The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-10-10
Ambassador Gerard's Mission Home

AMBASSADOR JefdrdS MISSION home.
Prompt denial comes from Washing
ton OF the report that Ambassador Ger
ard is coming home from Berlin with a
request from Emperor William that Pres
dent Wilson use his good offices for
peace. The denial may be diplomatic
purely. 1t is not improbable that the
Ambassador bears message of the ut
most Importance. The report to tins eff
feet was received in the highest banking
circles in New York yesterday, anu it
caused reaction in prices OIL the stock
exchange, whose excited bull movement
icl several weeks past has been based
| largely on the prospect Of the wars IN.
definite continuation
One can gather considerable evidence
of surface character in support Of the
report. Mr.. Gerard would not be like
! ly to return to the United States merely
Tor vacation just as the Reichstag was
reassembling for an important session.
Mr.. Lloyd George may have mad All ink
ling that Mr.. Gerard had started home on
La peace mission when he gave out his
sensational interview last week to the
effect that the entente powers would
regard any offer Of mediation by a nett
trail at this time as deliberately an
friendly. That Germany is now even
more desirious of making peace than in
the spring, in view of her Verdun failure
and the general course of the war the
past summer, may be confidently as
sumed
There may be no truth in the report,
but if it is not baseless very interesting
developments may ensue within a short
time. What the president would do in
case the German emperor had request
ed him to mediate, cannot be foretold.
He would have to consider the attitude
of the entente powers and avoid action
which would necessarily stamp him as
worker for Germany's interests. On the
other hand, the president would be pro
tected in an offer of mediation by article
3 of The Hague treaty OF 1907 which
declares
Powers strangers to the dispute, have
the right to offer good Offices or media
ton even during the course of hostilities.
The exercise of this right can never be
by either of the parties in dis
put as an unfriendly act."
The possible political bearings in
America of such a request from the EN-
peror to the president viii naturally ar
rest attention at this time. Ii the en-
peror has chosen the president as the
agent for opening peace negotiations, or
mediatory processes, or even
the entente for peace terms, the /
long prevalent opinion that Mr. Wilson /
had become impossible as a mediator be- |
cause of a hostile German attitude. must 1
be radically revised. One more aspect /
Of the situation may be noted-the fact |
that such a request from the emperor /
should come prior to our presidential /
election. Assuming that the request is
reported, what view does the
Berlin government take OF possible
,hsnges in the executive power at Wash
ngton? Does it prefer to open negotia-
tons while the hated Mr.. Wilson is still
n office. whether or not he Is reelected;
md. if so, on what ground does it show
such preference
These very superficial observations dis
lose some interesting possibilities of
-eauest for mediation, if one has been
extended. Confirmation of the report
must now be awaited.-Springfeld Re
publican.