The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-21
tBy Baron Hartman. 3. II. =. Won
NichsthofTcn.)
tN"mhcr OF the national assembly
~ Ncimsr and one-tiHc imperial sec-
rotary Of legation 1T Washington.)

, tN'H"cr OF the national assembly
~ Ncimar and one time imperial sec-
rotary Of legation 1T Washington.)
BERLIN. April H. Peace seems to ar
roach more quickly than one has
hitherto dared believe AS a conse-
6uence. orr preparations for tho peace
negotiate ions are being intensified.
Thus We learn 10 our qualification
That such an excellent and experienced
personality as EXAM hassa dor Count
Won Rernstorff has been charged with
/ the direction OF the internal prepare
tons for the peace work
Nor can 1t be doubted that the ablest
experts arc being consulted. OF ex-
ternal preparations little Is heard Our
representatives In neutral countries
are. most of them men of the old re
grne, of whom for that reason alone
little useful work can he expected
Also. II is of course, unknown to the
nnhlir Wheeler contact has been es
fahlished with financial or other po-
lifically interested circles abroad.
This is not the time to criticise the
selection Of our peace pIenipotcnti-
aries. Besides the main question is
not who they arc but what awaits
them at Paris.
The government might do well to
ascertain this before hand For we
ought TO know prior to the departure
OF these gentlemen whether they will
at all he INVITED to the negotiations
or whether the entente will simply sub
NIT to them a fixed and written peace
treaty. II the latter Is tho case /:
would he better not to expose our rep
resentatives to such a situation. One
III messenger would suffice to fetch the
document, or better sin. the treaty
4 he rIrssr 4, =
Huns Stiil Ha9gle.
There is another question which
mus; he definitely cleared up prior 10
any new negotiations with the enten'e.
II is the return of the German pris-
oners Of wsr. Without this peace IL
certainly Impossible. as far a We are
concerned. ana this fact the entente
should he informed in good season.
The entente will be unable to escape
the weight or such a demand 1t may
he open IN question whether II was
politically wise to allow the German
supreme army command TO continue of
hctallN Rnt in any case even when
all our prisoners have hcen repatrtated
the entente has nothing to fear from
TIC in military respects.
The humane feeling OF the entire
world will support our demand, and
even the most malicious and ernbittered
foe would have to yield TO that moral
pressure
Official and semi official news filter
ling through from Paris and London
rust make us reckon with the pesst-
httity that the allies may go beyond
the Wtlsonian principles upon which
alone We agreed to an armistice On
our side II has been repeatedly stated
OF late that such a procedure would
he u0aeceptab bic as far as Germany IL
concerned
In saying this We are fully aware Of
our weakness, Hut in the face of Ger
tain national and economic annihila-
ton the decision to reject the allied
terms. would seem to US the less des-
perate one.
The entente rulers viii no. and II
an easy matter 10 continue hostilfties
IN case th"V go too Tar in their de-
raAdS And a further cutting off of
the absolutel" necessary foodsturs
would bring about a political situation
In our fathersand which would take
We decision OUT Of our hands as 10
whether, Ia the last back-to-the-
hattie against our Instructors We would
hive TO unloose tho powers of the
worlds most terrible upheaval
NIson's Fourteen Points.
however. II the entente nations are
still today willing to make p@ace ON
me basis Of the fourteen points OF
PRESIDENT Wilson which We accepted
even In that case We must realize that
there can he no question Of soft IN
ternrefation of those points
We know full well the grave nuan-
t'"l aHd economic worries OF both
france and England We know. for
lhis reason. that the bill to be rem
d'r"d to us will run high But we
could not consider the payment OF our
enemies war costs. which would ruin
Va economical lly
As regards Belgium. We shah be
rt"dy FOR far-resching reparation. for
I've men Of the toppled German regime
we regret TO admit. have committed
'sNN SINS against that country
We are ready for disarmament also
ne DUH of our people is anxious
TO renounce militarism forever R,,t
INC pre-condition for this. must he
o. course, an equal conversion 10
permanent peace on the part of our
We arc ready in the future AZ in
inc past 10 grant the right of self
determination in lis widest sense IN
he foreign language elements in our
land.
But, with this principle violation |
OF Germans, be they in the east or |
west, is irrcoonciliable. Thu entente