New Britain herald., 1916-12-20

bulk of the morning papers agree that Premier Lloyd George expressed the views of the British nation in his speech in the house of commons deal ing with Germany's peace proposal.
 Premier Lloyd George" says the Times, expressed the thoughts and wishes of the nation and laid down a programme which will command it's hearty support
 This is the tone of the comment in most of the other, papers who hold that the premiers answer and also Lord Curzon's speech in the house. ot lords are moderate in phrase, firm and answerable in substance"
 The papers declare that the na tion is prepared and will willingly undertake all the sacrifices foreshad- owed and will face greater privations if necessary to ensure those ends of reparation and security which the Allies demand from the Central pow CTS.
 There is nowhere any hostile crit icism of the governments declaration,
 but the Daily News contends that the
 forecast of the measures for organ
 izing the nation do little more than
 indicate that the policy of the late
 government will be continued and ex-
 tended. It says that if the new gov ernment succeeds as well as it's prede- cessor the nation will be grateful and that if it succeeds better the nation will be more than grateful. At the same time the newspaper comments point out the possibility of negotia- tions being undertaken notWithstand ing statements of the premier and Lord Curzon and their endorsement by members of the late government. The Daily News says that the door l is not necessari banged and bOlted 1 and that the Allies refusal of Chan | cellor von Bethmann- -HoHweg's $ offer
 is not meant to indicate that the AL l lies do not wish peace, but that. Ger i many must ask it in the role of the i vanquiahed and not the victor The 1 news expresses the hope that the AL 1 lies will speedily agree on precise l terms on which they will be willing ] to negotiate. Even the Mail which l has always demanded extreme meas | ures against Germany says:
 There is no obstacle whatever to 1 peace if Germany really wants it. 1 She has merely to withdraw from the 1 occupied countries and we are will 1 ing then to discuss repara ton and 1 guarantees for the future."
 The Manchester Guardian says: l ''Premier Lloyd George has not shut ] the door on peace with that resound- ! ing chg for which some of his less
 balanced supporters in the press have 1 been listening. It is true he insist
 ed on the impossibility of accepting
 the German invitation as it stands.
 In this he was ably seconded by Mr.
 Asquith and will be approved by the
 country. The German chancellor
 must be both more modest and more
 explicit before he can expect any
 favorable answer to his invitation
 But the real danger in the situation, which his offer created, was that the
 Allies, this country in particular,
 might be led into an abrupt and
 sweeping refusal, not. merely of the
 actual invitation but of any proposal
 to. discuss peace terms. This snare
 Lloyd George has avoided"
 The Guardian says that as the speech invited Germany to be more
 explicit, i've do not then cast out every idea of settlement, and that the neutral, world cannot take exception to this attitude"
 The Guardian notes that the speech contained no hint of the onrushing of Germany, but says discussion of any matter is conditioned on resti- i tuition. In the truest form, it con-
 tinues, reparation is impossible for the deepest wrongs cannot be undone. Security we certainly request" the Guardian continues. ''The best se- curity is the firm, unbroken front of the Alliance, fortified when the war 1 ends by universal league to enforce 1 peace. Tn such a league America would play a great part, and her presence alone would be no small
 security
 Expressing the opinion that Chan 1 cellor Won Bethmann-Hollweg will 1 admit, on reflection, that the pro- l posals of the Entente allies, as out 1 lined by MT. Lloyd George, formed l 8 basis for discussion, the Guardian 1 says:
 l "There is in this as in all coun- tries at war a great volume of opin- l ion, too little vocal, unfortunately, in
 favor of a serious effort on the part 1 of Europe's statesmen to put an end l to the carnage which is destroying
 Comment in German Press. l Amsterdam. Dec. 20, via London, 11:5O a. m.-Commenting on premier l Lloyd Georges speech, the Taegliche
 Runds of Berlin says:
 l "Reparation could be demanded by 1 England only if Germany had de- c1ared u,or on England, if we were