New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-30
Offers to Give Metz and
Parts of Lorraine ard
AlsaCe i'm Return.
PROPOSAL MADE THROUGH
COMMERCIAL CHANNELS
Belief Expressed That No
Frenchman Would Dare to
IndOrse Such a Bargain.
lBy Cable to The Tribune.l

London, Oct. 29-The Paris CORE
spondent OF THE Daily Chronicle
says
IAN attempt has been made by the
Kaisers advisers and agents during the
last few days to separate France from
her allies and enable their government,
while posing before the outer world
and its own people as earnestly de
sirous for peace, to pursue the war
with hopes Of success at present non
existent.
Tnformaton has been conveyed to
certain influential Frenchmen who were
expected to act as Intermediates that
the German imperial government rec
ognizes the quality Of the stand made
bv the French armies. has never re-
garded France as her principal enemy
in this struggle, and is ready to make
peace on terms not merely honorable
but generous, for the republic. These
terms would include the transfer TO
France of Metz and the neighboring
part of Lorraine, and perhaps also of
at least part Of Alsace.
Heard with Amazement.
This proposition brought, it is true
not through official, but through com
mercial and financial channels, yet with
apparent authority-was listened to
with amazement. No Frenchman can
for moment ignore the horrible in
iuries the war is working. 1t is even
easier for false than for true prophets
Of peace to play upon this note, but
Mother can any responsible Frenchman
ignore for moment the fact of the
multiple alliance and all IT stands for
in the present and the future.
"What about Servia? What about
Russia? What about England? Above
all. what about the martyr land, Bel
gium p"
81 am informed that before these
opestions the would-be negotlators
shrugged their shoulders, but thought
that Germany would have to require
at least an enclave on the Scheldt-in
other words, Antwerp and Northern
Relciunn. As TO the other three pow
org. they could look after themselves;
but here was an opportunity for France
to make an arrangement which she
could not hope TO better, even II with
her friends. at a frightful cost, she
was able to carry the war 70 victorl-
Gus issue.
None Favors Bargain.
.J believe that with all the bitter
suffering that lies heavy on this land
no publc man would dare openly to
favor. and probably not one would pri-
vately entertain, bargain which would
he universally regarded as treachery to
France as well as betrayal OF her
friends. 1t is not even question ot
LOYALTY to a written promise, to the
scrap of paper in which the Allies un-
dertook at the outset of the war not to
conclude peace separately.
despite suspicious which the old
fashioned diplomacy of a time now
dead and gone brought upon itself, the
peoples of England and France believe
deeply in honoring promises made for
them, but they are bound together now
bv ties of blood and of common sacri-
flee necessarily stronger than any such
scruple or the instrument in which 1t
is expressed
"There never was or could be a mo-
ment's hesitation as to the answer
France would make to such PROPOSE
,ion. and if that were the whole ques-
tion if would not be worth while 10 in
vito the inevitable dement, from Ber-
lin: but, TO say nothing now OF future
nossibly distant IN which genuine
neace negotiations will have 10 take
place. there is an immediate reason
why this characteristic move OF Prus-
sian diplomacy should be made public.
We cannot afford to give Count Won
Bernstorfr. Herr Dernburg and Pro-
fessol Munsterberg any new text from
which they can attempt 20 mlslead
American opinion.
Feeling in the United States.
Intelligent interest and lack of in
terest combine in the United States to
produce a vague feeling that the war
should be brought to an end somehow
or anyhow. II is u sentiment altogeth
er creditable TO d great, humane and
neutral power, whose aid all warrlng
states may some day be glad to invoke.
But for the moment 1t is not very helr-
full. because the issue is one OF life
and death. and the "how" is every
thing
Count Won Bernstorff. however. plays
astutely upon this sentiment, and moth