Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-12-24
Administration Statement Intended to Obtain Con-
 sideration for Note.
REITERATES TERMS
 GIVE ARE VAGUE
Officials Point Out That a Statement of Peace Terms Would Not Embar. rass Either Group, and That U. $.
 Ready to Enter Peace League.

Washington, Dec. 23.-Information as to their exact meaning in seeking "a just and permanent peace" is the whole purpose of the note addressed to all the belligerents by Presiden; Wilson. The United States desires a full practical and detailed statement from each of the governments ad- dressed.
 This outline and the statement which follows was issued today for the administration:
 This government now feels that it has not real means of knowing what terms would be required by each of the belligerents to make peade. It regards the recent speeches of the leading statesment of all the coun- tries as vague and undefined, and sees nothing in them that would en- able a conference to draw up treaty All speak of the rights of small ma tions. the repugnance of conquest, and the guarantee of permanent peace, but none of the nations has yet gone into what it means by those phrases in any way that the govern ment of the United States can under stand.
 Recent press comment has been taken to enhance the vagueness. France, for instance. has not disclosed whether she q onsiders a just peace the evacuation of her northern prov inces. or in addition, the restoration of Alsace-Lorraine, or in addition TO both of these claims does she expect money indemnity for damage of in yasion, or beyond that if she has an actual program for doing away With so-called German militarism. I'll short, the United States asks what would she accept today as the basis of peace.,
 U. s. Wants Details.
 Similar issues apply to all the belii- gerent countries in merely varying form. What President Wilson wants is the details. As the largest neutral facing grave problems, and as the friend of all parties concerned the United States feels most earnestly that it is entitled to know those facts. Unless some one of the group lay down it's actual terms there will be no basis for negotiations. and no possibility of peade while the world is bled, officials believe.
 There is not the slightest eXpecta' ton here that the terms laid down will be reconciliable at first. It is known that some of the nations w;.l demand what in actuality is immedl- ately impossible. Nevertheless. the naming of those terms will form the basis of negotiations and a starting place, from which the conflicting interests can begin to converge. Nor is there expected to be any embar. rassment to any of the nations in naming such terms. It is understood in advance that they are apt to fluctu- ate with the military changes, and are not permanently binding under new fIonditions. Whatever any na- tion feels must be included in it's terms for moral reasons can also be added to the terms without embar- rassment. it is said.
 Ready to Enter League for Peace. As to permanent guarantees. it WaT officials declared that the United States stands ready to enter into any kind of international agreement that may seem most desirable to the ma tions-whether permanent peace is to be secured by force. if necessary, or by law. The courtry is not commit ted to any one plan. and President Wilson is entirely open to sugges- tions. It is the administrations view that the country can be committed to an abandonment of the policy of isola : ton, much as President Monroe Gonl' ] mitted it to the Monroe doctrine ! without the senate acting on the plan. i However, it is probable that the na'