Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-29
BRITISH COMMENT
VERY SARCASTIC
IN ENGLAND RE.
SENT INTERCESSiON OF
PRESIDENT WILSON.

London. Dec. y. The promptnesS
of the German governments reply to
President Wilson's note is character
lied by the Evening newspapers today,
as evidence of Germanys eagerness to
bring the war to an end. The Stand
ard says:
1T would be mistake to neglect the
German peace maneuvers, but 1t would
be even more fatal to waste time over
them. We trust the government will
give President Wilson a perfectly
courteous but also definite reply and
then get on with the war as energetic
ally as possible.
The Pail Mall Gazette says:
Germany has not been slow to seize
the advantages given her by President
Wilson's maladroit diplomacy. 1t would
be a real triumph for Germany to have
herself recognized as the wireless
puller of the power whose subjects her
submarines drowned with IMMUNITY
and which lectured her in the name OF
all the cardinal virtues 1t would teach
the world that by letting the Ameri'
cans do the talking Germany under
stands how 20 get her own way even
tually in The sphere of practical pol
itics.
The studied Immortality OF the
American note supplies Germany WIN
a coat OF white wash of which she was
badly in need. Ter
many proposes an immediate confer
ence of belligerents which appears 10
her to be the most promising way or
promoting a assure in the entente.
The allies have only one possible atti-
tude to this: namely they will hold no
discussion with an unpublished Grim
iral or with power whose most
solemn engagements are mere scraps
of paper If Mr.. Wilson's real object
was to elicit plain statement OF the
aims and terms of 10th sides, Berlin's
answer shows that he failed"
Wilson Not Blamed.
The following is from the Westmin-
lister Gazette:
For two or three days the pretense
was kept up that the American pro-
posals were an unfriendly attempt to
snatch the prize OF victory from the
German people. but this clearly is not
at all the view of the German govern
ment which sees in it a welcome oppor-
tunity to improve the occasion and at
the same time push forward its own
proposal for stopping the war. Presl.
dent Wilson is not to blame for this
and we should be very unwise to rush
to the conclusion that he expected to
receive this answer and was TO that ex
tent playing into the hands of the Ger
mans
Commenting on a Washington dis
patch saying President Wilson was in
spired BY the desire to give the bel.
ligerents. especially Germany. a bet
ter excuse for defining their concep
lions of a possible settlement. and the
German reply that an immediate ex-
change of views was the most approp-
riate road in order to reach the desir-
ed result. the Westminster Gazette
says:
THE German government can
scarcely be so naive as to suppose the
allied governments could suspend hos.
tilities or enter into conference with
an enemy who has Just proclaimed
himself the victor without knowing,
even through the usual indirect chan.
nels. what he was going to propose.
- 1t is Germany who pro-
posed the negotiations. It is Germany
who considers herself to be in Tie
superior position 1t is Germany who
wants to stop the war. Therefore it
must be for her. as the initiator of the
proceedings to define in general terms
the basis on which she proposes to
negotiate.
There apparently are
many MISUNDERSTANDING. both here
and in America. about President Will
sons intentions. and that makes it the
more important that we should make
our own position plain. We hope,
therefore our reply to the American
note will be careful and we'll reason.
ed statement of the position as We un-
derstand it. and not mere hasty dis
missal OF the American note as if It
were ultra-vires. The United States is
deeply concerned in the European
struggle and has a hundred good
reasons TO desire peace. but it should
not be difficult to make her see that