Arizona republican., 1916-12-20
MAY STILL BE DISCUSSION OF
 PEACE PLANS
lcontinael rrom Page Onel

swer of Great Britain will not e~l trG matter. Tc me it looks as though there would be at leas, on, in, exchange of notes. which will talk of the future and not of the past The allies responses are viewed by administration officials not as a flat refusal but as the answer most to be expected from a group of bellig erents eaeer 70 throw back on the adversary in a world diplomatic struggle for pu lie opinion. all the onus of having caused the war and of having brought about conditions under which peace was morally will ing. Nevertheless. with this pre- dicted diplomatic move out of the WAY, officials fOresee the oppOrtunity, almost the irvitation. for Germany tc make another cautious advance. which finally mav bring out the min mum basis of contention.
 German embassy officials were op- timistc because the British premier did not flatly refuse to enter into 6 discussion. At the same time they deprecated the suggestion that defin- ite peace terms might re set forth in formal notes Ine German view. as reflected here. is that nothing can loo achieved oy pGblic discussion of terms. for the reason that eacl set Of beiligerents is bound to ask more than it actually expects to re- ceive because there are SO many beligerents. each striving to gain P" tliz@ti0n of particular aims in ad- dtion to the geenral plans Of the al- Hance with which it is connected and because historical precedent shows conclcsivelv that wi'hout direct re- gotiations and exchange of views by representatives in a conference the s'rf@ch reEween enInies Is not h.-.y to narrow.
 The German view. however. is that it is not improbable that Germany may. should Great Britain ask it, be willing to make some preliminary statement of principle regarding terms, especially if failure to take such action should be the only bar rier 70 tho entente agreeing to send representatives 10 2 conference.
 On th othel hand. great emphasis IS placed upon the statement that if tho entente should refuse confer ence Germany and her allies would regard t as refusal tO talk of peace
 Germany. it is said here will answer the note Great Britain and her allies send. providing. of course. the com munication does not flatly reject the Teutonic proposal to enter into nego- AAsAAlBlA0s aNO SttAth Was Ild0E Ol the fact that Germany will use every means known to diplomacy in her ef- fort 10 bring about a conference
 Lloyd Georges declaration to the German proposals as contained In the note made through the United States would etc put "Our heads in a moose" was met in German quarters hy the statement that no set of bel ligerents would in any way endanger Itself by appearing at a conference to enter into direct negotiations It was added that if the entente representa- tves did not like developments they could withdraw immediately. repre- sentatives of the central powers re- serving the same right.
 Regarding guarantees the entente VIII require for the future and the gen. eral subject of reparation. German ofnlo"ats. were sure their government would at least be willing to enter a discussion. Germany holds to the view that if one set of belligerents brings up the subject of reparation, the other may with propriety do go, and that she would have claim for damage in Poland and East Prussia which have suffered from the armies of, the en- tente. However Germany is repre- eented as perfectly willing to discuss in a conference any and all subjects
 
 pointed out that it was cheaper for any belligerent or set of belligerents to make reparation than to continue the war at least until next fall when i' already has been announced, Ger many again will offer to enter peace negotiations, should the express ef- forts fail
 The reiteration in Lloyd Georges speech of Bethmann- Hollweg's demand for guarantees Of a peace that should he permanent centered attention against what each party considers might insure such guarantees. Partia universal disarmament has been men. toned at the German embassy here if dispatches from Berlin. while Lloyt George today hinted at the substitu. ton of popular for secret diplomacy.
 The allied emphasis on reparatior is regarded by American officials al one of the stumbling blocks in thu regotiations at present, for it Is feared Germany is in mood to do no nor, than abandon some of her miIitar, cOnquests No clear statement hal been made as to what Is meant b, reparation. but it is assumed that witt the allies it looks forward to the res toration Of the devastated parts o France. Belgium, Poland and Serbia.
 The subject of guaraftees for tn future is regarded by German official here as being so intricate as to be i'm possible of solution without length consideration.
 Guarantees for the future in the Ger man View is taken to mean much nor than peace terms Guarantees, 1t wa said would have mutually to be se