_Postscript_: 1915, 1916 and then _annus mirabilis_ we are told.
Wonderful things will happen in 1917. That means we hope and expect
peace in 1917. Germany does also. The only peace possible, however,
seems to be that of complete victory over the enemy. As a personal
opinion I think it unlikely that complete victory will be obtained in
1917. It is also unlikely that a compromise peace will be effected. The
bill against Germany is too heavy for the German nation to accept.
If instead of making a vague general offer of peace in December, 1916,
Germany had offered the _status quo_ we might possibly with great
humiliation and vexation have all accepted the proposal. I think we
should not, but we conceivably might. But Germany and her allies would
have liked to keep some of the fruits of their victories and they could
not then offer _status quo_. In all probability they will offer it
later but then it will be too late as it is too late now in January,
1917. The bill against the Germans grows more heavy every day and every
week the war is prolonged. Our chance of victory over them at the same
time seems to increase as steadily. Next summer when the Germans have
been routed in France and Belgium and Poland--shall we be more likely
to consider a peace that would be acceptable to the Germans? I am sure
not. Will Russia be more ready? Certainly not. Rather the demands on
Germany will have increased.
I do not write this urging more war or craving for peace, but rather as
a commentator. I am sorry for the Germans in a way. But I realise that
in July-August, 1914, they chose a line of action from which followed a
certain set of consequences if they failed.
We on the Entente side have not improved our cause. We have tried to
fight the Germans in their way. We have seemed to behave abominably
in Greece--have become entangled in an irrelevant political quarrel
there. But then we have simply been doing the best we can, according
to our ability. Not many idealists would rush to offer their life for
our cause now and great numbers have lost interest in it. But the
unsolvable quarrel remains. How long the war will last seems to depend
chiefly on the length of time the German armies can hold out against
the ever-increasing machinery of death and destruction which faces
them.