New-York tribune., 1919-03-30
The Peace Destroyers

The sorry business of trying to make
it appear that our good and faithful
allies, those who have made common
cause with us in defence of civilization.
are not in good faith respecting the
agreement to use the Fourteen Points
as the basis of the peace negotiations
seems again in full cry. 1t is in effect
charged that our allies are cndeavorinr
TO impose what is called an unclcan OF,
imperialistic peace.
Before vcnturng to rctera'te this
charge, before again giving aid and com
fort to the attempt Of hostile Germany
and hostile Bolshevst Russia to SOW dis
senson among those who must stick to-
gether If there is to be permanent OF
even temporary peace. tho peace de-
stroyers might we'll take the troub1e to
read once moro the Presidents speech Of
january q, 1913, Of which tho listing Of
The Fourteen Points WAS Il part
They will discover that before Che prcsi
dent aketchcd his terms he denied by
implication that they differed in spirit
from the terms then already outlined by
the Allies. Speaking for all, he said:
Not once, but again and again we have
Mld our whole thought and purpose before
The world, not in general terms only, but
each time with sufficient definition to make
II clear what sort Of terms of settlements
mast necessarily spring out of them Mr..
Lloyd George has spoken with admirable
candor and admirable spirit for the people
and government of Great Britain There
IS no confusion of counsel among the ad-
'eTsanes OF the Central Powers, no uncer-
talnty OF principle, no vagueness Of detail
Inc only secrecy Of counsel, the only lack
OF frankness, the only failure to make
definite statement Of the objects of the
war, lies with Germany and her allies"
Thus the President, in advance Of their
formulation, assimilated his terms to
those the Allies had previously put forth.
That there is a difference, that the Presi-
dent is for light while the Allies are for
darkness, is a German invention. 1t was
devised in manifest purpose to divide
the Allies Every one who assists in cir
culating it may be assumed to know ex-
actiy what he is doing. He is playing
uermanys game is assisting German
propaganda The oldest trick of secret
diplomacy is to split an opposition. 1t
vas the met>od Of Talleyrand.
The first official formulation of the
fourteen Points being in the replv of
Tie Entente governments to President
wilson, before our entry into the war,
when he asked for q statement of the
ally terms, their Interpretation is not
70 be monopolized by either Germany or
america What is their fair meaning
or application may also be Judged by
treat Britain, France and Italy.
Their central thought is to establish
stable and just peace. Part of this
problem relates to making national from
uefs co-terminous with clinical from
ners; part to giving peace lovers power
VI self defence; part 10 creating COM
non power to overawe the evil-minded: !:
Vart TO disarmament, and part TO secur-
lng reparation to those who have unjust
y suffered from wicked war of nppres-
s'vh. But what is cxactly to be done TO
oa'apce the whole business Is naturally n
mailer Of great difficulty. No settlement
s'h be ideal or be according to any one
"'Fory' But VIC may be sure that the
sseesSs Of any project, Of any victory
!" my grand design, is put In jeopardy
y manufacturing distrust. This manu-
'Ae'ufe' under German inctation, has
sN'e on Tor months. and II is time to
stop il.