The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-12-15
THINK PEECE III
WILSON'S HANDS
Germans Believe President Gan
Tip Scales Either Way.
new OFFER ST|RS WASHINGTON

Proposal Made by Germany Leaves to
Conjecture What Actual Terms to
Be Offered Are-President Wants
U. S. to- Play important Part in
Peace Deal.
WASHINGTON - The scales of
peace or war have been placed in the
hands of President Wilson. In Ger
man quarters it is believed these are
so evenly balanced that they will tip
to that side on which the President
throws the weight of his influence.
No event since the declaration of
war in 1914 has stirred Washington
so profoundly as the news that the
German chancellor had submitted a
formal offer to the allied governments
to discuss peace.
Two questions are uppermOst in the
minds of everyone in official life.
First, what are Germany's terms of
peace?"
Second, "to what extent will the
President bring pressure to bear to
induce an acceptance of the German
Offer?"
The President showed the deepest
interest in the news. In the absence
of official information he gave orders
that the press wireless dispatches from
Berlin be brought to him as fast as
they were received. He remained in
the executive offices until late reading
these reports
Wants u. S. to Play Big Part.
At the White House it was stated
unotficially that the President vas
anxious that the United States should
play a greater part than that of mere
messenger. 1t was said that the Ger
man offer furnished the opportunity
which he was seeking for months. 1t
was declared to be certain that the de-
sire of this government for early
peace would be made known to the
belligerents in the near future even if
such a communication does not actual
" accompany the note conveying Ger
many's offer to the allies.
Rumored Plan ConiecturaI.
AS regards Germany's peace terms
it was authoritatively stated that up
to a late hour no official transcript of
them had been received from Berlin
at either the state department or the
German embassy. Earlier reports in
dicating that Germany had officially
indicated her willingness to make
peace on a basis of the restoration of
Belgium and northern France and a
ono Of no in nf
land and Lithuiania leaving the status
of the Balkans to be determined by
the congress were dismissed at the
German embassy as pure speculation
Irish Party Is Against Peace.
LONDON, ENG.-A meeting of the
Irish parliamentary party with John
Redmond presiding adopted a resolu-
ton declaring the intention of the par
ty to await a declaration of the gov
ernment's Irish policy before decid-
ing upon it's future attitude toward
the government but reiterating that it
favored a vigorous and successful
prosecution of the war. Another res
olution adopted declares against con-
scription in Ireland and asserted that
any attempt to enforce it would pro-
duce disastrous results.
British Papers Spurn Proposals.
LONDON, ENG. = British papers
contained bulletins giving the bare
facts of the German chancellors an
nouncement that formal offer for
peace negotiations had been made.
The newspapers comment sarcastic
cally on the German peace offer The
Evening News says that inasmuch as
the Germans have obtained their
maximum of plumber" and as "the
avenger, in the shape of Lloyd George,
is about to inf1ict punishment" Ger
many now desires to make peace.
The chancellor's declaration is al
most blasphemous," the News contin-
ues. after the crushing of the citi-
zens of Roumania and the deportation
of French and Belgians, the kaiser
and chancellor place on the the al
lies the responsibility for continuing
the war;