Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-15

probably will call for . statement
Of proposed terms, 90 they may not
be placed In the position Of un-
quaIlfiedIy rejecting peace.
London, Dec. 14-Andrew 6onar
>. Saw, chancellor Of the exchequer,
Or ID in the house Of commons this
"a dssnoon that no proposals for
pee had, yet been received by
the lJritish government from the
Central powers. He added that
the entente allies required ade-
quate reparation for the past and
adequate security for the future.
Copenhagen, Dec. IA. via Lon
don.-A dispatch to the Po'itiken
from Berlin says:
"What the entire city and the
country are discussing now 10 not
the proclamation by the emperor
or the speech Of Chancellor Won
Bethmann-Hollwsg, but the nature
Of the reply from abroad. Tho
enxiety before the delivery Of the
chanceIlor's speech was great,
but now II is many times greater.
Despite The press opinions
from enemy countries, Of dis
couraging nature, teIegraphed to
Germany, It Is hoped they do not
express the opinions Of the rs-
spective governmental
Washington, d. c., Dec. 1.-THE
note conveying the proposal Of peace
by the central powers which the Unit
ed States is to transmit to the entente
belligerents arrived during the night
and was being prepared for President
Wilson early today.
The document was said to be sub
stantially the same as published in
the. unofficial dispatches from Berlin
In the report of the Overseas News
agency. Accompanying 1t was the con-
ndential report from Charge Grew un.
derstood to be an outline Of affairs
which led up to the German chancel-
lor's speech in the reichstag and the
sending Of peace proposals. AS soon
a. President Wilson has seen the note
II will be forwarded to Minister Whit
lock Of Belgium, Ambassadors Sharp,
Page, Guthrie and Francis in France,
England, Japan and Russia and to the
legations at the Serbian and Rumanian
governments.
Wilson Anxious for Peace.
The actual transmittal OF the peace
proffer now, brings up the important
question Of whether President Wilson
will decide to act merely as an inter-
mediary or whether he will accompany
the transmittal with some expression
Of hope, in some form, that the propos-
ais for consideration of peace shall not
be rejected without examination and
reflection. There is prevailing opin-
ion here that the president wants to
do something Of the sort and is looking
forward to some movement for a
league Of nations to preserve peace as
one of the elements Of the settlement
of the war.
1t is possible that some means NAV
be taken to establish little more defi.
nitely the temper of the entente allies
toward peace proposals, before the
president acts, but 1t is understood
there will be no delay in forwarding
thesNerman notes to the foreign bellig-
erent capitals.
Note as Per Copy.
After reading the German note care
fully Secretary Lansing said that
while there were some differences in
translation when compared with the
copy, and while the order of
OF some of the para
graphs was little different, there was
absolutely no change in meaning. Sec
retary Lansing said the note would go
forward to the belligerents presum-
ably today and that no decision had
been reached as to whether the Unit
ed States would accompany it with any
expression.
"The German note was the only one
10 arrive. Nothing has been heard of
the communications from Austria,
Bulgaria or Turkey, but 1t was said
they would be forwarded in the same
manner without delay.
Continued on Page 81
J. 81