Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-18
WILSON AWAITS
KA|SER'S WORD
ON PEACE PLAN
President Feels He Cannot Act
Unless More Detailed An
swer Is Forthcoming.
UP TO THE ALLIES NOW,
SAYS Won BERNSTORFF
Our Foreign Ambassadors Not
instructed to Query Pow
ers on Terms.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1s.-President
Wilson sees little prospect of peace in
Europe reflected in the unofficial ex-
changes which American ambassadors
have been conducting with Germany,
Great Britain, France and Russia
This was learned today at the
White House following a careful
study of the message which ambassa-
dor Gerard cabled, giving his reeol-
lection of an informal conversation
with the imperial German chancellor.
Until something more tangible and
more definite in the way of overtures
comes from the belligerents, the Pres
ident feels that his hands are virtu-
ally tied. To undertake to elicit terms
from Great Britain, France and Rus
sia, as Germany suggested would
place the President, he believes, in a
delicate position. in view of what Sir
Edward Grey has told Ambassador
Page.
The British foreign secretary re-
Gently took the position that the war
had been forced on Great Britain,
that the neutrality of Belgium had
been disregarded and that it would
be necessary to crush German mill
tarism before the allies could feel safe
against new attacks and before a
treaty of peace could be worth a
scrap of paper.
Sir Edward spoke of the earnest
wish of the triple entente for peace,
but said they could make no comment
until they had received a definite
statement of terms from Germany
and Austria. Substantially the same
position was taken by France and
Russia and communicated through
the American embassy as well as
their ambassadors here.
On comparing the expressions from
the allied powers and that of the i'm
perial German chancellor, the Presi-
dent found that they took almost an
identical position, each charging the
other with responsibility for the war
iand neither giving suggestions of any
basis for peace. The President, 1t is
understood, feels that in view of the
neutral position of the American gov
ernment 1t would be unwise to press
either side to make oyertures to the
other He hopes. however, that as
the war progresses one side or the
other win make known its terms in
some definite form, so that the Amer
lean government can act as medium
of transmission and forward the
peace movement without embarrass-
ment.
The President is not disposed to
take any action as a result of the
unofficial exchanges because of their
informal character, all of them hav-
ing been conducted orally, and is
anxious to avoid entangling the Uni
ted States in the intricacies of Euro
pean diplomacy.
1t was regarded as significant in
official quarters today that President
Wilson had not cabled Ambassador
Page. at London, or Ambassador
Herrick. at Paris, anything concern
ing the imperial chancellor's nom
committal conversation with Ambas-
sador Gerard. Although Sir Cecil
Spring Rice, the British ambassador,
called at the state department to
discuss some neutrality cases, the
subject was not mentioned to him.
The French ambassador, Jules JUS
serand, has not been advised of the
latest phases, although previously,
Secretary Bryan took both ambassa-
doris into his confidence on the va
rious steps in the informal move
ment.
It was recalled today that the at
titude of President Wilson In wait
ing for something more definite from
the belligerents was similar to that
of the American ambassadors at
Toxic and st. Petersburg before the
RusSo-JapaneSe war was settled. The
American ENJOYS We're particularly
careful at that time to obtain in
writing definite request for the
transmission of peace plans and the
American government avoided taking
any action on informal soundings.