Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-06-18
PEACE May COME
FROM next NOTE.
German Reply to America May
Start Ball Rolling.

| new MOVEMENT IS on FOOT
Reports From Berlin Hint That Euro
pean NeutraIs Are Working Along
Lines Whilh Probably Will Result
in Bringing the Great Conflict to
an End.
Washington, June 15.-1nformation
received in official quarters here tend
to indicate that a positive yes" or
mo" answer to President Wilson's
note on the sinking of the Lusitania
is hardly to be expected from Ger
many
According to this information it al.
ways has been the intention of the
Berlin government to make the dis
cussion with the United States the
vehicle for conveying to the world
her propaganda for changing the rules
Of maritime warfare, SO as to lessen
the value of such sea power as Great
Britain is exercising to the immense
disadvantage of Germany in the pres.
ent war.
According to advices received here
the only question in doubt in Berlin,
in this connection, is whether such an
answer, designed to make the United
States assume the role of an interest.
ed party in Germany's grievance
against England, is to be accompa-
MED by some conciliatory proposals
regarding submarine operations or
not.
In diplomatic quarters here not
only is this view shared, but 1T is also
believed that the obvious efforts OF
Germany recently to set rolling the
ball of peace talk is only another
move in the same direction.
Two efforts on the part of Germany
to bring this about have failed re-
Gently here, but reports from Berlin,
limiting at a new movement on the
part of European neutrals, are taken
to indicate that the same effort Is
continuing, though in slightly diner'
ent direction.
Detailed Reports Coming.
With the return of Colonel E. M.
House, the presidents supposedly I'M
onicial envoy to Europe. it is expect
ed that more detailed reports on this
subject will be laid before President
Wilson. As Colonel House has talked
with all the men in Berlin who are
shaping the German policy. and as his
close association with the president
is well known, it is considered Ger
tain that the Germans undoubtedly
took advantage of such an 0ppor-
tunity to transmit their views to the
head of the United States govern
ment. !
The Germans have not limited them
selves to Colonel House as q medium
of communication for their ideas, how
ever, and rather complete information
has reached here as to what is in their
minds. in advance of Colonel Houses
return. According to this information
the objective of Germany at present
may be expressed substantially as
follows:
End the war with the restoration OF
the ante.bellum status quo,
except for the establishment of the
principle that private property at sea
is not subject to capture or seizure.
Impose acceptance of this principle
on the allies, If possible. as part Of
the peace terms, but IL this cannot be
done promote an international confer
ence in which the pressure of the neu-
trails in this war is to be Joined with
Germany to compel the allies to &C.
cept 1t, and meantime use the subma-
rine operations to convince the neu-
trail world that something must be
done and to crystalline opinion in ia
vor of the German proposal.
Germany has all along declared that
the submarine campaign was her pro.
test against the use of British sea
power to shut of Germany from her
supplies Of foodstuffs and industrial
To all neutrals and to the
United States, in particular, she has
urged that II they would but join Ger.
many in 4 protest against this British
action the freedom of the seas"
would be restored and the German
and neutral trade now cut on be re-
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