The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-18
GERMAN HEADS
IN DESPERATE
PEACE EFFORT
Propaganda Used to Spread
Belief That Surrender Was
Due to Ii Points.
BY FRANK n. sIMoNps.
Copyright. 1919, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndfcate,)

PARIS. June (Delayed).-German
propaganda and German public men |
are making desperate effort. with GER
tain success In some directions, to |
give the impression that German sur |
render last November was due solely |
to the principles of the fourteen |
points. In other words, the Germans |
are attempting to make 1t appear that |
their armies and their fleet would not
have capitulated in November had it
not been that the fourteen points Of
fered satisfactory basis for peace.
Foe Faced Disaster.
1t Is essential for Americans to re-
member that such a claim is totally
fraudulent. In the first week Of No
vember Of last year, all German arm
les had been beaten and their reserves
had been consumed, and Foch was on
the point Of delivering new offensive
in Lorraine that would have brought
colossal and irreparable disaster.
On the military side the German cause
was lost and the greatest military dis
sster in all history was impending.
The Germans had the choice of sur.
rendering before this disaster or fol-
lowing the example Of the Austrians,
who a few weeks before had waited
for the disaster and seen their armies
ulebOlY6 on Tue DdLtleIlelQ.
A strong Germany on the military
side did not yield In November be-
cause the German people saw in the
fourteen points any basis for negotia-
lions. The German people knew moth
ing about the fourteen points. Like
everything else President Wilson had
said and done during the war which
might have Influenced the German
people, the fourteen points were care
fully suppressed by the German censor.
1t Is nonsense and cheap deceit that
the Germans are now attempting to
propagate industriously.
Leaders Held Out to Last.
The military leaders of Germany
prolonged the war to the last moment
before utter defeat: when utter defeat
impended they accepted the propos-
ais of Mr.. Wilson because they had
to. They did not accept them in prin-
ciple. They only accepted them as
the sole alternative to ruin. They
were not tricked into surrender. They
were beaten into surrender. They
could not have gone on fighting for
two weeks more without seeing their
army dissolve sthe Austrian army
had dissolved.
Now the Germans are attempting to
gone on fighting in November and only
desisted to spare the world further
bloodshed. They are endeavoring to
create the impression that the German
armies were never beaten, thus pre-
serving at home the old legend of the
military caste, and exciting abroad
sympathy for country that was de-
ceiyed into an unnecessary surrender.
Final Blow Prepared
II Mr. Wilson had not made his an
swer to the German proposals or IL
he had rejected them the Germans
would still have had to go to Foch.
They had no choice. Their army was
on the point of dissolution and the
final blow was prepared. But find in
Paris among some Americans, and l
assume the same opinions must exist
In similar quarters in America, a grow
ing impression that Germany has been
unfairly treated because the fourteen
points have not been interpreted in
her favor There seems to be an i'm
preston that Germany was in condi-
ton to bargain with her enemies In
November, that she had made bar
gain and that the terms of the bar
gain have not been observed by the
allies.
But that Is familiar propaganda, this
maneuver over the fourteen points.
1t is the sort of thing the Germans
did exceedingly we'll all through the
war, confusing the issue, mistaking
the fact, then demanding rights that
could only flow from conditions which
were non-existent When the Ger.
mans Jumped overheard last fall they
seized on President Wilson's fourteen
points as a life-preserver. All things
considered, the fourteen points have
been exceedingly valuable to them
but they now perfectly shamelessly as
sert that because of the fourteen
POINTS they were absolved from al
kinds of responsibilities.
How People Are Mistaken
We have marched long way from
the tine OF the armistice, but 1t II
worth while to refresh our minds once
In q while on the actual facts. Ger
many did not surrender on account o.
the fourteen points. She surrendered
because she was beaten. The German
Deople did not lay down their arms
because Mr.. Wilson's program reach
ed their hearts or their heads. Ger
MANY capitulated because she wa!
beaten. There never was any chance
that the fourteen points would be IN
ternreted to save her. They have no
been and German complaints are tn
merest eye-wash The thing German
are now up to ought to be clearly un
lderstood.
Those people who believed that tn
settlement OF this war could De mao
in such fashion as to remove nosul
ties between the nations Germany al
tackled and Germany, have reailze
IN reading the terms OF peace that tni
will not happen. They perceive, as
have frequently pointed out, that Will
germany can not pay all that sh
should pay, the amount which she WI
have to pay will be burden on Gel
man shoulders for many years to come
They perceive that in fact the treat
with Germany will be an armistice las
ing until Germany has discharged ne
obligations about fifteen years nenc'