Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-01-10
GERMAN PEACE TERMS

Salt Lake Tribune: Virtually, the
Teutonic alliance has proposed terms
to the entente allies through the Boil
sheviki faction of Russia.
The situation is without parallel
The Bolsheviki government holds
power in Russia by grace of Ger
many's favor and the ignorance and
| disorganization of the Russians. In
reality, it is a Germanic government
set up in a hostile nation. 1t is not
too much to say, therefore, that Ger
many has created a government to
which it can propose peace terms, all
! the bona fde hostile governments
haVino refused to treat with the Teu
tonic foe.
In this roundabout fashion Ger
many is able to set forth its terms
without seeming to sue for peace.
And yet that is practically what she
has done. She has refused to make
peace with Russia on certain specified
terms unless the Bolsheviki can in
duce the entente powers TO join in
the conference. And to excuse a re-
fusal to make a separate peace with
Russia she points out that the Rus
sian terms necessarily require for
their enforcement the consent of nus
STA $ allies. That is quite true, and
we are warranted in believing that
the Bolsheviki formulated their terms
with the express purpose of giving
Germany a chance to halt negotia-
tions while an effort was being made
to induce the ententes powers to join
in peace conference.
1t is a singular feature of this war
that the desperate efforts of one set
of belligerents TO bring about a peace
conference have been unaYailing, but
the reason is clear Having violated
its treaty pledges and broken all the
laws of war and of nations, Germany
has made itself the most faithless ma
ton in the tide of time. Every step
the Berlin government takes toward
peace is regarded with distrust. The
wary allies watch the proceedings on
the eastern front and ask themselves,
/" What new trick this timer"
If the terms proposed by Count
Czernin as a substitute for the Rus
sian proposals came from trust
worthy government they would be ac-
cepted at about their face value, but
in this instance the entente govern
ments will scrutinize the terms to find
the "iokers." The central empires ap-
parently promise the relinquish con-
quered territory in return of the col
onies Germany has lost. Inasmuch as
this would mean REIMBURSEMENT not
only of Belgium and northern France,
but of Serbia, Montenegro, Rumania,
and Poland, it seems to be a liberal
offer; but is there not a catch some
where9
Germany asks Russia to believe
that the Russian islands will not be
retained but says that they cannot be
given up until all the allies join in
peace conference and agree to the
restoration of all occupied territory.
Berlin is playing its cards so as
to lure the entente powers into
peace conference. Should it lose at
this game it probably will make
separate peace with Russia, if it can
patch together enough of the shat
tered Russian nation to deal with. Ap-
parently it is as difficult to get all of
the allies into the peace parley.
1t can be predicted with safety that
the western powers will not be en-
trapped by the strange peace maneu- I
vers staged in Russia. The wholly un-
usual manner of bringing about a
conference will be fatal. 1t is 200
much like comic side show.