The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1917. IS GERMANY IN EARNEST?

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 4 January 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1917. IS GERMANY IN EARNEST?

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and ‘Waimarino News). ~‘,

The super-abundance of messages on German peace proposals tends rather to confuse than elucidate. Is there still room for doubting German sincerity? The Hun has proved himself such a past-master in covering the trail of his walks in wickedness that the whole world has learned to be cautious about taking for truth anything he says. Truly may it be said of Germans in this war that their tongues are used mainly to conceal the truth. There now exists no doubt that Germany is very anxious to end the war as long as her national integrity is maintained. It seems probable that Belgium would be returned and rebuilt; that France would be vacated to the old boundaries; that old frontiers would be respected in Poland and on the whole Eastern front; that Austria would be prevailed upon by Germany to quit Servia; that Bulgaria would respect her old confines, and that free access through the Dardanelles for Russia would be assured. Why is Germany so eager for a peace that means the surrender of all her boasted captures in victories that she has won at such appalling loss of life and bewilderingly huge expenditure of money? In the first place she disastrously underestimated the cost of the work undertaken. When this became apparent she then set to work to alter the map by conquest of smaller nations with a view to a "map" peace. When willingness to accept peace on such a basis was jeered at by the Allies, a sort of Dutch auction was resorted to, and Germany went on reducing her price for peace until the climax now under discussion was reached. When these peace proposals are analysed, there is no disputing the fact that Germany is in real earnest. If we mentally placed the Allies in Germany's position there would not be a solitary doubt about our desire for ; peace. More than that, we should ; conclude that the various Allied Govi ernments needed that peace as an es- | sential to their very existence. That is precisely the case with Germany; jher people are starving, and incipient i revolution is rife in consequence.

from the condition of famine that prevails over the whole Austro-Hun-garian Empire it is probable there is a weakening of the union binding together the Central Powers. Be that weakness ever so small the old biblical adage, "a house divided against itself cannot stand," will apply, and results of fighting in the near future may either heal the weakness or bringabout disorganisation and disintegration fatal to a pre-war status of peace for Germany. Her endangered prewar status of peace is why she is so desperately anxious just now. Much can be learned by carefully noting what those newspapers say who have throughout been the mouth-pieces or Germany. The "New York World" may almost be classed as a pro-Ger-man publication, yet in this peace discussion it frankly says, "Germany forgets that the map does not only show Europe, but also the loss of the German colonies; also the ring- of steel around the Central Powers, and their unparalleled isolation." The newspaper continues: "Germany should realise that if America joins the Allies, the Allies' economic resources will be practically doubled." These words indicate a sincere concern for Germany's interests, they also disclose the sincerity of Germany's desire for peace, and Germany is reminded that her map claims are not so convincing as she would have the Allies believe. Germany is in unparalleled isolation surrounded by a ring of steel, and very likely the newspaper had in mind that there was a probability that inside the ring of steel there were all the elements at work for converting it into a veritable bear-garden. Information from the Central Powers of every conceivable kind all synchronises with the idea that Germany is in desperate straits for peace. " There is little room for doubting that Germany is intensely sincere in her expressed desire for cessation of hostilities, and there is just as little cause for doubting that the Allies will agree to any terms for peace that are short of unconditional surrender. The "London Times," in an editorial, clearly states the Allied case, it says the substance of the Entente Note is instinct with .unshakable determination. The Allies trust that neutrals will understand more clearly our intention to devote our whole energies to the war to compel our implacable foes to accept the terms we will, in the interests of humanity, impose on them. From this we may gather that Germany is deadly in earnest in her desire for peace, but, also, that we may dismiss from our considerations any proposals that do not, for centuries perhaps, render the German heel-clickers incapable of again disturbing the peace of the world.