New-York tribune., 1918-01-06
The Same Old Gang and the Same
Old Game

A year ago, when the German Emperor
solemny invited the nations of the world
to make peace, President Wilson exposed
the real purpose Of the German proposal
by inviting the belligerent nations to state
their terms. Incapable of complying with
this request without exposing her true
Intentions her plans to demand the terms
OF victor and hold provinces and nations
to ransom. Germany fell back upon her
ruthless submarine warfare.
Now, taking advantage of Russian COL
lapse and italian disaster as she did of
the Rumanian defeat last year, Germany
has again proposed peace, but this time
she has been compelled to show her hand.
And what is it that she means by peace?
Simply to take 100000 square miles of
Russian territory including all the Baltic
seacoast and upward of 25. 900 900 of peo-
pie, all but minor fraction Sav, and
place them under Hohenzolern and Haps-
burg rule. This is what the Germans have
meant by their formula of no annexations
and no indemnities. In fact, this formula
does not even mean that the German will
not demand the right to annex ANYTHING
he has not conquered, because from the
Russians he asks provinces he has not
even invaded
Here then is the measure of Germanvs
purpose. Here is the fact as opposed to
the fiction. Those who rule Germany now
are just as willing to accept the Russian
formula of no annexations and no indem-
mites as they were to pledge themselves
not to invade Belgium But for them the
word, the promise, the principle-these are
nothing. Actually all that counts is the
power; if they have the power thev will
disregard the principle themselves, while
always invoking it to paralyze their foes.
Is 1t not time for the world to recog-
nlze, after this latest demonstration, that
all the humanitarian, liberal, honorable
phrases in the world mean nothing when
uttered by those in control of Germany.
that these phrases are just weapons in the
hands Of those who are limited bv no
scruple, bound by no principle, inspired by
none but selfish ambitions?
The same old gang and the same old
game which were revealed in the invasion
of Ro1c ~, oil
of that early period disclosed in the Lusi
tania and the subsequent submarine cam
paign, exposed in the enslavement of the
conquered populations, revealed in every
German act since the war began, dominate
Germany still. How can any one think of
making peace with this gang? How can
any one permit himself, however weary of
war and anxious for peace, to surrender to
such foe?
IL France, Britain, Italy, the United
States should follow the example of Rus
sia and destroy their national strength in
the pursuit of idealstic aims, what would
be the German course? Can any one now
doubt? Would not the same policy which
seeks to steal the Russian seacoast and
\ strangle 20,oO0,000 Poles, under the cover
the principle of no annexation and no
indemnity, find an equally high-soundine
phrase to cover a similarly vicious per-
Torrance?
The people who controlled Germanv
when she forced this war upon the world
control her still. They forced the war to
gain domination OF the world and plunder
Europe as they plundered France in 1871.
They have never deviated from this pur
pose. 1t was the purpose in their mind
year ago when, through the Kaiser, they
proposed peace, not with the .lea of pro- |
ducing real and honest settlement. but
of harvesting what they could of their
profits without more cost 1t was their
purpose when they proposed peace with
Russia, and it is revealed in the terms
which they have endeavored to impose
upon that stricken and helpless state
With these people the world cannot make
peace, not even if the choice is between :