The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-19
UNITED STATES IS DOING
NOTHING TO END WARFARE
WILSON TELLS INQUIRERS
Awaiting More Propitious Time, President Declares
German Officials Believe Holland May Call Meeting
at The Hague-Opening of Dardanelles One Condi
ton of Peace.

UAVA VI - Ne0OOs
Washington, Dec. 10 - Nothing
whatever is being done by the United
! States toward suggesting plan by
| which the war in Europe may be end
ed. Nothing will be done until the
! situation seems suspicious and con-
| ditions ripe for the acceptance OF
! suggestion by the opposing belliger-
! ents.
! President Wilson yesterday made
I this fact plain to callers. He ex-
| pressed tho opinion that discussion OF
/! the situation and conditions prevail
| inx between the rival forces must be
| Irritating to them and calculated to
| indicate q desire for meddnng. For
that reason he thought that nothing
! ofacially should be said on the sub
! ject He made 1t clear that the Ger
! man peace proposal was transmitted
| without comment or proffer Of good
! ofYloes simply because such action
! nnfEht be construed in some quarters
| as 4od1cious.
Await Word From Page.
| Secretary Lansing announced at
the CLOSE of the days work that no
| advices had been received from Am
bassador Page at London informing
tho state department. that the peace
proposal had been delivered to the
British Foreign Office and forwarded
to other interested nations. Unof1-
cial Information was to the effect that
the note had reached Ambassado or
Page and been delivered according to
Instructions. It was strongly hoped
that the proposal would reach Eng
fish statesmen in time for study and
analysts before the Premier, David
Lloyd George, delivers his address to
Parliament, presumably today.
! Teutonic circles were busy yester-
day discussing the possibility that the
Dutch government may find an op-
portunity in the immediate future to
invite the warning nations to attend
q mediation conference to attend a
mediation conference at The Hague.
The opinion was expressed that if
Holland or any other nation not In
the war should issue an invitation of
this character, all other peutrals. and
especially those direct in the zone of
strife, promptly would approve it.
Allied Propaganda
Although the German "propagan-
da,,' is said to have been unusually
active in placing the Teutonic view of
the peace proposal before the Ameri-
can people and those of other coun-
tries, that Of the allies has been. cas-
lily discernible. It is self-evident that
both sides are striving to capture
public sentiment to the utmost de-
gree. Such efforts are extended to
all neutral countries. This is mani
fest, in dispatches from Entente cap
itals and those Of the central powers.
One of the latest examples of the
allied propaganda is noticed in the
suggestion that President Wilson and
his advisers omitted all comment or
suggestions in transmitting the peace
proposal to the allies because they
did not regard it as deserving Of much
consideration.
This view is contradicted by every
statement made by high Administra>
ttion officials since Chancellor Won
! Bethmann-Holl announced the
peace proposal, It was pointed out
today, in this connection, -- that the
President followed the only consistent
course possible in the circumstances.
The pursuance Of any other method
would have made the United States
appear ridiculous and might have
prejudiced any future efforts.
Balfour's Vacation.
In German Embassy circles there
was evidenced, a feeling of relief over
the unofficial report from London
that the formal peace offer had been
handed to Lord Robert Cecil, acting
- Dol a
statement that Mr.. Balfour had be-
gun a three weeks vacation naturally
provoke discussion. Strong hints were
given in diplomatic quarters that pos
sibly he may have gone to the CONT
nert for conferences with Premier
BRAND and other allied officials con-
corning the course to be followed by
the Entente. ID
Those responsible for the Teutonic
viewpoint expressed the conviction
yesterday, as heretofore, that the
alIies will not abruptly reject the
peace proposal. They confidently be-
lieve it will receive earnest considera-
ton and that some reply will be
made consistent with the momentous
nature OF the communication.
A high authority in close touch
with the viewpoint or the TeutOn1c
powers feels absolutely convinced
that proper guarantees can be given
In q conference for the arrangement
OF peace for the opening of the
Dardanelles and the Bosphorous to the
commerce of the world after the
contamination of a real and lasting
peace between the warning nations
Of Europe.
Would End Further Loss.
This, it is argued, can be accom-
p1fshed without the loss of an addi-
tional allied soldier, or the expendi-
ture OF further treasure. It would
come automatically, like the return
of conquered territory in Belgium and
France.
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