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Show STILL FOR WAR. Those who had hoped that Christmas, 1916, would bring pcaeo on earth and a return of good will, see their illusions shattered onco more. The American people, enjoying tranquillity and prosperity, pros-perity, had hoped to share it with their stricken neighbors of Europe. Kin of i all the peoples now embattled, the Americans have been swayed more by their own sympathies than ,by the stern political arguments put forth from the European chancellories. They have forgotten for-gotten politics in their good will toward to-ward all the belligerents, and in their sympathy for the millions of women and children who are the most pathetic victims of the struggle more to be pitied than the dead. But the rulers of the nations must t steel their minds and hearts against sympathy. They must think only of the future of their countries. The French senate, ( considering that France cannot make peace with her enemies occupying her territory, has resolved to bring the war, which was imposed on France, to a victorious end worthy of the heroism of France's soldiers.'' An English pacifist, Boitrand Russell, writing to President Wilson, describes ; as "hideous'' the argument tbat the i war must continue so that those who have been killed on the battlefields "may not have died in vain." But if men are asked to fight for the right and to give their lives if necessary, the argument is not "hideous. " It would be disloyal for the French to lay down arms as long as they believed that tbey could attain those aims for which their comrades have given their lives. The arguments for peace must always be predicated on the idea of a "just peace. ' ' Unless unconditional surren- ' der is inevitable, the nations must strive for a just peace. But the mere fact that the Germans occupy French territory terri-tory is not a demonstration that a just peace is unattainable. If the evacuation evacua-tion of French territory can be secured hy a peace conference, the occupation of French territory is not necessarily an argument for a continuance of the war. The fact that after almost two and a half years of unparalleled slaughter one of the belligerent governments can still put such an arbitrary ohstaole in the way of peace, seems to show that the nations are not yet ready for peace. France has suffered as much as any of the belligerents, and yet if the Paris government truly voices the sentiment sen-timent of the people, they are still resolute reso-lute for the prosecution of the war. If their spirit had been broken they would not haggle about the temporary occupation occupa-tion of northern France, for it is practically prac-tically certain that the Germans would gladly evacuate this region if they could have peace. Perhaps the French mean more by "France's territory" than appears on the surface of the senate resolution. Perhaps they are thinking of Alsace and Lorraine as French territory. ter-ritory. If so, they have deliberately placed an almost insurmountable barrier bar-rier in the path of peace, as it is improbable im-probable that the Germans will surrender sur-render cither of these provinces at a peace conference. If the French people arc still determined deter-mined to wage the war to the bitter end, if they are un willing to say "enough," it may be taken for granted that the English, who have suffered comparatively little and are stronger than ever, desire a cessation of hostilities. hostili-ties. The sentiment in Russia is in doubt. It is difficult to get at the real 1 sentiment of the Russian people, for that sentiment is not so articulate as i.s the sentiment in the freer European ( oun tries. And yet we have at least the evidence of the duma that the Russians Rus-sians are sincerely in favor of keeping up the conflict. Had there been sufficient sentiment to bring about peace it would, we are inclined to believe, have transpired be1 fore this. There won hi have been one of those psychological waves running throughout the world to show that the people of all the countries were eager to conclude the war on anv decent terms. Such a wave nf sentiment is not discernible. On t lie emit ra ry. sentiment senti-ment in the entente eon nt r irs seems to be for war. It is not that the people are not whole-heartedly desirous of peace. They long for peace every hour -of the day and in the sad vigils of the night, bul they are no more for "peace at any price" now than they were in the golden July days of 1914. A few days may bring a phenomenal change. It may be that sentiment has not yet had time to crystallize. But the present indications offer little hope of peace during 1917. |
