Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-21

Washington, Dec. 20.-President Wilson has appealed to all the bel ngerents to discuss terms of peace.
 Sends Formal Notes.
 Without actually proposing peace or offering mediation, the president has sent formal notes to the governments of all the warning nations suggesting that "an early occasion be sought to call out from the nations now at war such an avowal of their respective views as to the terms upon which the war might be concluded and the ar arrangements which would be deemed satisfactory as a guaranty against it's renewal or the kindling of any similar conflict in the future as would make it possible frankly to compare them"
 Wholly without notice and entirely contrary to what administration off, cials have described as his course, the president last night dispatched the notes to all the belligerents and to all the neutrals for their information. Summarized in the presidents own words as contained in the notes, his attitude is as follows:
 All Mankind Longs for Peace.
 The president is not proposing peace; he is not even offering media ton. He is merely proposing that may learn. the neutral nations with the belligerents, how near the haven of peace may be for which all man Hind longs with an intense and in- creasing longing. He believes that the spirit in which he speaks and the ob- jects which he seeks will be under stood by all concerned and he conf nently hopes for a response which will bring O new light into the affairs of he world"
 This latest development in the rap Idly moving world events toward discussion of peace was not permitted to become known until tonight when the notes were well on their way to the American ambassadors III the bel hgerent capitals and probably already In the hands of some of them.
 Official Washington Surprised.
 It was a most distinct surprise to all official Washington which had been transmittal of the proposals of the central powers the officers of the Unit ed States would await further moves between the belligerents themselves, and that certainly in view of the speech of Premier Lloyd George and the announcements in Russia, France and Italy, further action by neutrals would depend on the next careful and delicate moves of the belligerents.
 The whole tenor of official opinion throughout Washington when the presidents action became known was that 1t immeasurably improved the prospects for some sort of exchanges looking toward an approach to peace discussions between the belligerents, without impairing the position of the United States should they finally be unable to find g, ground on which to approach one another.
 No White House Statement.
 At the White House no statement whatever could be obtained as to whether any of the powers even had tntimated how they would receive the note and there was every indication that the same careful secrecy which prevented anything whatever becom- Ing known about the presidents ac- lion until it had been taken would surround any of the succeeding moves.
 Nowhere on the surface appears any indication of the history making events which diplomatists generally Inc convinced must have transpored, yince the German allies brought forth Their proposals, to dispel the general y prevalent belief that such an action ,n the part of President Wilson would De unacceptable to the entente pow ITS.
 British embassy officials declared they were utterly taken by surprise, were wholly unable to explain it and were emphatic in their statement that no exchanges whatever had passed through the embassy here as a pre- umfnary.
 The wish and hope of the German powers that President Wilson would ntercede in some way has long been well known and has been conveyed in different ways to the White House. The attitude of the entente allies as expressed by their statesmen and cer- tainly until recently in official advices to the American government, has been that a peace offer by the United States would be considered almost the next hing to unfriendly.
 All that. however, was before the German allies of their own accord brought forward their proposals for discussion of peace. President Wilson specifically says in the notes he is somewhat embarrassed in making the suggestion at this particular time. because it may now seem to have been prompted by & desire to play a part in connection with the recent overtures of the central powers.
 Some Hidden Knowledge.
 Dzpiomatfsfs consider it incredible thst tne president would bring forward