The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 1918 A FALSE PEACE CRY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 45, 18 September 1918, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 1918 A FALSE PEACE CRY.

The definite downfall of Russia can properly be dated from the day when her statesmen agreed to meet German envoys in "friendly conference.'' Following on that conference the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was signed, and the Russians ceased to count as a portion of the Allied forces, though at the same time the country is not supporting the Germans to any great extent. But, little as is the help the Russians give the Germans, the fact remains that they are not helping the Allies, and nothing would suit the Germans bettor than to deceive other Allied nations as she has deceived Russia. The example of Russia fhouid serve as a lesson to all Allied countries of the subtle policy of '.lie Germans, who, fully recognising the impossibility of gaining a military: victory but still vainly hoping to have the war ended in their favor, are prepared to go to any lengths to bring such' about. Every day their spies and agents in our midst are striving to undermine our morale with lying and. insinuation, but, dangerous as this feature is there is still a more dangerous one—the "peace offensive," which is as much a part of the German plan of campaign as military operations and is prosecuted with the same consciencelessncss and inhumanity which are characteristic of German military operations. If Germany displayed a disposition to conclude a real peace no objection could lie raised to .her working strenuously in the direction of bringing hostilities to an end. Rut the deplorable condition of Russia at the present moment should be sufficient to indicate to intelligent people the kind of "peace" which it is the aim of Germany to bring about. The mere cessation of hostilities by no j means constitutes peace, and all that Germany desires is the cessation ofi hostilities. She has provoked the civilised nations into a world-wide war and has found that she and her supine allies are no match in a military sense for the peoples of the rest of the world, and is now anxious to i foist on the Allies a peace which veritably is "<> peace in order to save her face and perhaps her very skin. At the present time Germany has launched another "peace offensive" through the cntspaw, Austria, but the overtures now made have failed to deceive the statesmen of the Allied Powers. Mr Taft merely laughed. Tn fact it is fairly plain that the lines of the present offer have been laid, down with the deliberate design of trapping the Allies into taking up at ' attitude which Germany can misraI present as being antagonistic to A | peace which is in the best interests of I the whole world. The peoples of the

Allied nations should constantly boar in mind, and should refuse to allow any consideration to shut them from' the view, that Britain and her Allies are fighting—have strenuously fought 1 in the field for over four years—in order to secure a peace which will be a true peace and will ensure freedom to the civilised peoples of the world. Such a peace cannot if Germany is allowed to remain as a menace to the free, peace-loving people of Europe. In the German offer stress is laid on the demand for a "round-tho-table" conference, which, it is claimed, will lead to a better! understanding between the two groups' of belligerents. The claim would, perhaps, be valid if it wore shown that there were any vital points on which there existed any serious misunderstanding. If there is any misunderstanding it is deliberate on the part of Germany. The Allies perfectly understand what Germany desires as the basis of peace, and they have set out in the most unmistakable language the minimum terms on which they will grant peace. if Germany cannot understand the terms on which peace is available, it would seem to argue great dulnoss of understanding. The terms offered are, no doubt, not agreeable to the world's worst enemy. They are, doubtless, severe,' but they are just and quite, fitting to be imposed on a governing class who have deluded the German' people into supporting a truculent and ruthless policy towards their neighbours. Rut it is not likely that many people will imagine that the German leaders are dull of understanding—it is much more likely that

■the Gorman leaders will be recognised as possessing that low cunning for which the whole race lias become «> notorious, in a high degree of development. Their demand for a "round-the-table" conference is, not Resigned to promote a better understanding but to provide an easy means of, corruption. In field operations the Germans cannot win because of inferiority in physical and moral qualities; but at such a "conference" as they would like, they might secure a cessation of hostilities without assuring any real peace by the exercise of the illegitimate and disreputable arts of falsehood, treachery and corruption which the German leaders have made their chief weapons.