The Dominion. TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1918. PEACE OFFENSIVES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 237, 25 June 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1918. PEACE OFFENSIVES

There are indications that the \ Central Powers arc preparing to ' launch another peace offensive to coincido with, a maximum effort in tho Western theatre. The failure of Austria's attack on Italy, | tliQ internal troubles of the Dual j Monarchy, the cries of its hungry people for _ food and for the cessation of hostilities, the hold-up of tho < Gorman armies on tho Western front, J tho scotching of tho submarine menace, and other happenings havo crc- ( ateel an increasingly difficult situa- ( tion for tho enemy. Pressure is be- ] ing brought to bear on the Austrian j Minister of Foreign Affairs to make ( a prompt declaration oL peace : policy; but unless its tone is very. , different from previous declarations ' from enemy sources it is not likely , to bring the end.of the war much ( nearer. Tho • American Federation { of Labour has made a timely pronounccment regarding the futility j of peace prattling among ourselves , at the present juncture, and Mr. Balfour tells us that foolish talk about peace by agreement tends to foster a ! state of mind favourable to tho success of the enemy's diplomatic intrigue. This must bo obvious to anyone of avoragc intelligence. The wailings of peacemongers cannot possibly do any good, and they may do much harm. It is astonishing that anyone who knows anything about the state of the German mind—its unabated arrogancc and insolcncc—could dream of reasoning with Germany. Peace feelers are. Prussian weapons of war. Mr. Balfour defines a "peace offensive" as an effort to divide the Allies, and experience has taught us to, viow with the utmost suspicion tho peace suggestions which from .time to time emanate directly or indirectly from Berlin or Vienna. Germany is desperately anxious to break up the Entente. She has endeavoured to Bhake the confidence of tho Allies in each other by all sorts of foul means. To Britain she has suggested that an "honourable peace", could be arranged but for the unreasonableness of France's determination to recover Alsaco-Lorrainc. To France she has whispered that Britain is fighting entirely for selfish aims, and is only using her Allies as instruments for furthering British ambitions. Germany has sought to detach Italy by hinting at tho possibility of specially generous terms if she would negotiate on her own account. President Wilson has also had experience of the wiles of the tempter. One of the, objects of Germany is to gain the sympathy and support of British and American pacifists and to induce theso. short-sighted and misguided people to bring pressure to bear upon their Governments to stop the war before German militarism has been given its death blow. It is amazing that any saiic man or woman can put confidence in the genuineness of Germany's professed willingness to accept anything approaching a just and stable settlement. She has novel' yet even promised- to relinquish her grip on Belgium. As a matter of fact she has* promised nothing—nothing but a German peace. Ask llussia what that means! 1 Some pacifists seem to think that tho Central Powers are continually making reasonable peacc proposals, and that the Governments of tho Allied Powers obstinately refuse to givo these offers any consideration whatever. Mr. Balfour states in the plainest terms that the British Government has never rejected peace proposals which showed the smallest possibility pf resulting in the sort ol' pcacc desired by the Allies. During a discussion in Parliament on the Emperor ok Austria's letter, Mr. Balfour said nobody was more desirous than tho British Government to bring the war to an honourable termination, but there bad never been any evidence that the German governing classes contemplated the possibility of what we should regard as a reasonable peace. Nothing noni ourablc or adequate has conic from . the Central Powers tbiat would make . it worth while parleying with them. : President Wilson is of tho same ; opinion as Mr.. Balfour. Speaking , at Baltimore, he declared that he ■ was still ready to discuss a fair and • just peace at any time that it is sin--1 ccrely purposed—a peace in which the strong and tho weak shall fare alike; but when lie proposed such a settlement tho answer came from tho German commanders in Russia, and ho could not mistake its meaning. ' With tho example of Russia fresh in our minds, it would bo sheer mad-

ness to entertain the slightest hope of obtaining any peace worthy of the name by agreement with Germany. AVo should also remember that the enemy never allows his "peace offensives" to weaken tho power of his blows. When he talks of peace he generally strikes harder than ever.

President Wilson has no patience with tho vile and mendacious diplomatic methods of Germany. He rightly demands that if the Central Powers wish peace they should come forward through accredited representatives and lay their terms on tho table. The Allies have openly stated their terms, and all the world knows' what they are. Mr. Wilson strikes the true note when he asserts the determination of the United States not to be diverted from Ac grim purpose of winning the ■war by any _ insincere approaches' upon the subject of peace. He knows from actual personal experience tho utter dishonesty of the feelers put out from Berlin. He has tested them and found them insincere. He now recognises them for what they are—"an opportunity to have a free hand, particularly in tho East, to carry out purposes of conquest and exploitation. Every proposal with regard to accommodation in the West involves a reservation with regard to the East." The Allies have to ho constantly on their guard against the diplomatic "traps" which the enemy is continually preparing for them. Take, for example, the Hapsburo offer presented to tho President of France on Marcli 31, 1917. The proposal made was as follows (1) Franco: "I will support l),v every means, and by exerting my personal influence with my Allies, France's just claims regarding Alsace-Lorraine." (2) Belgium: To be entirely restored, including her African possessions, and compensation for losses suffered.

(3) Serbia:'To he restored in her sovereignty, with access to the Adriatic, and "wide" economic 'concessions in AustriaHungary.

(4) Russia: "Events in Uussia compel me to reserve my ideas with regard to that country nntil a legal, definite Government is established.".

Tho reservation regarding Russia is' most significant in the light of subsequent events. The omission of all reference to Italy was obviously an attempt to cause trouble among the Allies. The probable intention of the Central Powers was, first, to make Italy believe that she was hning betrayed by the Allies, and then to offer to enter into a separate agreement with her. Whenever Germany likes to speak tho Allies will be ready to listen; but, as Mr. Balfour has pointed out, there is a great difference between considering a proposal and accepting it, and tho Entente Powers have laid clown certain conditions which the enemy must agree to as a basis of any peace negotiations which he may desiro to open. Belgium and Serbia, for example, must be restored, and the enemy's troops must be withdrawn from all French territory. So far Germany has not shown g sincere intention of accepting any of these conditions. The demands of tho Pan-<2ermans have lately become more extravagant than ever. Until their intolerable ambitions have been shattered by the bitter discipline' of defeat aqd disaster it is folly for us to talk, or even think, about peace by agreement. Ideas of this sort at tho present time are extremely mischievous. They tend to encourage our enemies, to discourage our Allies, and to weaken our will to fight on unwaveringly until wo have achieved victory, and through victory a just and stable peace.