The sun., 1916-12-22
WILSON PEACE NOTE
SURPRISES LONDON


President credit for the best of inten-
tions. but they will be JUSTIFIED in won
dering whether. from their point Of
view. the note Is not particularly III
timed and III Judged.
1.-THE Presidents assurance that the
recent German overtures had nc prompt
ing influence or his proposals must be
accepted. At the same time It Is. to say
the least, somewhat maladrOit that we
should be 80 appealed to by the United
States at a momen when the Allies are
At the height Of their power and Ger
many knows her own apparently favor
able position cannot possibly be main
tained.
ION the other hand there is the possi-
bility hat Mr.. Wilson's efforts are d.
rected toward eiiciting from Germany
concrete terms Of peace. which she with
held In her extraordinary approach to
the Entente. In that case q useful pur-
pose may be served. for we then would
be In a position to Judge whether war
WEAKNESS is associated with the con-
sciousness Of crlmInality Of which Ger
many has been found guilty In the judg-
ment OF the civilised world. and the ex-
tent to which this will induce her to
yield to the Allies memorable demands
for guarantees against future barbar-
ISM
No Mediation Attempted.
The Daily Mail says:
THE greatest establishment will be
caused In this country by the news that
the President Of the United States has
signallixed his reelection by despatching
to the Allies and enemy Powers a note
In which he expresses the opinion that
the time has come for both sides to
state their terms Of peace.
at contains the individual advice If
the President n II not to be regarded
as in any sense constituting a diplo-
matte attempt al mediation. All the
world knows Mr.. Wilson'S desire for
peace. But we may oub whether the
note would ever have been sent II the
British Government had taken the
trouble to put It's case before the Ameri-
can people by such skilfui and persis-
tent propaganda as the pro-Germans in
the United States rave carried on.
The document was evidently prepared
before Mr.. Lloyd Gorse had uttered his
historic speech Tuesday. The result is
| that II has been answered before its de-
/! livery. for the Allies terms OF peace are
now known to all"
Sir John A.. Simon. the former Secre-
| tary Of State for Home Affairs. rose In
| the House OF Commons yesterday to in
| dorse. In behalf Of himself and his fol-
lowers, Premier Lloyd Georges speech
on peace.
1T may be desirable. In view OF past
events he said. ito make quite plain in
a few sentences how universal and wide
| spread is the acceptance in all sections
Of opinion in all parts OF the country
! OF the Premier's declaration in reply to
! the German message. The Premier told
us plainly that in no proper sense OF the
word was the communication received
from Germany a peace proposal at all.
THE Premier has spoken the views
and the mind OF the whole nation. We
are all agreed that. firstly. it would he
an objectionable crime for any Gov
eminent to allow war to continue for q
single unnecessary hour. and second. II
would be the deepest treachery to falter
in securing by force Of arms " need be
or by more reasonable met o when the
opportunity comes those objects-essen'
italy defensive and unaggressive-foi
which we entered the war
II, g.. l.. Smith. Liberal member for
Northampton, dressed in his militar!
uniform. sounded a new note-urg!na
that the German proposals be allowed
to see the light Of day.
Door Not Yet Closed.
MY understandings" said Mr.. Smith
In his address. 'is that the reply OF tht
Premier TO the German note was to the
effect h the door was not yet closed
That IL a wise answer, and the best pos
sible answer at this state. The German
proposals should be allowed to see the
light Of day. II they disclose an ag
gressive purpose then the German peo'
pie will realize mat they are not SUI
fering and dying for their mere exist
ence. az they rave been told,
III IL were put TO "A vote OF the mer
at the front whether-provided We coulc
obtain guarantees that our honorabl.
obligations would he fulflled-we SHOULD
then make a serious effort to get tn,
parties together, ! am certain such q
proposition would be carried by virtua
unanimity.
II am not prepared to face the pros
poets of a military decision, which means
n war of attrition. unless | am con
WINGED there IL TO other way out, A.
attempt to hold the Central Empires
down by a military decision, followe,
by economic strangulation, would meai
carrying forward int opeace all hostili
ties and hatreds of the war. IL woul,
divide Europe into two hostile camps
and would make war more inevitable
and deadly than ever and would fastei
CONSUMPTION and militarism forever oil
all nations"
Chancellor OF the Exchequer Bona
Law promptly arose to make a reply 70
the Government to Mr.. Smith. He said
"If the spirit Of the speech to whicl
we have just listened were to permeat
the country I believe that all the bloo'
and treasure which have been spent /
the war would have been spent in vain,
ct is all very well to say Let us ge
their terms of peace Yes, but can yo
get any terms more binding than tn
treaty for the protection of the neu
trality of Belgium? Can you come I
any conclusions on paper or by promise
than will give us greater security tina
we had before this war?
Not this nation alone. bat the neutra
nations. will, I hope. understand the posi-
: ton at which We nave now arrived, Ger
many has made peace proposals, .
what basis? On the basis OF her victor
ious armies. Is there "A man who. con
sidering the conditions under which thi
! wal was forced on us and the condition
under which the war has been carrie
ON. honestly believes that the danger
, and insecuritics from which we have sui
, fercd can be cured in any way than bu
by making the Germans realize tina
: frightfulness does no, pay. that militai
=. ism is not going to rule the world?
, Fighting In Peace aud security.
what are we iishiinG for Mo-, tcrr
l torN. not greater strength as a natiol
. We ara fighting for Two thinss-for pea
] now and for security for peac" In time
come. Let The House remember IN
what has happened in this war-outrae.
T in Iielr UNI. outragcs by sea md lam
I : ,,a ESn.raS I'm Ammonia which tsprn1lu