Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-21
Asks Warning Nations to
Announce Definite Peace
Terms
FEARS DANGER OF
INVOLVING AMERICA
csntinuanee ef Struggle Likely to Draw
United States and Other NsutrsIs In
to World consIiet-Diseiaims Any In.
tsntion Of Taking Advantages Of Ger
many's Recent Proposai 70 Bring
War 10 End-Nots 10 Surprise.

War to End-Note 70 surprise.
Washington, Dec. 21.-President WI
son has appealed to all the beiligerentts
20 DISCUSS torms Of peace.
Without actually proposing peace OF
Offering mediation, the president has
sent formal notes to the governments.
of ali the warning nations suggesting
that IAN early occasion be sought 70
cali out from the nations now at "as
.such an avowal Of their respective
views as to the terms upon which the
war nigh, be concluded and the ar
rangements which would be adeemed
satisfactory as guaranty against It's
renewal or the kindiing Of any similar
!. connect in the future, as would make
n possible frankly to compare them
4 wholly without notic6 and entirely
skyafrary to what administration OH
cials have described - his course tne
Srssident lant night dispatched tns
notes to. III the belligerents, and TO AL
tlIe si,Sutrals Tor their information
sw I, Nete Comes % Surprise. .
.st9,1as 4 most distinct surprise to all
ofYetaa washington. which had oeen
ia to fbelieve that with the IoF 49,
transmittA of the proposals o. the cen.
ffnl powsrs the officers OF the untea
StSisak won3A AsaNatt further moves ns-
fwSSn 'stnel bellixspents themseiyes ana
that certainly IN view. .ofs the speech o.
PREMIER L1oyd-asorge and ths an
iaiouncetnent In Russia, France Ane
italy. further action by neutra1 wonla'
DEPEND upon the most careful and deli
cste moves Of the belligerents.
The whole tenor Of official opinion
f1,rnoutt Washington. when the presi-
aefntss action became known, what that
II irnrneasurably improved the pros
meets Tor some sort Of exchanges look
inx toward an approach to peace dis
cnssions between the belligerents, with
out impairing the position Of the Unit
Cd states should they finally be unable
10 find ground on which to approach
one another,
v Secretary Lansing in statement to-
day explaining the sending OF the pres
dents note to the belligerents, said IT
was because the situation for neutrals
was increasingly critical and the Unit
"a states itself was being drawn near
er- the verge Of war.
Secretary lansing further said:
The sending Of Hhe note will show
the possibility OF our being forced into
the war. That possibility ought to
serve as q restraining and SOLDERING
force safeguarding American rights. It
may alSo serve to force an earlier con-
clusion OF the war Neither the presi-
dent or myself regard this note as
peace note; It il merely an effort to
xet the warning nations to define the
end end fur ws.s...cs they are hghting."
Depart From Splendid Isolation"
Nothing was known about the notes
until they were all on their way to the
beifigerent capitals. The definite pro.
posais Of the United States for "a
league Of nations to insure peace and
Justice thruout the world" is inter
.preted as a step winch. II carried Iii ID; i,
would mean the abandonment OF the
theory OF s.splendid ISOLATION which
WASHINGTON bequeathed to the country
N Significance Is attached to the fact
that the president used the word in
x,lre, rather than "enforce." as indicat-
ing that he has not committed him
seif to any one program to accomplish
tilat: end but that he is open tp what
ever suggestions may seem best to the
other world nations.
III Efforts have been made to enlist this
government IN some sort Of interna-
tional agreement involving responsible
ity but alMays the answer has been
that the United States would stand
alone several months ago President
Wilson spoke moSt earnestly before the
leaxue to enforce peace Of his hopes
that the United States would join III
some international arrangement but
not until now Is he known to have
made the proposal officially to the ma
tions Of the world. 1t is thought here
THAT along these lines President Will
sfsf,, I iinfe will find its most ready re-
cepti0n abroad, for all parties have in
diEAted their belief that the war will
have been In vain unless from 1t comes
guarantees against repetition of it,
4 ~ Prepared For Proposal.
Y Former Foreign Minister Sir Edward
Grey, for England, Premier Briend for
France. and Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg for Germany, have all COM
anttted their nationa to some sort OF
International reorganization to get the
ends laid down in Il !, president mote
aild the o4terss OF the central powefs to-
xet1st with 1exd- Georges speech
6dX 1t purposgs
actual proce-
EN- up kDpears
to dis
sltf the Sec
official
~