Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-27

shevih openly hostile to her. Ru-
mania found herself in a critical
situation. Rumanian troops dur
ing February and March advanced
into Bessarabia, a part of the new
republic of Ukraine, but they were
hemmed in by the enemy forces and
Obliged to withdraw. At last, on
| May 6, Rumania signed a treaty Of
peace with the central powers.
BY this treaty Rumania lost the
province of Dobrudja, on the south
side of the Danube. which she had
received after the Balkan war, and
agreed to a rectification of her
western frontier. Economic con
cessions also were made under
pressure from the Teutonic alliance.
Peace Tentatives.
The period between Dec. l, 1917,
and March l, 1918, may be called
the period of peace tentatives. 1t
is true that before the end of the
summer Pope Benedict made an ap-
peal to the warning nations to enter
into peace negotiations, the basis
for pourparlers being the restora-
ton of Belgium and Serbia and the
I40tui II " SCt ihcllAy VI hNA 3OSL Ia
onies. This appeal, made on Aug.
10, was answered by President Will
son an Aug. %, when the president
announced that the German gov
eminent as constituted could not
be believed and that the United
States was ready to enter into ne
gotiations when the German people
showed they desired peace and
when they spoke through any au-
i thority which would be representa-
tive of them
The German answer to the pope's
appeal reached the vatican on Sept.
q. 1t expressed the hope that fur
Their warfare could be averted
through the good offices of the pope,
but declined to enter into any
engagement to meet what The al
lies had declared to be their mini
mum war aims.
German Peace 0ffer.
German efforts to secure d peace
which would leave to Germany all
the fruits of her victory gained
through Russia's collapse, and with
Belgium and large portions OF
France to be used as pawns at the
council table, began with the adj
idress OF Count CZernin, then Aus
trian foreign minister, at Brest-
ILitovsk on Dec rs. The keynote OF
the address was general peace
without annexations and indemni-
ties.
On Jan. President Wilson, adj
dressing congress, said that the
| United States must know for whom
1.-THE German rulers were peaking
1.-The address was a complement to
an address made on Jan. 5 by Da-
vid Lloyd George, the British pre-
mier.
| To these addresses reply was
made by Imperial Chancellor Won
Hertling of Germany, and Count
/ Czernin. The latter was pacific and
conciIiatory in tone, while the for
inner, abiding 10 the good German
| sword" showed he was speaking
for the militarists Of the GermaniC
| powers.
Four Principles Enumerated.
To these replies there was re-
ljoinder by President wilson, who
on Feb. II, again addressing con-
gress, laid down what have CONS
to be known as the -Four Princi-
pies" upon which peace can be
based. Briefly, these principles
were:
Final settlement must be based
on essential justice.
People and provinces are not &c
be bartered about like chattels.
| Every territorial settlement must
be for the benefit and in the inter
est of the populations cOnceEned.
All well-defned national aspira-
lions shall be met With the utmost
satisfaction consistent with the flu
ture peace.
Pope Benedict, in a pastoral let
ter issued at Easter, made another
appeal for concord among the peO-
pies of the world, but ii brought
forth no tangible results. At the
pOpe's behest, prayers for peace
were offered in Catholic churches
throughout the world on ST. Peters
day, June IS.
King Charles Peace Note.
In April there came revelations
from Paris that Emperor Charles OF
Austria had written letters tC
= ! L
tive. In these communications the
, Austrian monarch conceded thu
, claim of France to Alsace and Lor
raine and limited that peace over.
lures would be welcomed. AS tbs
result of this, Count CZernin, tbs
. Austrian foreign minister, was re
! moved from Office.
The most recent addresses on the
| subject of peace have been deliv-
cred in the German reichstag, one
by DR.. Richard Won Kuehlmann, the
; foreign minister, and the other by
Imperial Chancellor Won Hertling
The formers sensational admission
that the sword by itself could not
bring peace resulted in his resig-
nation, and Won Hertling's address
voiced the sentiment that as long
as the allies were intent upon ode
stroying Germany" the war must
go on.
Last winter it became known thai