"During the early and late stages of the war we were told that the four--later five--great democracies of the world were fighting to make the world safe. The United States was the fifth great democracy. The other four were: republican France, monarchical Great Britain, imperial Japan, and czarist Russia.

"Later we were added; we who are somewhat imperial, but not monarchical--a real democracy. At the time Italy, another imperialist monarchical democracy, had joined the others."

[Editor's note: The retranslation of the quotation from the Tribune has been corrected only for spelling and capitalization. The original version of the Tribune is as follows:

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"During the war, early and late, we were told that the four--and later five--great democracies of the world were fighting to make the world safe. The United States was the fifth great democracy. The early democracies were the then great democracies of republican France, monarchical Great Britain, imperial Japan, and czaristic Russia.

"Later we came in, a trifle imperialistic but not monarchical, a regular democracy. Italy also was in by that time, another imperialist monarchical democracy."]

The above statements are quoted from an editorial entitled "British Democracy," and published in the Chicago Tribune on January 28. This article very convincingly shows that Great Britain is a class-ruled monarchy, and the editor concludes it with the statement: "The British democracy is not." [Editor's note: This retranslation from the German has not been altered in any way. It is exactly the same as the original Tribune version]. The Tribune is right. The much discussed "British Democracy" is not. Great Britain is a monarchy 3a class-ruled monarchy--the very opposite of a democracy. The editorial from which we quoted proves this by logical reasoning. Hence, it was wrong, it was deceit and fraud, to call the Entente governments--republican France, monarchical Great Britain, imperial Japan, czarist Russia, and imperialist monarchical Italy--great democracies. Then the statement (based on this false assertion) that these alleged democracies were fighting for the democratic nations and states, that they had united to save democratic Europe from Prussian-German tyranny, was also a fraudulent misrepresentation. If those five great powers were not cemented together for war against Germany and her allies by the democratic idea--and that cannot be possible, since Great Britain and the others were not, and are not, democracies--by what means were Great Britain, France, Japan, Italy and Russia bound?

The usual answer is: Their instinct for self-preservation, their concern for the existence of their governments, which they considered to be threatened by Germany's great power. This answer is not satisfactory. For it is known and admitted that, although the former imperial German Government desired and abetted 4Austria-Hungary's attack upon Serbia, yet, in its own interest, it did everything possible to prevent Russia from siding with Serbia. Having failed in this attempt, the former imperial German Government decided to go to war against France, it is true, but, in her own interest, she made every effort to keep Great Britain out of the war. Japan could not have considered herself threatened by Germany. Italy, Germany's ally, would certainly have had nothing to fear, if she had only remained neutral.

In view of these facts, the statement that the Entente Powers united to war against the Central Powers solely because they (Great Britain et al.) were worried about their own existence, appears to be just as incredible as the title "democracies" was unsuitable, and just as untrue as the assertion that they were fighting for the democracies of Europe. Sober and .....unprejudiced observers have long suspected that those five great powers had other reasons for uniting so closely. And their suspicion was well founded. This is revealed by the peace conference, even at this early date; and the means by which the Entente powers were united were also disclosed.

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At one time people only whispered about it, and if anyone dared to speak loudly about secret pacts existing among the Entente Powers, he usually heard a prompt Dementi. Today these pacts are spoken of publicly, and nobody would think of denying them, because they are the chief topic of discussion (at the peace conference), and apparently they are also the chief difficulty. Of course no one speaks of the agreement once existing between Russia and the Western Powers of Europe in regard to the Dardanelles, because Russia has been disposed of. But there is much conversation about the secret pact according to which Italy was to receive certain provinces and lands which she desired, and because of which she was persuaded to join the Entente. However, nothing is said about the pact existing between England and France, which obligated England to do her utmost to satisfy France's claims upon Alsace-Lorraine,.... since France came into possession of this former German province through the breakdown of the German military power, and in accordance with the terms imposed upon Germany by the armistice. On the other hand, there is much talk about the secret pact entered into by England and Japan. These two nations agreed that the Marshall and Caroline Islands should be awarded to Japan, 6German New Guinea to Australia, and Samoa to New Zealand.

The "fight of the European democracies for the liberty of nations" was a beautiful legend; "was not," as the Tribune would say; it existed in reality no more than the "British Democracy" did, or does.

The Entente Powers waged war for selfish reasons, and the secret pacts and agreements, according to which each of the allies was to receive a share of the spoils, was the tie that bound and held them together, until America stepped in and saved them.

As America was the only real democracy among the nations which fought against Germany, so America is also the only power which neither seeks nor desires any part of the spoils of the war; it is the only nation which fought for a high ideal, for the future well-being of the whole human race. America proclaimed loudly and unequivocally that the democratic idea, the liberty and right of self-determination of all peoples, that justice and righteousness, and a permanent and just peace, were the objects of her warfare. And all the Entente Powers gave their "yea" and "amen"; they accepted the program of the 7President of the United States, and thereby they obligated themselves to adhere to it. Germany also accepted the program, and thus the war was quickly terminated.

But that was before the victory was achieved. Now that the war is won, the Entente Powers have changed their attitude. Now that the victory in accordance with the democratic ideas which are expressed in the program of President Wilson has been gained, the Entente Powers want to enforce their secret agreements, although these are altogether undemocratic, are contrary to the Wilsonian spirit and are merely "rules according to which the spoils are to be divided. Now the Entente Powers would like to push their rescuer aside, for the "Moor has done his duty." Now justice and prospects for a peaceful future are of no importance to the nations which entered secret agreements.

It must not be. It will not be. Justice, ideal democracy, must be victorious, because of its natural convincing power, because of the wisdom and determination of its advocate and champion, President Wilson, because of the power of 8America, and because the Entente Powers will not be able to adjust, or enforce, the terms of their secret pacts and agreements.