The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-22
COMMONS BILL REJECTS PLEAS
 TO HELP US.
Ask What Pledges Are Possi- ble After Violation
 of Belgium.

the hope that "the Government will welcome the aid of America in nego- tiating the terms of peace"
 MT. Buxton paid tribute to the generosity of the United States to- ward Belgium and to the help 1t had given the Entente in the war, and said:
 There are thirty thousand Ameri- cans fighting for us. America is with us in the war because of the in- vasion of Belgium and the German campaign of frightfulness.'
 New Pledges Impossible.
 Bonar Law, Government leader in the Commons, said:
 Eff the pirit of the speech to which we have just listened were to permeate the country I believe that all the blood and treasure which have been spent in the war would have been spent in vain.
 | ''It is an very we'll to say let us get their terms of peace Yes, but can you get any terms more binding that the treaty for the protection of the neutrality of Belgium? Can you come to any conclusion on paper or by promises that will give us greater security than we had before this war
 ''NOt this nation alone, but the neutral nations, will, I hope, under stand the position at which we have now arrived. Germany has made peace proposals-on what basis? On the basis of her victorious armies.
 ''Is there man who, considering the conditions under which this war was forced on us and the conditions under which the war has been car ried on, honestly believes that the dangers and insecurities from which we have suffered can be cured in any other way than by making the Ger mans realize that /frightfulness does not pay, that militarisln is not going to rule the world?
 What Are We Fighting For?''
 What are we fighting for? Not territory, not greater strength as nation. We are fighting for two things-for peace now and for se-. curity for peace in time to come. Let the House remember that what has happened in this war-outrages in Belgium, outrages by sea and land, nassacres in Armenia. which Ger many could have stopped by word then realize this: The war will have been fought in vain, utterly in vain, unless we can make sure that it shall never again be in the power of any state to do what Germany has done.
 ''Is peace to come in this war on the basis that the greatest crime in the worlds history is to go absolutely unppnished? If is my firm belief unless all the nations in the world can be made to realize that these moral forces must be vindicated there never can be an enduring peace. sA 'T4 am not afraid. am sure our troops will fight to the end. If the people at home, who up to now have made few sacrifices, except the sacri- fees of those dear to them, are de- termined in this matter, and if they believe that the objects for which they are fighting can be secured. then there is no sacrifice we are not pre- pared to make"
 All Britain Surprised.
 Absolute and startling surprise was the first feeling in Great Britain aroused by President Wilson's note.
  frankly admitted it.. The members of Parliament were equally surpris- ed.
 The newspaper offices were sur prised. All inforlnation from Amer ica in the past few days has said the President had no intention of taking any steps toward peace or making any move in European affairs
 When he transmitted Germany's note to Great Britain without com ment it was assumed that this action represented the Presidents attitude toward the European situation.
 Most of the newspapers comm ented upon this course with satisfaction. The tenor of their comments tomor- row will be that Premier Lloyd Georges speech and the speeches of the Russian. French, and Italian statesmen have affirmed the allies position, and that unless the German government gives notice of the nature of the proposals which it would bring to a. conference the allies cannot ac- cept the invitation to sit around a European council table for a discus sion of its terms.
 Will Be No Joint Reply
 While the replies of the various al- lied governments to Germany will be made simultaneously and probably, be- fore Christmas yet they will not take the form of joint reply. The reason is that although all the Entente allies are agreed on the general principles of the reply, each came into the war under different conditions calling for 8 somewhat different statement.
 For example, the defense of small na- tionalities was one of the main causes i bringing Britain into the war, in de, fense of Belgium, whereas Belgium and Serbia, did not enter for that req son. but because their territory war 1 invaded. X
 Sir. John A. Simon, former secretary !! of state for home affairs, in the House of Commons today said of Lloyd Georges speech: ''The Premier told ! IS plainly that in no proper sense of { he word was the communication re- ,eived from Germany peace pro- [ 3osal at all He has spoken the views . and the mind of the whole nation. We are all agreed that, firstly, it would ] De an unpardonable crime for any government to allow war to continue Or single unnecessary hour and,