The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1916. INTRIGUING FOR PEACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1916. INTRIGUING FOR PEACE.

No such deplorable spectacle has ever been witnessed in the world's history as that presented by the greatest military nation being forced to resort to the tactics of a desperate gambler .vheii, unable to win his stake by fair means, he has recourse to despicable methods in order to live. Foiled in every direction of attaining her ambition of becoming the arbiter of the fate of the nations of the earth, faced with a process of rapid decay, sensible of the faet that revolution born of starvation is threatening, and above all conscious that the blood of the victims of her abominable atrocities and /rightfulness is crying aloud for retribution at the day of reckoning which is ever drawing nearer, the German authorities, knowing their inability to win through by fair means, have been ransacking their wits for hatching a scheme that will bring about a temporary cessation of hostilities so as to give time for recuperation and reorganisation before once more entering upon what is evidently regarded as a postponed programme. In the past the Teutons have proved themselves masters in the art of intrigue, because tlic-y possess neither honor nor a vestige of regard for truth. Germany, us a nation, has placed herself outside the pale ot civilisation by |iieans of a process of self-centring that has eliminated all tns essentials of reliability. Even now, while scheming so desperately for what she plausibly calls peace, Germany still parades the wickedly false statement as to being forced into the war in self defence, and wliile unctuously breathing hypocritical sentiments of horror against bloodshed and a longing foi peace, is blatantly proclaiming a still further increased /rightfulness and barbaric vengeance if the Allies will not do what she so ardently desires. With characteristic effrontery Germany has tricked the United States and Switzerland into making an attempt to pull her chestnuts out of the fire. The Xew Vjork Times aptly describes the situation tljus; "Germany must now decide whether to propose 1 terms acceptable to the Allies, or continue to fight, subject to the probability that in the not distant future the United States will enter the war against Germany,.for we know that German victory would bo the greatest peril to the United States." Had President Wilson been sufficiently alive to his country's best interests, the sentiments so ably expressed above should have formed the bjsis of his action in the past and have dominated his policy m the present. He must certainly be living in one of the most superlative of Fool's Paradises if he honestly considers that his endeavor to bolster up German machinations will have any other effect than to arouse pity for his ensnaremcnt by the Teutonic tricksters, lie has woefully fallen into a trap from which he cannot emerge without loss of dignity and reputation, if nothing worse. Those ivho have read and pondered over the sensational statement made by the Daily Chronicle's Xew ork correspondent as to the inner history of President Wilson's note cannot fail to have been struck by Germany's perfect system of intrigue, which has served her so well in the pastiin dealing with neutrals. This time, however, Count Bcrnstorll bus overreached himself and has, or should have, opened the eyes of the world not only to the base methods employed, but to the danger of the trap which lie so skilfully prepared below 'the dangling bait of peace. If he ever bad the faint est hope of deceiving the Allies he can no langer entertain such an illusion, tor as tlie Dean of \\ ostminsler stated in his striking denunciation of the American Xote when preaching at the Abbey: "It is our resolve, God helping us, to overthrow the military brigandage of Europe. President Wiison knows tlnj Germany refused every overture to prevent the war, organised atroeit::'.« in Belgium, sank the Lusitania, muidered Captain Fryatt, ,and connived ; t Armenian massacres, yet he is if. opinion the nations leagued to di3arm this demoniac have the same

aims as the perpetrators of the historic crimes.'' Doubtless ere this President Wilson is a wiser and sadder man. (Icrmany's method rj obtainmi; peace is on all lours with her insistent boast of invincibility. ICven, while pretending 1o oiler the oiivo branch with one Inuid she is lotting it be known how she intends to carve np the map of Europe, and just as she has in the past threatened to crush all those who thwart her ambitions, so does she now threaten with the acme of frightfiilness those who refuse to do her bidding as regards the cessation of hostilities. There is and there can be no question of the Allies playing the Germans' game. We cordially agree with Mr. Hall Caine's statement that never in the history of diplomacy has such a tragically untimely oli'cr been made by the bead of a great nation. We, now know how this was effected, and the same reckless duplicity ancl cunning that marked Count BernstorfT's success with President Wilson would surely bo found at work in any peace conference that (lie Allies might be so foolish as to enter upon, if Germany is honest in her desire for peace she must jettison her monkey tricks and plainly state terms that she knows will be acceptable, or at least bo worthy of consideration. The more she adopts blurt", bluster, chicanery, and hypocrisy the more justified the Allies will be in vigorously prosecuting to the war to a victorious issue.