Second, that, once engaged in the conflict against their deliberate will, and in spite of their noble efforts to prevent the war which they clearly foresaw would be most calamitous, they have always remained the staunch supporters of the RESTORATION OF PEACE upon the two _sine qua non_ conditions of JUSTICE and DURABILITY. To achieve these two objectives, they have been fighting for now more than four years, at tremendous cost of men and treasures, and they are determined to fight until victorious. They would all lay down their arms to-morrow, if the results so important for the future of Humanity could be secured with certainty. Like all great causes, PEACE WITH JUSTICE AND DURABILITY has had its TRUE and its FALSE friends. The TRUE friends of PEACE were those who realized from the very beginning of the frightful struggle that it was perfectly useless to expect it, if the disastrous Prussian Militarism was to be maintained and allowed to continue threatening Civilization. The TRUE friends of PEACE were those who pledged their honour not to sheathe the sword they had been forced to draw before Germany would acknowledge that she had no right to violate solemn treaties, and would agree to redeem the crime she had committed in invading the neutral territory of Belgium which she trampled under her ironed heels and crucified. The TRUE friends of PEACE were those who determined to bring Germany to renounce the abominable principles she has professed, training the mind of her peoples to believe and proclaim that MIGHT is RIGHT and the only sound basis of INTERNATIONAL LAW. The TRUE friends of PEACE were those who, however anxious they were to have it restored as soon as possible--fervently praying the Almighty to that purpose--, knowing what are the principles of International Law recognized by all truly civilized nations, could not forgive Germany, UNLESS SHE SINCERELY REPENTED, the barbarism she displayed in her murderous submarine campaign, and practised in Belgium, Northern France and in every piece of belligerent territory her armies occupied. The TRUE friends of PEACE were those who clearly understood that to meet the two essential conditions of JUSTICE and DURABILITY, it was PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to secure it by a compromise which could not, by any means, protect the world against further German attempts at universal military domination. The FALSE friends of PEACE were those who said and wrote, in sheer defiance of truth, that the Allies, more especially England and Russia, were as much responsible for the war as Germany herself.