offer,
The hyphenates and the pacifistA
J and the towards and all the other cop
perheads will be for 1t. 'What more Is
there that we should fight for?" they
will shout. "Why should we take sides
In any European quarrel over terri
tory or indemnitles2 Let the Germans
return Belgium and northern France,
and let the British and the Italians give
back the former German colonies and
the territory taken from Austria. And
let us all get together-Germany to do
her share, of course-and rebuild tho
towns in France and Belgium that have
been destroyed. Let us be generous"
May Gain Following.
II only the traitors and the pacifists
were for such plan we should have no
more to worry about than we now hava
to trouble us in the activities of l. w.
w. and peace councils and disloyal pro-
German newspapers. But they may
gain an additional following among
lack Drained folk who now are not with
them.
We Americans are sentimental peo-
pie. We like to think about Furnishing
criminals, but we seldom like to punish
them. We will not repeal our laws
against capital punishment but wa
hate to convict under them.
The cry that will go up from all the
German propagandists when the offer
of a status quo peace is made will be a
loud one, and thousands Of Americans
who are loyal enough at heart, but
loose-thinklng, may be attracted by 1t.
Germany, in that hour, may be depend
ed upon to use every tool at her COM
mand in this country to throw up dust,
to obscure the issue, to influence Amer
leans toward a peace that shall leave
the world as much in peril as it was
prior to August 1914.
i Would Be German Victory.
e If they can get a great number of
( people In the United States to agree
t that Germany ought not to be put
: where she cannot repeat her crime
against civilization, the war will have
, been in vain. If the Germans are able
a to cease fighting, unpublished, and go
u back home to prepare for the next
e war, with Mittel-Europa In their hands,
e it viii have been a German victory,
3 even though not such victory as Ger
= many expected when she began tho
4 conflict.
Nobody expects to annihilats Ger
9 many. Nobody wants to see her ami
( hilatsd. Nobody wants to crush her.
I except as a military menace. But she
b must keep the peace hereafter, and to
T. make sure that she does so her power
!. to repeat her offense must be de
< stroyed. And-most important of all
T. the German people mus have learned
t. that the militaristic policy of their wal
v. lords does not pay.
Z Watch and guard against the da,
r when Germany offers to call it draw
1t would be black day for the worl,
If Americas influence were then to b.
thrown into the scale In favor OF sucl