how things stand. Austria is at their mercy. It
has acted, not upon its own initiative or upon the choice of its own
people, but at Berlin's dictation, ever since the war began. Its
people now desire peace, but cannot have it until leave is granted
from Berlin. The so-called Central Powers are, in fact, but a single
Power. Serbia is at its mercy, should its hand be but for a moment
freed. Bulgaria has consented to its will, and Rumania is overrun.
The Turkish armies, which Germans trained, are serving Germany,
certainly not themselves, and the guns of German warships lying in
the harbor at Constantinople remind Turkish statesmen every day that
they have no choice but to take their orders from Berlin. From
Hamburg to the Persian Gulf the net is spread.

THE TALK OF PEACE

Is it not easy to understand the eagerness for peace that has been
manifested from Berlin ever since the snare was set and sprung?
Peace, peace, peace has been the talk of her Foreign Office for now a
year and more; not peace upon her own initiative, but upon the
initiative of the nations over which she now deems herself to hold
the advantage. A little of the talk has been public, but most of it
has been private. Through all sorts of channels it has come to me,
and in all sorts of guises, but never with the terms disclosed which
the German Government would be willing to accept. That Government has
other valuable pawns in its hands besides those I have mentioned. It
still holds a valuable part of France, though with slowly relaxing
grasp, and practically the whole of Belgium. Its armies press close
upon Russia and overrun Poland at their will. It cannot go farther;
it dare not go back. It wishes to close its bargain before it is too
late, and it has little left to offer for the pound of flesh it will
demand.

The military masters under whom Germany is bleeding see very clearly
to what point Fate has brought them. If they fall back or are forced
back an inch, their power both abroad and at home will fall to pieces
like a house of cards. It is their power at home they are thinking
about now more than their power abroad. It is that power which is
trembling under their very feet; and deep fear has entered their
hearts. They have but one chance to perpetuate their military power,
or even their controlling political influence. If they can secure
peace now, with the immense advantages still in their hands which
they have up to this point apparently gaine