7 JULY 1917, Page 10

As to the very important declaration about the possibility of

snaking peace with the German people instead of with the Hohenzollems and their parasites we have written at length else- where. We trust that it may be possible to turn the hint into a formal declaration by the whole Alliance. Since we wrote our leading article we see that H. Ribot has heartily approved of Mr. Lloyd George's statement. It is true that he had himself already thrown out the same hint to the German people, but he has now emphasized it. Why should not the Allies put into a definite form a principle on which they are all agreed ? Why should not " Peace with the German people only " be made an indispensable condition ? We are persuaded that the war would thereby be shortened.