Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-28
Discussion May
 Hasten End of War
IS THE HOPE EXPRESSED BY
 PRESIDENT WILSON
BUT GULF IS WIDE
Germany is Ready to Make Known Her Terms on First Day of Con ference, Should One Materialize- Rumors Persist That Some Conf dentiaI Word Will Follow Note.

Washington, Dec. 27.-In spite of the wide gulf between the insistence of the central powers for an immediate peace conference and the forecast of B unanimous refusal by the entente allies to enter such a conference with out knowing Germany's terms in ad vance, the American government be- ieveS that the negotiations in progress are resulting in good. It was said with authority tonight that until the door to peace actually is closed by one side or the other, President Wilson will continue to hope that any discus sion of the subject will tend to hasten the end of the war.
 Count von Bernstorff, the German ambassador, returning unexpectedly tonight from New York, authorized The Associated Press to make the fol- lowing statement:
 Statement by Won Bernstorff.
 T regard the note of my government as constituting an acceptance of ev- erything suggested by President Will son in his note to the belligerent na- tions of Europe
 It was made clear at the embassy that Germany stands ready to make known her terms on the first day Of any conference that may be held, and officials expressed themselves as being greatly surprised at the view prevail
 
 Berlin government had failed to meet the presidents suggestions by not set ting down in the reply the terms upon which it is willing to make peace. The German diplomats say President Will son had no intention of drawing 6 l public declaration concerning terms from the central powers. On the con- | trary, they think the presidents sug- geStion that an early occasion bt | sought to call out from all the nations | now at war such an avowal of theil | respective views as to the terms upor | which tn ewar might be concluded has been fully met by Germany ir l seeking an immediate conference witt her enemies.
 German Policy Outlined.
 The German policy, upon which thu | reply to President Wilson's communi cation is based, was outlined as fol | lows:
 l Germany feels that the conferenc. | suggested by it first should be com | posed of delegates from the belligeren 1 countries whose duty it would be tC l settle territorial terms. Once theS | terms are agreed upon, representative. | of the neutrals should be called in tt | participate in consideration of th' l questions of guarantees for the future | in which neutrals are as vitally con 1 cerned as belligerents. These guaran l tees III lHG dcI1I1dil VIC" IeCSSSdIl | would have to do with the freedom O 1 the seas, limited disarmment, forma ton of a world league of nations t. l enforce peace and the establishment
 of an international court of arbitra ! tion.
 Germany is said to consider tha
 neutral nations can have no interes l of their own in terms such as thos relating to territory.
 Something Confidential Coming.
 While there were no official advice upon the subject, the view still per sisted in German quarters tonight tha
 the note of the central powers migh be followed by some highly confden tial oral or written communication t President Wilson, in which at leas | broad tentative terms might be stated In this connection officials noted witt interest Berlin press despatches sayini that Ambassador Gerard, who as result of his recent visit to the Unite, 1 States is thoroughly familiar with tn views of President Wilson, had takel l lunch with Alfred Zimmerman, tn
 German foreign minister, and probabl | discussed the peace situation wit | him.