New-York tribune., 1919-05-26
A Fair Peace

Win Ln6 reVerDeraCl0nS OF German COM
plainings, as year ago it resounded to
loud German vauntings. Thor has put
on the garments Of Job and has set him
self in a place of wailing Justice in
him, he weeps, is crucifed. The sad
cypress decorates his brow, and facing
future bare, pitiless and bleak he howls
with the energy of dervish, A man Of
sorrows, acquainted with grief, the
scissors of fate, not content with cutting
the line of his hope, have sheared, he
means, his living flesh.
No basis exists for surprise The
seeds of future German dissatisfaction
were planted when defeat came to Ger
man arms. 1t was inevitable Germany
would not like a peace she did not write
When went awry her great plan for the
healing of the world by enforced doses
of the German spirit, and she lost the
opportunity to arrange the world to suit
her pleasure, it was certain she would
view with disapproval the settlement
reached.
Some of the spokesmen Of the Allies
may have dreamed the dream of making
Germany also a eulogist of the peace,
but it was not to be-was not to be while
that mysterious thing known as German
psychology remained unamended, and
probably unamendabe AS certain as
the rise of the sun was the surety that
Germany would turn to her adversaries
and say: "Do not as I did, but as I now
preach"
Evils that cannot be cured must be en-
dured, and so the peace-making hastens
to its climax without the boon of Ger
man praise. All would like to have it,
but it must come as free gift or not
at all. Some things cannot be taken by
conqueror from the conquered, and
Germany having seen fit to withhold a
grateful benson the treaty must get
along without it.
Too soon is it to enter with confidence
any final judgment on the nature of the
peace. The ferment Of prejudice has not
enough subsidized to establish an equilb-
and depths can be measured. But
though the work may not be defnitively
assessed the motives behind it may be.
The purpose has not been to crafty
revenge or to satisfy hatred, or even to
pursue selfish nationalistic ends, but to
write great ordinance of justice and
fairness. AS a precise formula the
fourteen points may be twisted, but the
spirit behind them has been followed
The departures have been in the interest
of Germany rather than the contrary.
The reparation clauses notoriously do
not secure the restoration Germany
promised. The claims of mercy and ne
cessity made it impossible to exact O.
payment that would undo all the damage
Germany had done.
The other day captain of American
industry spoke of the need of fair
peace. Judge Gary's viewpoint was that
or business man, interested in the
prosperity of an American industry
which looks to the foreign market, and
ne saw the unwisdom of permanently
lmpoverishlng any nation. His opinion
is that Of intelligent men of business.
Durlng the Civil War Henry Ward
beecher spread in Lancashire the truth
tnat cotton spinners would not be ad-
Vantaged by an America torn by frat
ricidal conflict, and preached the doc
trine that the free man would buy more
tnan the slave. A doctrine which was
true IN '63 is true now 1t is not to tho
interest of this country to make Ger
many wilderness and the Germans a
race Of helots
Inc CLAIMS of morality, as we under
stand morality, support the urgings OF
self-interest. The spirit of mercy. one
can say without boasting, lies deep in
the American character. We do not con-
semplate human misery with satisfac-
ton, even though meritcd WASHINGTON
and Lincoln, our national exemplars. had
little bitterness in them. For seven
years Washington fought the English.
yet so little did be hate them that dur
ing his later years he was abused and
caracatured for pursuing what was as-
sailed as pro-English policy. Lincoln
wrestled with secessionists, but their
descendants love the great tenderness in
the man and attribute to the influence
Of his spirit peace Of magnanimity
which led TO peace Of the heart. Few
Americans wish any degradation Of the
German people. In future years It will
be source Of great pride that as our