The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-19
Decides to Await Definite
Expression From Some
One of Belligerents.
GREAT BRITAIN HAS NOT
RECEIVED ANY PROPOSAL
Denial Made in View of Persis
tent Rumors Coming From
Berlin.
AMERICA TO KEEP HANDS OF,
Inconsistent With Neutrality to Press
Any Nation to Make
OVcrtures.

WASHINGTON. September ls.-Great
Britain has received no proposal for
peace, either directly or Indirectly
from Germany or Austria. aud. there
fore. has nolhing to gay on the subject.
This was the substance or a mes
saSe received late tonight by Sir Cecil
Spring Rice. British ambassador here.
from Sir Edward Grey. British Foreign
secretary. The ambassador had IN
luifed carly to-day whether any peace
proposal was before his government, in
view OF persistent rumors from Berlin
mat proposals were being exchanged.
Coincidcnt with the receipt Of this
Information from Great Britain il was
learned authoritativcly that President
Wilson had not pursued either with
Great Britain. France or russia, the
informal suggestion of the Imperial
German Chancellor that ''i, was up TO
the United States TO obtain a state
hcnt OF peace terms from the allies"
NJ tho White House the view was
expressed that the President virtually
bad abandoned the idea Of coutinuin;;
the informal peaSc movement begun
ten days ago in a conversation between
Oscar Straus and Coun, Won Bern
storH the German ambassador. He
'ia! decided to await a definite EXPIRES
sion from some one >of the bclligercnts.
feeling IL would DC Inconsistent with
American neutrality to press any or
tho hclligcrcnts TO make overturcs
No COMMUNICATIONS
WITH AMBASSADORS
Incidentally. tirc State Department
has not communicated with the British
ar French ambassadors here. OF the
German ambassador in New York OF
the subject Sir Cecil Spring Rice. as
we'll az jules Jusserand. were At the
State Department to-day. Ambassador
spring Rice did not mention peace dis
-
ambassador made only casual inquiry
as TO the correctness OF newspaper re-
ports regarding peace possibilities.
Dipiomarsts representing the allied
powers are said to believe President
Wilson will not ask the American am
baasadors abroad not to continue CON
vcrsations until terms OF peace We're
voluntarily proposed BY the belliger-
cnts.
The informal exchanges thus far con
Quoted by tho American ambassadors at
Berlin, London and Paris have brought
forth almost identical statements each
side charging the other with rcsponsi-
hilty for starting the war. each de-
claring il had been attacked and say
ing IL would consider terms OF peace
only IL ovcrturcs were made by the
enemy with definite statement OF
terms.
II was pointed out here to-day that
The United states was careful to avoid
informal soundinSs. and obtained a
written rcaucs, from Russia and Japan
for a discussion OF peace before acting
as an Intermediary to -tttlc the Rus
sian Japanese war
PRESIDENT RISENrS
DISREGARD OF ADVICE.
President Wilson is becoming pro-
voked over incidents tending to en-
harrass his efforts for mediation of the
European war and disregard OF his plea
for neutrality by American citizens. To-
day he refused to give an audience TO
Horace l.. Brand, editor of the Chicago
Staats ZcitunB and one OF the promi-
rcnt German In the United
States. who wished to present a petl-
,ion signed by thousands OF German
Americans in the Northwest protest
ing against the charges of the Belgians
that the Germans were brutal and bar
barrie in their course through Belgium.
Mr.. Brand arrived ir Washington in
u great hurry yesterday and Immediate
ly enlisted the support OF Senator Lewis.
Of Illinois, TO bring about his reception
by the President. The President to-day
took the ground that If the signers of
the petition to the President are Ger
man n-Americans they are presumably
American citizens. living and voting in
this country, and ought TO be neutral
in the contest
The President believes that the case
comes within his recent appeal TO his
Fellow w-cOuntrymen to aid the cause
OF America by remaining neutral. and
that the mcddling in the war abroad
by Americans cannot possibly conduce
to neutrality and will tend TO irritate
and bring about feeling in this country
that ought not to exist.
II IS the intention of the President TO
write a letter to Brand setting forth
his position in the matter. 1t is un-
derstood he VIII indicate that he has
refused to see Austrian Americans and
other hyphenated American citizens
whose ancestry has given them bias
in the existing quarrel, and that he
proposes to stand by his position that
Americans. for the honor and good OF
the country, should maintain strictly
neutral position. He will indicate that
if a delegation OF German citizens, di-
rcctly from Germany, wished to see
him about the visit and claims of the
Belgians they would be cordially re-
ceived.
In the last week important messages
concerning the initial moves Of tho
have become public property. through
newspapers. before the President HIM
self became aware of the contents OF
these messages, and, combined with
conjecturcs, it Is feared. have material
ly aided in diminishing the chances for
mediation.
WANTS TO KEEP AVENUES
OPEN FOR MEDIATION OFFER
The President feels, 1t is said, that IL
every move that Is attempted is made
public before ii eliminates one way
other the chances for mediation will
lessen. The truth is that at present
the officials of the administration have
not tho remotest faith in the Accept
7T1ontInI,nd on frhirI Pare