Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-12-28
Dispatches From British Capital
Say Peace is in the Air"-Allies
to Ask Stiff Terms

washing loIi, LEY 10 N'Si Aie's
answer to President Wilson's peace
note reached the State Department
today.
1t was stated by an official that
nothing confidential was attached to
the answer, though there had been
suggestions that Germany might give
her terms secretly III an accompany
ing message TO Ambassador Gerard
for transmission here.
The note Wis substantially in the
aame language as the transcript
which was wirelessed to this coun-
try by the official press bureau and
published here on Tuesday.
The State Department cable Office
notified Secretary Lansing of receipt
Of the message about 10 o'clock, and
Immediately provided him and Prcsi-
dent Wilson with copies.
New York, Dec. 2S.--The New
York World, which is generally cred
tied with being in the confidence of
the Administration, today prints the
following dispatch from its Wash
ington correspondents:
"There is good reason for believ-
ing that President Wilson knows in
> i,t,
Germany will make. peace 1t is
known that the President has been
in close touch with Ambassadors
Gerard at Berlin and Page ut Lon
don. 1t is regarded as certain that
the tenor of the terms has come into
the Presidents hands. No official con-
irnlation, however. can be obtained.
"'rhe substance of the German de-
lMands has been in the hands Of
Count Won Bernstorff for several
days. They cover the propositions
advanced when the German peace
proposal first was published.
1T is said today that these APP
proxirnately arc the concessions Ger
many is willing TO make:
The restoration of Belgium. gcog
raphicaIly and economically. This
includes payment for all damages to
persons and property. 1t carries an
admission that the raid on Belgian
was illegal, but made absolutely es-
scntial through military necessity.
The complete evacuation of
France.
"The evacuation Of Russian terri
tory now held by the German armies.
1t is understood Germany will aban-
don the demand for an Independent
kingdom of Poland and Lithuania
if antagonism proves too great.
"These only Indicate the possible
concessions Germany is ready to
make.
in return Germany would insist:
"rhat all her allies retain what
they possessed at the beginning Of
the war
''That her colonies be restored.
"Thcse Indicated terms represent
d material modification from those
originally promulgated in German
circles mere.
London. Dec. 2S.--A dispatch from
The Hague to the. Exchange Tcle-
graph Company says German agents
have arrived ut The. Hague to make
preliminary arrangements for Ger
man delegates to the peace confer
ence suggested in the, German reply
to President Wilson's note. The dis
patch follows:
'In view of the preparatory meet
ing of delegates to a peace conference
suggested in the German repl V to
President Wilson: German agents
have arrived at The Hague and are
making inquiries for hotel accommo.
dations for German delegates.
London. Dec. q .-Germany'& re-
ply to the President is generally re-
garded here as clever maneurcr to
draw out the Allies terms. blI. such
haste to get in first may prove a
boomerang.
The Teutons have left an opening
through which the Allies are bound
60 send home crashing blow.
Opinion still holds firm here that
there is really strong demand for
peace throughout Germany, coupled
| with willingness to pay as big .
price as the Allies stand ready TO ex-
tort for these detectives.
! In official life. however, the teal
! in generally expressed that the Ger.
man autocracy will not be able to
force the Allies terms upon the Ger