South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-26
PEACE IS TALKED
AROUND CAPITOL
Spirit of Christmas Causes Dis
CuSSiOn of Chances of Ending
War-WOuId Mean Much to
United States.
BY John Temple Graves.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.-The sug-
gestiOns OF Christmas and the
song in the air Of peace on Earth
Good Will TO Men" pulses the capital
city today with the universal aspira-
ton toward peace in Europe. The
notable story Of the overtures far ad-
vanced between Russia and Germany,
with the plausible reasons given for
IL and the apparently reputable foun-
dalton on which IL rests has quickened
the hope and interest OF leading per
sons in Washington TO an almost fe-
verish eagerness. Here is a symposi-
UNI Of interviews with some of the
great diplomats. publicists and world
thinkers who remain In washington
for the holidays:
Oscar Underwood, democratic house
leader, soon TO be senator:
There Is no greater blessing that
could come TO our people in the COM
ing year than universal peace through
out the world.
There is no wish for the future,
the fulfilment Of which would bring
more JOY and prosperity to our land,
than that the cOntending forces OF
the battle fields of Europe may find
a way TO reconcile their differences
gnd end the strife of today by COM
pacts for peace tomorrow.
1T looks as If the armies contend
ing in the field were deadlOcked and
that TO continue the struggle would
only mean a tremendous sacrifice OF
life and destruction of property. 1t
must be that the powers that have
directed the fight so far will realize
this ere long and conclude to settle
their differences by arbitration rather
than continue the bloody strife.
Il have an abiding hope and faith
that before the new year runs TO an
end and another Christmas comes the
world may see in fact that there is
peace on earth and good will to men."
Champ Clark, speaker of the house
Of representatives:
when the great trans Atlantic war
began 1 did not believe that il would
last three weeks. / did not believe
that little Servia would very long re-
sist the assault OF a great empire like
that of Austria. OF course at that
time I had no idea that 1T was a world
conflict, but after more than four
months of it and after Europe, Asia,
Africa and the islands of the seas have
got into it. I don't believe there is the
slightest prospect for peace until one
side or the other is utterly exhausted.
1T is a matter Of common knOwl-
edge that the cOnflagratiOn seems to
be spreading and it appears extremely
~ / .
Sweden, Holland and Spain can keep
out of it. All che signs seem to indicate
that Greece, Italy and ROumania are
going in and Bulgaria. it appears, is
going 20 keep out only on the condi-
ton that certain territory of which she
was despOiled at the end Of the sec
end Balkan war, be restored to her.
"Of course everybody in this coun-
try would be delighted TO see peace
restored. we not only suffer in our
feelings on account of the great war.
but we suffer financially to an enor-
nous extent.
The longer it continues the more
imminent is the danger of our getting
mixed up into il by accident, although
every good citizen of the republic,
without regard to politics heartily en-
dorses the efforts of Pres't Wilson to
maintain strict neutrality and fair
play between the belligerents 1t is
perhaps the greatest calamity that
ever befell the world and the remark
able thing about it is that the armies
seem to be practically deadlocl<ed;
= neither side seems to be able to score
a decisive victory. My own judgment
about il is that the reason of this
strange phenomenon is the use of fly
ing machines, which make il practi-
cally impossible for one army 10 sur
prise the other and which inform each
army OF every move or maneuver of
its antagonist.
How long they can keep it up no
man can tell. but il seems that it is a
war to the last ditch aud nothing but
physical and financial exhaustion Of
one side or the other will end it."
BY Sen. James Hamilton Lewis:
Il am satisfied that the prospects of
peace are nearer now than they have
been at any time during this conflict
] think that the method for peace
would be obtained by all countries
pausing in the cOnfiict-each country
To designate a representative to set
forth its claimed evils and forms of
reparatiOn, the president Of the
United States is chosen as the source
through which the peace propositions
are To be conveyed"