The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-12-28
PRESIDENTS NOTE
!, APPROVED BY Pope
Vatican win Not Make Any Off
cial Peace Move Now.
MORE NATIONS WILL REPLY
switzerland's Answer to Wilson's Mes.
sage Is Only First of Series
. of Notes From Neutral ,.e
Countries. -r

Zurich, Dec. 26.--Adyices from
Rome state that, while Pope Benedict
is fully in accord with President vii
son in the latter's efforts to bring
about peace conference, it is unlikely
the Vatican will offer any official move
at this time. ...... ...... 81.
| Pope Approves Y. S. Note. u.
Paris, Dec. 26.-Pope Benedict is In
full accord with the spirit. of President
| Wilson'S note. The position of the
| Vatican, however, is such that no for
NAL statement can be made at present.
| A telegram from Rome quoted the
pope as saying that the American note
is "a document showing the honesty,
justice and farsightedness of the
| United States executive" s..
| The pontiff, in answering the car
dinars Christmas greetings, made no
| mention of the American note. But in
| private conversation afterward with
members of the holy college the pOntiff
expressed views that conceded with
| those expressed by Cardinal Gasparri,
says another dispatch from Rome.
| More Neutrals to Reply.
Washington, Dec. 26.---The note from
| Switzerland offering the services OF
| that government to assist in any way
in bringing about discussion of
peace between. the. warning powers of
| Europe is only the first of series OF
| notes from neutral powers.
1t was disclosed SCIENTIFICALLY that
| there exists plan, not definitely
| formed yet in all its details, to keeE
hitting the iron of peace while ii is hot
in the hope that each new effort will
go farther toward realizing that hope
! of the neutral nations. The warning
! nations have been made aware of that
fact, il was stated, but not through any
| official communication. .... -..
To Follow Swiss Note.
The notes expected at intervals from
neutral nations will follow the general
| outline of the Swiss note. Most of
! them are expected to indOrse the stand
taken by the administration, in its note
to all of the nations of the world.
/ 1t was stated in well-informed diplo-
matte quarters that the expected COM
munications would to large extent in
dorse the plan TO form Il league of the
nations of the world to prevent waging
another such world war as is now con
| vulsing Europe. The Swiss note has
/ done SO.
Sweden Causing Anxiety. o..
Sweden, it was stated authoritative
ly, probably would forward an indorse-
ment following closely the form Of the
| swiss note, within few days. But an
Oyerenthusiastic Endorsement of the
Z presidents proposals by Sweden at this
/ time, administration officials added,
might prove embarrassing,
The accepted pro-German tendencies
In Sweden, it was stated, might fur
! Their cOmplicate the difficulties which
President Wilson's proposal confrOnts
in the entente nations because it was
forwarded 50 closely on the heels of
the German peace advances. For this
reason there was feeling that the
cause of ultimate peace hight be better
served if other neutral nations not so
closely identified with the war zone,
came forward to the support of the
president before Sweden'S note was
sent.
! May Delay Reply.
The immediate effect of the Swiss
note, it is feared here, will be to delay
an answer from the, entente allies to
the Germanic allies offer to discuss
terms, as we'll as the answers of all bel
ligerents to the Wilson note. .t.-
President Wilson's advisers, who
have been in his confidence in the ne
gotiations with the warning powers,
pointed out that the two groups of ma
tons at war would need more time to
find out the exact extent of the ap.
parent concerted movement of neu-
trails TO bring pressure TO bear TO end
this war and prevent a repetition of 1t.
Diplomatic exchanges and conferences
between British, Russian, French, Ital-
ian,, Serbian and Belgian representa-
lives, as well as representatives of the
Teutonic allies, would be necessary, IL
was pointed out. b..
Note Hailed With Joy.
Dispatches from the Scandinavian
countries and Holland say the Wilson
note was hailed with joy in those coun-
tries. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and
Holland have been among the chief
sufferers among the neutrals and they
are as war weary ais some of the bel
: ligerent powers.
A dispatch from Christiania quotes
Thorstein Diesen, a conservative lead
err in Norway, as declaring that Presi-
dent Wilson'S note is a step toward
peace.