WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

VATICAN AND KUHLMANN PEACE MOVES 319
Belgium, and an addition to German territory in the Baltic.
Poland might have been granted autonomy under the protection
of Germany, after a further slice of its territory had
been cut out of the Russian provinces. Alsace-Lorraine
would have remained German. The Briey iron mines of
France would have come under German control. Germany
would have had her colonies restored to her. What would
have happened to Italy? She might have been given a few
slices of Italia Irredenta on the condition that Austria
had a liberal equivalent in Russia and Roumania. German
military prowess would have been higher than ever. The
terror inspired by her redoubtable army would have been
deeper. Would Germany have scrapped that powerful army
in the interests of world peace and security? Has France dismantled
her huge armaments? The man who thinks that
Hindenburg and Ludendorff would have agreed to such a
proposal then is fit only for a private nursing home. Having
through years of sacrifice achieved a greater Germany, they
would not have thrown away the formidable military organisation
that had won it for the Fatherland. If they or one
of them were sincere in their acceptance of the theory of a
conspiracy to destroy that Fatherland, would they break up
the machine that had held all the conspirators at bay for three
years and inflicted terrible punishment on them all on land
and sea?
Turkey would have been persuaded to concede a spurious
autonomy to the Arabs — as delusive as Abdul Hamid's "reforms"
for Armenians. Bulgaria would have been rewarded
for her services by chunks of Serbian and Roumanian territory.
A suitable present would also have been found for Constantine.
He had earned it and would not have been forgotten.
What a peace as a result of cruel sacrifice! Too horrible
to think of!