New Britain herald., 1916-12-13
London Times De mands Rejection o Offer and Declare Against Armistice
FRENCH PAPERS IN
 A SOOTHING MOOI

A SOOTHING MOOI Paris Press Calls Won Bethmanr
 HoIIweg's Speech Clumsy Trap an
 Attempt to Throw ResponsiIsilit
 for Continuation of War Onto A
 Hes-Copenhagcn Paper Optimisti
 Concerning Dispute.
 London, Dec. 13, 3:05 a. m--Th German peace proposal is emphatica ly rejected by the Times, which says
 "Germany's proposal bears no rels tion whatever to the objects for whic we are fighting She has been tryin by all the means at her disposal induce us to make the suggestion q mediation. The attempt has tangib1 and conspicuousIy failed and, as sh does not judge that any neutrs power could proffer mediation wit such advantage, she falls back on thi indirect offer to the beligerents.
 is above all things a symptom of he conscious weakness. The Allies mus absolutely reject any idea of media tion in any shape and for any quarN ter as long as the basis proposed
 the triumph of might and not righU They must refuse with equal firm ness to even talk about an armistid until the lands which the enemy hay overrun are restored and compenss tion made. They must renew tf enunciation of their peace terms, lai ! down once for all.'' l French Press Hostile to Idea. Paris, Dec. 13, 4:05 a. m,-The of fer of peace of Chancellor yon Bctlt mann-Hollweg is received with chorus of derision in the Frcnc press. The newspapers are unan4 nous that it is an admisson that tFI situation is getting criticil in Germanj and that. the chancellor wants wal out before it is too late. His uloNI is considered to have the additiond advantage that, in the event of iq failing, it will enable him to throj blame for the continuation of the wal on the Allies. which he hopes wi have a moral affect on Germany anI the neutral nations.
 "A clumsy trap" is the caption un| der which morning papers print Chan| cellor von -Hollweg's speec1 in the Reichstag.
 "The time for feints is over" sayl the Paris Journal. "We are no longe| in the presence of trial efforts bl those persistent appeals through lnI terviews. and newspaper articles Chancellor von HollWef summoned the Reichstag, not to hea his speech, but to be confronted Witi an act We do not know if at Ber4it . there are people so naive as 10 lihaS inc that the Allies are likely 10 sWo low this clumsy bait, even on morrow of the events in Rulhania, any case Field Marshall Voh h.,f1iiiels, .,. hure,s statement shows that the mln tarv cherishes no such Illusion Wha iS stiu more certain is that lh treacherous German move
 something else than genuine peace, seeks an internal and eXterHdI e'leS in Germany. It IS intended to coli vince the people that the goNerIllSH is not responsible for the sacliiSe imposed. that it's adversarles alone responsible for the conunualoh of VT str1ep1e. Abroad it is desired to per Suade neutrdlS IilaI Ih0 "hi ,,, 4 srine a policy of ambition. That the exclamation Of the pretendeo fiou ovation in the tone, of the speech
 ..The Petit Journal says;
 ..It is because Germany knows she cannot win that she desires to emu tn war. Her plan however, is ooonleu If will fail before the immoYaple res olution of the allies
 Nc Basis For Discussion.
 The aMtin characterizes the peace nronosaIs as mere talk" says:
 ",rbev contain no territorial, poltti4 oo1 or other conditions which could so11,e as a. basis of discussion Ger many simply says for the hundreathI time that she never deslred war ana wishes only to protect her right, and that if her enemies will not listen shn will throw the blame Of further blood shed on them The device is too oh- vious It could not deceive but the most ignorant.
 "Another motive is the necessity of making Germany accept the aufferingsN and sacrifices of another winter cam + naign. If only the civilian .popula- +ion had to endure this, not much D harm would be done, but the army is beginning to feel the strain. Dur jno the last few weeks rations have been reduced and in three months they will be poor indeed. Germany is compelled to talk of peace, but she does it as vaguely as possible in theJ hope of spreading dissension amongI