The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-18
A United Nation.


The reasons which impelled the
President to reject peremptorily Aus
trials invitation to a peace CONFER
ence were as clear to patriotic intel
ligence before the event as after 1t.
These reasons we're set forth with
great lucidity by our neighbor the
Times no longer ago than Sunday
morning last. In Its leading editorial
article on that day the Times re-
marked:
Austria cannot bind Germany. The
request for q conference must come
from the suzerain. not the vassal. II 1t
10 to be entertained"
In its editorial article Of Sunday
last, on the morning of the day when
the text Of the Austrian proposal
reached this country, our esteemed
contemporary the Times continued Its
luminous exposition Of the grounds
for rejecting the invitation to 60 Into
conference with the enemy:
AS a condition precedent to q calm
exchange Of views Germany must be
prepared to renounce for all time her
plans for domination In the East Her
designs of aggression and dominance In
the West are being attended to by the
military forces of Great Britain. France.
Italy and the United states. There she
IL going to be beaten back. In that
quarter she will be made harmless. She
will not control Belgium. nor Holland !;
the mouth Of the Rhine will not be
hers. Alsace and Lorraine she will re-
store to France. Austria will relinquish
Italy's conquered provinces All this
would be a futile achievement. VIC
tory of only transttory advantage. II .
calm exchange Of views and the con-
clusion of peace should leave Germany
In a position to reap the fruits Of her
conquests in the East, to rebuild her
spent force through her economic and
military domination over the Balkan
States, Turkey. and the former empire
of the Gar"
Again, our neighbor the Times on
Sunday last:
There can be no compromise. Mr..
LLOYD GEORGE said last Thursday /:
There are some men who say drop II
and let US have peace by negotiation -
There Is no compromise between free
dom and tyranny. no compromise be-
tween light and darkness. I know that
It is better to sacrifice one generation
than to sacrifice liberty forever. That
Is what we are fighting for. and Heaven
grant that We fight through to the end "
Yet one more citation from the
Times of Sunday last:
when Germany. weakened in man
power. her troops fleeing before the
forces Of the Allies. rapidly augmentins
and yet to be strengthened by American
millions, in sore distress at home, her
people bitterly complaining and her
statesmen openly acknowledging tina,
victory is beyond reach. shall make II
known that she Is ready to put by he,
criminal ambitions and accept the
worlds decision that she be made power
less or her people freed. then with some
fair hope OF profitable result Baror
BURIAN's proposals for a calm exchange
of views may be entertained. 1t must
come to that. now or later"
Yesterday, Tuesday morning, 'ir
commenting on the Presidents rejec
ton of the invitation Of the Austro
Hungarian Government for a pre-
liminary and non-binding discussion
of peace. terms, our nelghbor The
Times declared in unmietakabl,
terms Its support of the President II
his intention to win the war by vic
tory, not by negotiation:
THE proposal Is rejected. it remain,
for the Allies to carry on the war with
the utmost vigor. The enemy grow
weaker. his resistance fails. The in
vitation sent forth by Austria Is vir
tually a confession OF defeat Had tn
Allies consented to a conference the!
would have proposed their own terms
They will now impose terms by fore
ing the foe openly to acknowledge tn
defeat to which he indirectly confesses
This country will support every en-
deavor Of the President to make on
strength felt at the front. where W
have already done so much to turn tn
tide Of battle. All our resources ar
pledged to the cause and to victory"
We have dwelt Intentionally and a
considerable length upon the utter
ances of the Times on Sunday an,
on Tuesday Of this week concerning
the inexpediency Of peace negotia
lions ut the present time with Ger