The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1919-02-05
GERMANY APPEALsl

wrong again on the subject of Ameri-
can psychology. It is a subject she
should have learned by this time to
leave alone. Her mistakes in the
matter have been costly. They swung
American opinion against her early in
the war; they forced America into the
war; they comprised her own crush
ing defeat.
But all this taught them nothing.
They are still at it. Repeatedly from
German sources we hear the forcible
feeble assertion that they signed their
armistice on President Wilson's four
teen points and that they will not
sign any peace which fails to keep
within them. If that means anything.
it means that the Presidents four
teen points propose "a softer peace"
for Germany than the other Allies
have in mindl that America is again
appealed to as more friendly to Ger
many than France and Britain.
The misleading here of American
psychology is the apparent impress,
sion that America has Less vivid ap-
probation than her associates of
IGermany's crime. America is no more
in favor of murder rape, arson, slav-
cry disguised as 'deportations," pi-
racy, or even of the wanton launch
ing Of war that spawned this hell
brood. than are any of our associates
IN the world-court of justice now sit
ting in Paris. And the sooner the
Germans get this idea through their
heads the better chance will there be
for the forward looking men of all
nations. America included but not
exclusive. to succeed in establishing
n peace that promises rermanence,
prosperity and universal content.
The difference between President
Wilson's fourteen points and any who
may criticizs them is not the differ
ence between a just judge of Ger
many and a soft serftimentalist who
| WigAt conceivablyi have a,sponge for
tGermany's past and a subsidy for her
j future. It is rather the difference
between the pitiless past and the OPP
timistic present; between the Con,
gross of Vienna and the Conference
Of Paris; between those who should
think only of disarming. disabling and
dismembering the vanquished and
thof'e who hope at last to make
o peace which shall not contain the
unacceptable seeds of future wars,
President Wilson and the "ideal-
lists" who stand with him are not
thinking of Germany-they are think
ing of humanity. During the war the
President made very clear distinc-
ton between the German people and
their rulers Undoubtedly that dis
tinction between the German people
is still in his mind. His insistence
upon this point is said by expert and
factor in the final breaking of the
morale and to have saved possibly q
million lives by bringing about the
surprisingly quick collapse of the Ger
i'uH ueIeilSe Consequently, having
taken our profits on this theory, we
cannot now toss it contemptuously
overheard. We must keep faith even
with the German people.
But 1t is not necessary to arrive al
any final verdict whether or not the
present German government is a gov
eminent of the German people in or
der to fix the application of the four
| teen points. That government may
be camouflage for the real rulers OF
Germany. as some insist, or it may
be genuine uprising of phLegmatic
bewildered and still instinctively
ldocile. The only difference this makes
7 Is as to the guarantees we must ask
for acceptnce of the peace; not al
all as to the broad principles on which
the peace itself will be framed