The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-12-23
EARLY REPLY To WILSON'S NOTE
FROM THE ALLIES NOT EXPECTED
NECESSARY FOR THE
ALLIES TO CONSULT
Reception of Note Meets the
Hostility Of Press Wash
ington IS Or Optlmlstlc.

don, Dec. %, a. n,.-James w.
Gerard. the American amoassa-
dor at noon today had confer
ence with Or. Aifred Zir1ner-
mann during which President
Wilson's note was one OF the
chief topics Of discussion. The
ambassador was able also to give
Or. Zimmerman general PIC
ture Of the situation from the
American standpoint, having come
to Germany fresh from CONFER
ences with President Wilson and
Secretary cf State Lansing. Jos.
c. Grew, the American charge de
affaires, received President VIII
sons note yesterday and immed'-
ately presented it to Or. thinner
man.
WASHINGTON, Dec. ,22.- While
nothing came from Europe today to
show when the Eelligerents will reply
to President Wilson's note, urging dis
cussion Of peace. or what the nature
Of the responses might he, the London
news dispatches. indicating that an
early reply was unlikely because OF Inc
necessity Of consultation between the
allies. agreed with the view prevailing
here.
Apparently the administration, haY-
ing dispatched the note an lin the
interest Of caution having take nstepS
to see that no niiSconstructiun abroad
was placed on the Presidents pur-
poses, now is carefully watching the
expressions OF opinion. particularly III
the British press. AS the attitude OF
the Teutonic allies had been clearly
foreShadowed in advance ana tne
President in the note spe"lacally us
claimed any association vita that at
titude, the interest Of american ofl-
cials centered on the reception or the
note in the entente countries ana
among the European neutralS.
II was recalled. as the London dis
matches most of them hostile, arriveu
that similar expressions greeted the
original proposals Of the central alllts'
but that the views were moderated IN
the British press and among the en-
tente diplomats here after renectlon
and discussion.
To preclude any possibility 81 mis-
construction Of the President pur-
poses, from the flurr;- Of yesterday,
caused BY Secretary LanSing's TWO
statements. both statements were
cabled today 10 American diplomats
abroad in neutral as we'll as belllger'
ent countries, so they might be pre-
pared to correctly state the President S
attitude to The governments TO whicn
they are accredited. They are intend
ed TO offer official evidences If II be
needed, that the Presidents note Is
exactly wha; it purports ID be on us
face
The suggestion from London that
the manner Of replying to the PreSl-
dett's note will differ frQm the form
of replies to proposals OF the German
allies corresponded with o1lclal e4'
pectations. 1t Is thought here tnat
the entente allies might not MAKE
extended answer TO the proposals ot
the central powers but would deal
with the whole peace subject IN tne'
resuonSe 70 the United States.
Will Improve Relations.
The German view here is that what
ever the reply Of the ententeailles,
,he relations between Germany and
the United States will have been I'M
measurahly improved. probably TO the
noirt Of assuring a careful step Dy
tho Berlin government TO avoid any
snch complications as led to a Crisis
which threatened a break IN dlplo'
matic relations. That view is that
the advantage of comfy with the
greatest of neutrals will BE- so <torci-
bly, impressed upon the people OF the
central empires that it will not again
be endangered.
Entente diplomats. while they ap'
paren,ly had decided to accept inc
Presidents attitude in good 1altn
had not wholly disposed OF their tear
that i; might rebound to the adVaht-
age OF their enemies. 1t was relter'
atei today in all official quarters tnat
there was perfect understanding pc
. tween Secretary Lansing and tue
President and whatever might nave
appeared as discord in luterpreeattoii II
of the note to the oelilserehts' n"u
fccnHnred on Page Twelve)