Germany's Peace Terms.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16037, 20 October 1917, Page 8

Germany's Peace Terms.

Our readers will remember the unctuous, not to say blasphemous, affectation of piety and rectitude with which, last Christmas, tho Kaiser urgod that an end should bo made to tho hideous slaughter, and left it to b e inferred that it would be the fault of the Allies if a satisfactory peace was not arranged. In more than on® quarter, apart from tho professed pacifists, it has been suggested that the Allies were making a mistake in not then seeking to come to. terms. It was admitted that the war was entirely due to German aggression, but it was suggested that even the Huns, sobered by the realities of war, had learned their lesson, and that if we would only agree Co a conference wo should find them quite reasonable. In another column to-day we reprint from Mr Gerard's book, which the London "Daily Tele- " graph," with characteristic enterprise, is publishing, an extract which shows exactly what sort of peace was in tho Kaiser's mind when he prated of his humanity, and talked of his responsibility to God. The proposals put forward by Chancellor Hollweg in his "man to man" talk with Mr Gerard are very aptly summed up by the London "Spectator" when it says:—

"The peace proposals of Germany, " therefore, amount to this: That tho "Allies wore to throw over the small " nations, which were to disappear for " all practical purposes into th e capa- " cious maw of Germany. Moreover, " Germany was to be surrounded in "future.by a humble and obedient "circle of nations paying tribute into "her coffers. To intensify tho hopelessly unrepentant and merciless " character of this proposal one has

"only to remember that Hfcrr von " Bethmann-Hollweg was regarded " throughout Germany as a moderate

" man, and was for that reason 00n- " tinually attached by the Junkers as " an unsafe guardian of the interests "of Germany." Not only were we to throw over the small nations, but by agreeing to Belgium being mado an outpost of Germany we were to make it easy for the latter Power to commence a fresh war of aggression specially directed against England whenever she felt disposed to undertake it. Doubtless we could have had peace on those terms. The Hon. Bertrand Rus-, sell and pacifists of that ilk point out with perfect accuracy that if, in the past, we had given up our colonies to Germany and complied with any other trifling demands put forward by the Mailed Fist," the peace never would have been broken so far as we were concerned. But fortunately the British are not a nation of Bertrand Russells. Meanwhile Mr Gerard's timely tion should convince even the most ardent longers after peace, that no peace worthy of the nam© can be secured until Prussian militarism has its hands up, prepared for absolute surrender. Already we fancy the "enemy would make a considerable abatement upon the terms sketched out by von Beth-mann-Hollweg to Mr Gerard.