The Sun MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21,1914. TALK OF PEACE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 194, 21 September 1914, Page 4

The Sun MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21,1914. TALK OF PEACE.

America assisted, to make peac« between Russia ami Japan, and it was at Portsmouth, in the United States, that tlife negotiations were conducted which resulted in a peace treaty between, the belligerents. - President Wilson aspires to the role of peacemaker in the present war, and is eminently qualified for "it, but his efforts are premature. Although the German plan for the speedy subjection of France lias broken down, and the pressure of the Russians on the eastern frontier is being severely felt, Germany 's defence has not been> seriously tested 'yet; and she is in no mood to talk of peace on terms that are likely to be satisfactory to the Allies. No doubt Germany would be glad enough to revert to the status quo of July last, and recommence her preparations for war en a still moi-e elaborate scale, but that would bring no real and lasting peace to Europe. It would be nothing more than an armed neutrality, and a fruitful scource of panics, war scares, and a wasteful expenditure on armaments. The Gerrii'an papers, so far from' entertaining the suggestion that Germany may have to make concessions in order to obtain peace, have the audacity to suggest that the Allies must purchase peace by making further sacrifices. The suggestion is absurd in the extreme. The present expenditure of blood and treasure by the Allies will be wasted energy if it fails to put Germany in her place,-and compels her to set limits to her political and military ambitions. The success of German arms would mean the establishment of a military tyranny in Europe such as Napoleoii created. The Kaiser is no Napoleon, but a Napoleon might easily emerge out of the welter of destruction arid chaos that would ensue in Europe were Germany to triumph. Happily the ultimate defeat of Germany is now inevitable, and the duration of the war will be determined by the strength of German resistance to the attacks now being pressed home against her on all sides. No .doubt she could get better terms of peace to-day than she will,tWx) months hence, when her armies will have been driven out of France, and the Russians will be approaching Berlin. 'But if it is necessary to. go to Berlin to get a satisfactory peace treaty, the Allies will certainly go there. They can 'be content with" nothing short of compensation for Belgiiim, ■ the restoration of Alsace and Lorraine to France, the emancipation of German Poland, and-an indemnity as well. What will happen to Austria need not concern us at present, because Austria will simply have to agree to whatever the Allies choose to demand, but Germany will be prepared to fight to the last before consenting to any such humiliation as the above concessions would involve. They would destroy her prestige in Europe, and it would take her a, generation to recover from the effects of the war. Meanwhile the war must go on, and President Wilson may be able to mediate with more success about the end of the year than he' is able to at present.