The Washington herald., 1915-10-29
Think KAISER
TALKED PEACE
Observers Here Much Inter-
ested in Cerard's Confer
ence at Potsdam.
ENVOY WITHOUT ORDER!
State Department Officials Insist Am
bassador Had No Instructions
to Seek Audience.

The recent conference between the Ger
man Emperor and Ambassador Gerard
has become the subject of much pun
cling comment here; particularly in view
of the fact that II Is the first audience
TO a neutral diplomat In many months
State Department officials insist thar
the Ambassador had no instructions to
request an audience with the Emperor
and that the department had no know
/ ledge In advance that he was to see him.
II is also declared that nothing has
been received from the Ambass ador re-
garding his talk with the Emperor. It
is assumed that II viii not be more than
day or two before q report is received.
May Have Talked Peace. -
What was the object of the talk is
cause for a great deal Of speculation
here. In the absence of any authorita-
tive statement. however, and in the face
OF declarations that nothing Is known
onicially. this comment Is purely guess
work thus far. Nothing has been re-
vealed in any official quarter in WASH
ington that throws the slightest light
on the matter.
The first suggestion brought forth here
was that the Ambassadors visit to Pots-
dam to see the Emperor had to do with
peace. II peace was discussed, IL IL be-
lieved that it must have been on the
initiative of the German ruler, as the
Washington government 10 determined
not to initiate any moves toward peace
until II has been assured by both sides
that su0h overtures would be welcomed.
There has been a fresh crop OF reports
from Berlin recently with regard to
peace, but officials here do not consider
that they have effected any change in
the situation or that they even indicate
ha ufN ff<t, kag Oh
to peace.
For a long time II has been considered
that Germany would like to talk peace.
but in view of the known unwillingness
OF the allied powers to enter into a dis
cussion OF peace at this time, nothing
has developed. That the emanations
from Berlin may now be supplemented
by some move on the part OF the Kaiser
is the suggestion growing out of his talk
with Ambassador Gerard.
Kaiser Has Hard Task.
1t has been indicated here, however,
that IL the German Emperor Is trying to
enlist the cooperation of the United
States in bringing about a peace discus
sion, his task will be a difficult one In
view Of the attitude of the allies. It Is
more than conceivable, however that IL
the German Emperor would 60 SO far as
TO authorize the United States govern
ment, through Ambassador Gerard, to
inform the allies Of German peace pro-
posals, they would undoubtedly be trans
mitted as desired. The United States
will not. however. at this time make
any peace move on its own initiative,
but will act only on requests Of bellig-
erents.
1t has also been suggested that Am
bassador Gerard was presenting to
the German Emperor the views of the
United States government with regard
to activities in this country designed
to interfere with munitions shipments
with which the name Of the German
government has been connected. There
is no official support whatever for
this suggestion. II is denied. in fact,
in the statement. that Ambassador
Gerard was not instructed to make
any representations to the Kaiser.
Another suggestion Is that the dis
cussion concerned the submarine con-
troversy. This is not regarded as al
together likely, in view of the fact
that the German government has put
that matter wholly in the hands OF
Count Won Bernstorff. the German
here. Ambassador Gerard
has never been a chief figure in the
negotiations regarding the submarine
issue. That situation Is now hanging
on further conferences between Secre-
tary Lansing and the German Am
bassador.