But be that as it may, on the
9th of December the peace conversations were started. Our delegation
made a statement of principles which set forth the basis of a general
democratic peace in the exact expressions of the decree of the 26th of
October (8th of November). The other side demanded that the session be
broken off, and the reopening of the sessions was later, at the
suggestion of Kuehlmann, repeatedly delayed. It was clear that the
delegation of the Teuton Allies experienced no small difficulty in the
formulation of its reply to our delegation. On the 25th of December this
reply was given. The diplomats of the Teuton Allies expressed agreement
with our democratic formula of peace without annexations and
indemnities, on the basis of self-determination of peoples. We saw
clearly that this was but pretense; but we had not expected even that
they would try to pretend; because, as the French writer has said,
hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue. The fact that the
German imperialists found it necessary to make this tribute to the
principles of democracy, was, in our eyes, evidence that the situation
of affairs within Germany was serious enough.... But if we, generally
speaking, had no illusions concerning the love for democracy of Messrs.
Kuehlmann and Czernin--we know well enough the nature of the German and
Austro-Hungarian dominating classes--it must nevertheless be admitted
that we had not the slightest idea of the chasm which separated the real
intentions of German imperialism from those principles which were put
forth on the 25th of December by Mr.
Pages:
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127