Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-12-22
SENDS FORMAL NOTES TO WAR;
RING NATIONS WITHOUT PRO- ;.
POSING PEACE OR OFFER
ING MEDIATION.
BELIEVES MOTIVE WILL BE
UNDERSTOOD BY ALL RULERS
Latest Development in Rapidly Nov.
ing Events Toward Discussion Of
Peace Comes az Great Surprise
to Officials at Washington
Want Surroundings.

Washington, Dec. p. - President
Wilson has appealed to all the bellig-
erents to discuss terms of peace.
Without actually proposing peace or
offering mediation, the President has
sent formal notes to the governments
Of all the warning nations suggestions
that IAN 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
rangements which will be deemed sat-
isfactOry as a guaranty against it's re-
newal or the kindling of any similar
conflict in the future, as would make
it possible frankly to compare them"
Notes to All BeIIigerents.
Wholly without notice and entirely
Gals have described as his course, the
President has dispatched the notes to
all the belligerents and to the neutrals
for their information. Summarized in
the Presidents own words, as contain
ed in the notes, his attitude is as fol-
lows:
"The President is not proposing
peace, he is not even Offering media
ton. He is merely proposing that
soundings be taken in order that we
may learn, the neutral nations with
the belligerents, how near the haven
of peace may be for which all mankind
longs with an intense and increasing
longing. He believes that the spirit
in which he speaks and the objects
which he seeks will be understood by
all concerned and he confidently hopes
for response which will bring new
light into the affairs of the world"
Note Is Surprise to Officials.
ly moving world events toward a dis
cussion of peace was not permitted to
become known until after the notes
were we'll on their way to the Ameri-
can ambassadors in the belligerent
capitals and probably already in the
hands Of some of them.
It was most distinct surprise to all
official Washington, which had been
led to believe that with the formal
transmittal of the proposals of the
Central Powers the officers Of the
United States would await further
moves between the belligerents them
selves, 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 upon the next careful
and delicate moves of the belligerents
Action Improves Prospects.
The whole tenor of official opinion
throughout Washington when the Pres
ident's action became known was that
it UNNECESSARILY improved the pros
poets for some sort of exchanges look
Ing toward an approach to peace ne
gotiations between the belligerents
without impairing the position of the
United States should they finally be
unable to find a ground on which to
approach one another.
At the White House no statement
whatever could be obtained as to
whether any Of the powers even had
intmated 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 &C.
ton until it had been taken, would
surround any of the succeeding moves