Many things have happened during the last week to make pertinent the question whether peace is so far beyond the horizon as most people imagine. It is not all certain for example, that the Russian debacle has been unqualifiedly to the advantage of Germany. In relieving the purely military situation it undoubtedly has been a godsend; but if could ascertain its effect on the German proletariat we should doubtless find that it has tremendously increased the difficulty of keeping the German autocracy in the saddle. There is reason to think that the German Emperor and his adviser are today viewing the question of peace more from the standpoint of maintaining intact the existing bureaucratic government than from any other angle. It is not that they are in terror of being overwhelmed in the field, but the first care of a autocrat is always for his own skin, and there is no telling what sort of backfire another year of war might start at home. The governing classes in Germany know that dickering with the Bolshevlki is playing with fire so far as their own bureaucratic interests are concerned. --Boston Herald.