GERMANS SEEK PEACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

GERMANS SEEK PEACE.

ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE BRITAIN. FIUVNCE REFUSES THE BUIBE. (By Will Irwin, in the New York Tribuns.) The great European war is ill inidChaiincl. The situation, as I take it, resembles roughly the situation iu our Civil War, wneii Lincoln, during 1803 (wasn't it*) held his conference with the leaders of the South. There is no moral doubt that Germany has been looking lor terms. Evcrytiiing indicates tliat, circumstantial evidence as well as "in-, aide information." Of course, these overtures have not been made directly or ovcu officially. Possibly the neutral Powers havo not iboeu consulted. It is more likely that two strange gentlemen have just happened to register at a hotel in Switzerland or Italy, and have just happened to meet at dinner in a private; room to discuss the future of the war—purely of course. Whatever terms Oermany'has offered have undoubtedly ibeen unsatisfactory to tlie Allies as a whole. So far as the general alliance is concerned, the war will probably go on. But there has Ucn a special effort to tempt Franco and Ilussia into deserting the allianc*. It is suspected that France could quit the war now at great present advantage—an increase of territory, probably the security of Belgium, possibly some kind of indemnity. Germany wants> to free herself to attack that enemy whiah is frankly the object of all popular (jer. man hate and all official ambitions England.

FiiANUE'S DECISION IIEKOIC. Kveryonc who has observed France during this war lias keen astoniskad •by the fortitude of the French—a fortitude hardly expected in a people ao highly civilised, so .polished and so essentially peaceful. She has never been so strong as in her apparent answer to German overtures. Th« French have always maintained that they entered this war, not so much for the old, wistful dream of winning back the lost Alsace, as for th» permanent security of France. If sht stops now, on a minor advantage, she ■will have the work to do over again in the next generation—or so she feels. But the temptation is great and special, She did not want war in the atginning, and she docs not like it now. The men who must decide for Franca have their sons out there, on the line. If they have not had other sons killed, they know w'aat has happened to tin; sons of their neighbors. Here is ii chance to gain temporary advantage for France—and to save the liv«s of those sons. I cannot imagine a stronger bribe being offered to any man. .Yet they seem to have shut their eyes and cars, thsc leaders of France, and to have made the heroic decision. INVASION OF BRITAIN. AVhat would happen should France and Russia desert forms 'beautiful material for speculation? So tar as the Island of Britain is concerned, she could doubtless whistle at the Germans. So long aB that navy holds, England cannot bo invaded from Germany direct. If, by a miracle or by the doubtful fortunes of a naval battle, the navy should fail to hold, England would be whipped, whether or no France and liussia stood Arm, making the paper blockade a real blockade would starve her out. All of which is unlikely. England's Navy, even allowing for losses, ia far stronger than when the war began, and her efficiency in handling t're submarine blockade, if nothing else, shows that the mariners of England have not lost their old technique. NO HOPE OF SUCCESS. Given, however, that the Germans could slip v. landing expedition past the British Navy, their chance of (success looks very, small. The censor would probably not permit even a guees at the number of troops at present in the British Army. But that army is large enoug'j to swallow up any landing expedition for which Germany could find transport. The invasion of a country, after all, is nearly as difficult as in old times. It is more difficult, in fact. Napoleon planned to land his troops on the fine stretch of 'beach .below Edinburgh. Such a landing could not be made to-day. With deep-draught vessels and heavy artillery, one needs a harbor and docks. And to get a. harbor one needs naval control. The question of Britain and this war always gets back to the navy.

DESIGNS ON BIUTISH COLONIES. Of course, Germany may have designs not on England herself—spite of all the talk in the German newspapers —hut on the British colonics. As for Canada, Australia, and South Africa, tho hope seems more vain than the hope of a direct invasion. There remain Suez, Egypt, and the whole British "sphere of influence" in the Near East. It is possible that Germany might so juggle things, in the event of a separate peace with France and Russia, as to get a land passage towards Suez and Egypt. Possible, not likely, as are all these speculations. WILL IT BE STALEMATE? It comes down to this: There is a thin thread of hope that all nations will soon adopt the stalemate theory concerning the end of this war and make peace heforc Europe is any further devastated. It is a very thin thread of hope. It is infinitely more possible that the struggle will go'on with the present line-up. Should the Allies within the next two months, gain one or two considerable victories, there is a better chance. I take it that no single victory in this war of grubbing and digging will ever he decisive. But such a victory nmv convince. Germany that her cause is' ultimately hopeless, and the