WAS IT A TRICK?

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1669, 1 February 1917, Page 4

WAS IT A TRICK?

The recent issue of a Peace Note by Germany was either a signal of distress or a piece of diplomatic strategy. Germany, in other words, either needed peace or desired it. Dr. Fitchett, in the February issue of “Life” —just to hand —declares bluntly that the Peace Note was a cunning trap that failed to catch its intended victims. Taking the Peace Note addressed by the Central Powers to the world in general, and the Allies in particular, together with the Note issued by President Wilson, Dr. Fitchett writes a most entertaining article, which he calls “The Battle of the Peace Notes,” in which he castigates Germany for her duplicity, and handles the President of the United States not at all gently. In another article, Dr. Fitchett points out that the period of the war just closed includes in its records four events of the first order: (1) The overthrow of Roumania. (2) Germany’s peace movement. (3) The great French counterstroke at Verdun. (4) The fall of the Asquith Cabinet; and with each of those topics the editor deals picturesquely and illuniinatingly. This issue of Life is particularly rich in fine special articles. These include a magnificent description of the day’s work of the Flying Men; a review of John Masefield’s brilliant book, “Gallipoli”; a detailed account of the almost magic cure for burns which a French doctor has discovered, and is using in military hospitals; the business romance of Charles M. Schwab, the famous. American steel millionaire: and the physiognomy of modern battle. The departments, too, are full of just that information that the busy man desires to know and is unable to find out for himself without im enormous amount of research. It might be noted, too, that one of the finest war stories yet writ leu has begun to run serially in Life.