SATAN IN PENITENCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 26, 22 December 1917, Page 4

SATAN IN PENITENCE.

The aproacli of Christmas, and certain other signs and circumstances, make it not difficult to believe (says the Wellington Post) that Germany meditates a new peace-feeler. Mr Balfour's recent exposure of a German peace parley, offered to Britain through a neutral, was couched in terms the reverse of encouraging to German intrigue; yet it pleases Berlin to find in one feature of the Foreign Secretary's statement an element of amiability, and to carefully dissociate that element and cast it into the limelight. Instead of showing resentment at the exposure of the peace-feeler'— at its disclosure by Britain to Britain's Allies—the German Government poses as being agreeably surprised that the Allies are prepared to receive a communication at all. According to Mr Balfour's statement, the British Gov- 1 ernment's reply to the German suggestion was that "they were prepared to receive any communication that Germany desired to make, and to discuss it with Britain Allies." Passing lightly over the latter part of the sentence, Germany officially comments that Mr Balfour's statement is "the first news received by Germany that the Allies are ready to receive a communication from Germany." H anger at the failure of a separate-peace manoeuvre is to be swallowed up in joy at the news that the Allies will collectively consider German communications, then Germany is to be congratidated on her new spirit of sweet reasonableness. Something nice appears to be. in preparation for the Belgians, too, because the release of the"defender of Liege is foreshadowed. This act would only be a small instalment of "restitution, reparation, and guarantees" ; it might, however, be a beginning. Following the Roumanian breakdown of 1916, the Kaiser set the stage for a Christmas ' peace offer. Following the Italian disaster of 1917, history may repeat itself. (All this is not necessarily bad business. But—the devil is never so dangerous as when he appears to repent.