Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-28
More Peace Talk.

Count Czernin. the Austrian prem
Ter, 1t develops, sent TO President Will
son copy Of his recent peace declara-
ton in which he said his government
was in full agreement with the IA ar
ticles contained in the program an
nounced by the president of the United
States. This is taken to support the
view that Count Czernin's reply to
President Wilson represented step
which had already been taken
along line intended to lead to
the inducement of the western powers
10 come to a discussion of terms with
Germany.
1t is claimed that the Czernin speech
already was in the hands of the pres
dent Of the United States before it
was made public. This fact has
,reated a sensation in Germany, where
it is said to have incensed the military
party to high pitch. 1t merely is
further confirmation of the known de-
sire of Austria to have avoided con-
fict with the United States, having
been led or forced to the acts which
brought about the opening of hostil-
tiles between the two nations. 1t is
known that King Charles is not in
sympathy with the war plans of the
kaiser, but is fighting beside him in
order to preserve the unity of the CEN
trail empires before the eyes of the
world. Austria sincerely is endeavor-
ing to secure peace, and has been
frank enough to tell her position free
of concealments. Whether Austria's
open stand will induce more liberal
terms from Germany remains to be
seen. However. Judging from the COM
ments that have been occasioned by
Czernin's friendliness with the pres
ident of the United States the kaiser
is madden and more ambitious than
ever and would rather fight for hun
dred years than to have it said that
he was coaxed into a peace not OF his
own dictation.
In the meantime President Wilson
is working on new peace message
which he will shortly present to con-
gress. 1t will explicitly state the war
aims of the United States. and will be
in reply to the recent utterances of
Won Hertling and CZernin. The pres
ident will make determined effort to
end hostilities before the American
troops go into action in the spring.
The president has conflded to his ad-
visers that while the United States is
prepared to fight for peace to the end
OF its resources and is ready for a
long war, he expects to exhaust every
possibility Of achieving peace before
America begins fighting on a large
scale.
The president seems Of a belief that
50 long as the belligerent nations will
continue peace discussions there is
hope of coming to terms. While the
president has always insisted on push
ing fighting preparations with all pos
sible speed, he has never abandoned
hope OF terminating the war before the
United States got into the thick of
the fight. The president must not be
understood as bidding for peace
through fear of the outcome if it were
TO go to decisive conclusion. He knows
the strength that the United States is
capable of lending to the armies now
lighting the common enemy. 1t will
be more than sufficient to turn the
tide. BY next spring there will be an
army Of tremendous proportions in
France. They will represent the
flower of young American manhood.
They will have gone there prepared to
die for the principles for which their
nation is contending. If President
Wilson can obtain recognition and fu-
ture respect for those principles before
several hundred thousands of Amer !
ica's boys fall on foreign soil he will
have accomplished victory greater |
than that gained by the sword. He
does not propose to back up for Ger
many. He is merely to give Germany !
another opportunity to see the advan- |
tage of asserting. peacefully to re-
forms that must come for the safe |
OF the future OF the worlds |
security. The president plainly is to |
have it understood that the RESPONSE
bility for future bloodshed in Europe
will rest with Germany.