THE PEACE OFFENSIVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16950, 9 September 1918, Page 4

THE PEACE OFFENSIVE.

Having failed in her desperate plan to secure victory by force of arms, Germany will make no less reckless efforts to win the war by means of political weapons. Her peace offensive has been revived by the military successes of the Allies, and will be pressed with increasing vigour and subtlety as the prospect of defeat becomes clearer. Four years of war, and the events of the past year particularly, have shown that Germany does not desire a peace based upon the principles enunciated by the allied statesmen, but having failed to achieve her purpose, seeks a truce by which she would be enabled to prepare for a new assault upon the independent nations of Europe. Her purpose now is not to enter into agreement with the Allies as a whole, but to tempt a member of the Alliance to withdraw from it. It is now reported that Germany and Austria have decided to propose an armistico at the end of the present campaigning season, offering the unconditional evacuation and the partial indemnification of Belgium and the conditional evacuation of Northern France. Such a proposal does not present even a starting point for negotiations; it does not offer even bare justice to Belgium and France, and it makes no contribution towards a basis for a lasting peace. No discussion of peace terms can be possible until Germany disavows her aims of universal domination, by a clear and frank statement, not in regard to Belgium and France, which are important questions but only one aspect of the peace settlement, but of the basis upon which she would enter a league of nations charged with the liberties of the world. Such a statement has never been given by Germany, though the invitation has been repeated over and over again. On the other hand, the aims of the Allies have been definitely proclaimed, and their statesmen have clearly expressed their readiness to listen collectively to any reasonable proposal. A few weeks ago Herr von Hintze, the German Secretary for Foreign Affairs, declared that the Allies were responsible for prolonging the war, because they had refused to participate in the Brest Litovsk treaty—the terms of which were imposed by Germany on a prostrate people and broken within twenty-four hours. The obstacle to peace negotiations is not the attitude of the Allies, but the military, political, and commercial ambitions of Germany, and until they are renounced the war must go on. "We passionately desire an honourable peace," said Mr. Balfour recently, " and as time goes on we are more and more convinced that peace can be attained only by struggling to the end to see that we do not leave it in the power of any nation such as Germany to cause a repetition of the evils under which the whole civilised community of nations is helplessly groaning." ;