The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1916. GERMANY'S DWINDLING ARROGANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2832, 25 July 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1916. GERMANY'S DWINDLING ARROGANCE

The admission that tho people of Germany strongly desire peace made by Herr Maximihan,. Harden, in an article in the Few Torh Times, affords another interesting insight into the mind of the.German people. Herr Harden bitterly arraigns the German censorship, and ' adversely criticises the efforts of the authorities to suppress the peace movement. The cable messages which we publish to-day also mention a remarkable brochure by Herr Rosemeir, another leading journalist, containing a surprisingly frank estimate of German losses since tho beginning of the war. . publication of such statements would not have been permitted six months ago. Why are the permitted now? What is the significance of this chango of policy 1 .Rosemeii; and Harden do not claim any official "inspiration," for the facts they give or the views they express. Indeed, Harden goes out of his way to convey. tho impression that his article will meet with pronounced disapproval in high places, and Rosemeir poses as a man who runs risks in his determination to tell the people unpleasant truths. And yet it is almost certain • that both of these men are, wittingly or unfittingly, using their pens to serve the purposes of the German Government. If their writings jare not directly "inspired," they arc at any rate calculated to influence public opinion in a manner which fits in with the aims and intentions of the authorities. A great change has recently come over the war outlook. Things are going badly In;Germany, and the Government is probably desirous of gradually :v:customing the public mind to the idea that victory may not be possible, and that it may even he necessary to_ make an oner of peace to the Allies. This affords a reasonable explanation of the changc in the censorship policy, which sanctions, and possibly instigates, the publication of articles of a certain class which are likely to weparc the_ way 'for the disillusionment which must soon come. On April 22 the entire issue of Die Zukunft, Harden's paper, was devoted to a powerful plea for peace. Tho full text of this article was subsequently published -in the New York Times. which described it as ."the beginning of the German peace propaganda, officially encouraged." At the present juncture tho German Government is evidently anxious to convey the impression to neutral countries that she is prepared, if not anxious, to make peace on reasonable terms. Germany now finds it expedient to assume a less arrogant attitude. She is endeavouring to lead up to a position when she can throw the responsibility for the continuanco of the war on the unreasonableness of her enemies.

Garden's present tono is very different from that which characterised his articles during tho c-arly stages of tho conflict. Then lie declared that Germany wanted this war, and eared nothing for tho condemnation of civilised nations. Now he speaks as a messenger of pence'. Tho provocative note is absent. Iho article which appeared in his paper on April 22 takes tho form of an imaginary address by the President of tho United States, but Harden makes it clear enough that the opinions which ho puts into tho mouth of tho President are- tho views which ho now wishes to propagate. The articlo contains somo very interesting admissions. Ho

realises the utter futility of trying to raako tho world believo that Germany is not responsible for tho war. Germany, ho states, abruptly refused tho arbtration which was recommended by all tho Powers for the settlement of tho Austro-Serbian dispute. „ She began tlw* war which, according to the undisputed testimony of San Giuliano and Giolitti, she had ivanted a.? early as 1II1H; sho wantonly violated tho neutrality of Belgium, which originally she herself had demanded, carried through, and guaranteed, and after a rapid ami devastating invasion, 6eized a powerful pledge ill tho shape of tho industrial districts of France. Sho has, therefore, to Le declared guilty without admission of any extenuating ■ circumstances. This is 'the conclusion formed from a comparison of nil tho official documents.

Of course this confession flatly contradicts tho German official explanations of tho origin o£ the war, and it is not easy to understand why its publication was permitted. iiAKDEN's description of tho evils of militarism of tho German type is quite impressive. He declares Germany's achievement in the material sphere to bo unequalled in history, but ho goes on to say that "as a Spiritual achievement- many will place higher tho voluntary enlistment of three million island and colonial Englishmen, the heroic onduranco and self-sacrifico of tho Serbians and the French, fighting in the very face of the enemy." Possibly the censor has passed theso and other "frank" adnjissions because thpy may tend to allay suspicion and secure a more sympathetic hearing for the peace proposals which the article 1 proceeds to commend to the world in general. The war in which Harden formerly gloried ho now speaks of as a horror and a disgrace. The time has come for a "firm and noblo peace." Germany must not bo humiliated. "Wo can undertako no humiliating engagement," ho says, "nor anything in tho least approaching to it," but "wo can come to an understanding with other strong peoples as to the extent of our armaments, and placo ourselves in frank fellowship with other States under tho control of arbitration." Herr Harden is not the only prominent Gorman whoso views havo been radically changed as 'the result of the turn of tho tide in the war. l The particular.article under review makes somo very frank admissions, and is of a quite remarkable nature, but its chief significance lies in the fact that tho whole world knows that if Germany were winning this war or likely to win it, she would not bo putting out feelers of this nature for "a firm and noblo peace," or any other kind of peac'o. Theso feelers aro a sure indication that the Germans recognise that the tide of war.has turned against them.