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Show LASTING PEACE. Suddenly the working classes of Europe Eu-rope have asserted their right to dis-ciiph dis-ciiph praco and the terms upon which it shall be coneliidod. While this movement move-ment is not wholly unprecedented in modern hlhtory, the widespread nature of it never has been paralleled- The common people at last have come to a realization that if there is to be an enduring en-during peace, it must be founded upon the most perfect possible application of the principles of justice. Knglinh laborltes and French socialists social-ists both indorse tho proposals of President Presi-dent Wilson. They look to tho interven-mt interven-mt tion of a neutral gladly, because they feel that only through a third party can the war be brought to an end with a peace agreement that will bo lasting. A French investigator has said that between the years 1560 and 1S60 there were 2000 treaties of peace, and that tho averago duration of each was two and a half years. President Wilson has said that it is better to have peace without victory, or words that mean as much. There is ii deep significance in his statement more or less perfoetly realized by those in Europe who are secMug peace. The (Jortuans want to make peace at once ' as victors; the entente powers want to fiht on until thoy can ouforco peace as victors. In either case such a peace will J ; bo unjust and will furnish the groundwork ground-work for other wars. Tho Russian government has taken a ( reasonable attitude, which shows that in Petrograd there must be some senti-ruont senti-ruont for concluding a peaco without . victory. After expressing sympathy . with many of the president's proposals, tho official statement issued in Petrograd Petro-grad says: ! . As to the nature of the peace to . - bo concluded, whether it bo a peace ' without victory or not, one should remember that it never has been the aim of tho allies to crush their en- 1 emies and that they have never in- sistcd upon victory , in that sense over Germany. It is Germany who 1ms taken that point of view and who wishes to dictate peace as a victor. ; The Russian statement is not in har-: har-: mony with the terms recently promul-; promul-; gated by the allies, for if all those terms are to be enforced the allies must be completely victorious. With both sides still demanding terms ; that can be obtained only by victors, a speedy conclusion of the war is impossible im-possible unless a third party can arrange ar-range a peace without victory to either side. And victory to cither side will not give tho peace the world desires. The entente allies, for example, have been compelled to include in their demands de-mands certain terms which are necessitated necessi-tated by bargainings with Italy. The anomaly is presented of an alliance in which several of the combatants are not demanding any accession of territory, terri-tory, while several other combatants, notably the Italians, are iusisting upon acquiring territory which never belonged be-longed to them, and some even inhabited inhab-ited by people who have no ties of blood with the Italians. Italia irredenta irre-denta is a programme of aggression. Russia wants more territory, not so much for the sake of the territory, but as a means of getting to the open sea. Her ambition is generally regarded as just. It can bo realized only if and when the allies are victorious, unless the war can be ended as the result of intervention by a third party. Then Russia could attain her object by rights-of-wav suggested by President Wilson. The English and French laborers are beginning to understand that neutral intervention is the .best means of ending end-ing the war. They see, or think they see, that President Wilson has offered tho most desirable way out of the war. Victory for either side may not, and probably will not. permit the reorganization reorganiza-tion of the world on a basis of enduring endur-ing peace. The in tor vent ion of the third . party might conceivably result re-sult in just that kind of a reorganization. reorganiza-tion. President Wilson perceived the opportunity. lie realized that the Vnited States, eh'M-i-hiug the principle; that all governments derive their just powers f rom t h con-eat of the governed, gov-erned, miyht be n.ble to give to Europe a peace in whi'-h the rights of all the various ra"es of Europe would be fully established. 'If pfaceinnking is bft to the, belli g-r-rentfl it will bo nv-rried by self is-h inferfit' and l.h; ambitions of dynasties. If peacemaking be the work of the world, rather than of the warring power;-, the praer is apt to be enduring. |