New Britain herald., 1916-12-15
PRESIDENT TO STAY HAND
 ON BERLIN'S NOTE UNTIL BRITISH PREMIER SPEAKS
Will Not Decide on
 Course Regarding Peace Before Lloyd George Talks
POPE TO SEND OUT 4
 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

- CHRISiMAS MESSAtrEl Official Text of Germany's Prdfrer d
 Allies Shows Substance of Press Del
 spatchcs Accurate = IndcpendenI
 Party in Hungary to Demand Rc|
 velatidh Of Peace rerms-Bona|
 Laws Statement Encouraaing.
 Washington, Dec. 15-Presiderj Wilson probably will not finally dd termine on any formal steps in conI the Central Powers until after Davil Lloyd George, the British premier, ha spoken in the house of commons Tued day:
 In the meantime through the And erican diplomatic representatives il the capitals of the Entente powers thl American government will keep il close touch with the situation.
 Caution Should Be Used.
 No formal recommendation wd forthcoming today either from tfj White House or the state department It is known to be the view of most d the. cabinet members that the Amel ican government should move cad tiously and do nothing to imperil II influence for peace.
 President Wilson is known to al tach great importance to the possibil ity of esta blishing an association of nd tions to maintainSpeace He outlind in definite terms the procedure lI would take in initiating peace movd ment, in the course of a speech deli] cred here last May before the Leagl l to Enforce Peace.
 , Secretary Lansing early today he1 his first personal conference wid President Wilson since the peace pr] 1 posa1s of the Central Powers vol , made public. It was said the forml ! notes, from Germany and Austri might go forward before night a1 necessarily in view of the probahili1 that the president would take DO |, , dependent action until after LloI George has spoken in the house commons they probably will be al companied only by formal notes transmittal
 Translation of Note.
 An unofficial translation of Ge many's note to the Entente natiol 1 proposing peace negotiations, mad here from a copy of the official Frend l text obtained from a diplomAf source shows, that, while accurate substance, the previously puhlishd version had many of the document sentences out of their proper order.
 The most terrible war which hil tory has known has been ravagilig large part of the world for two veal and a half. This calamity, which tl bonds of thousands of years of common civilization have not be4 able to prevent, is injuring human' in its most precious heritages.
 threatens to plunge into its ruins moral and material progress wsnq was the pride of Europe at the aaN of the twentieth century.
 Tn this struggle Germany and n allies-Austria-H Hungary, Bulgaria ar Turkey-have given proof of their IT questioned strength by achieving m portant successes over adversaries sr perior in numbers and in war materf | continuous attacks of the armies
 their adversarles. The last dtverSic in the Balkans has been speedily ar yictoriousIy thwarted. Recent even haya demonstrated that the prolcng tion of the war would not bo able break their power of resistance. the other hand, the general situatid Justified them in hoping for furth | successes.
 War of Defense.
 "It was to defend their existence ar the freedom of their national develo ments that the four allied powers we forced to take up arms. The achiev ments of their armies have not altere this purpose. Not for a single insta& have they departed from the convi ton that respect for the right
 other nations is in no way inconN patible with legitimate interests. Tn did not seek to shatter or annihilat their adversaries.
 "Conscious of their military ar economic power and ready, if necc sary, to continue to the very end il struggle, which has been forced upt them, but inspired at the same tinI with the desire. to stop the flow blood and to put an end to the horrot of war, the four allied powers prbpoE to enter forthwith into negotiationsSf( f ' peace. They are convinced that M proposals which they will submit all which aim to insure the existence. t1 honor and the development of thel peoples will be appropriate to serve ] a basis for the establishment of permanent peace.
 If despite this offer of peace an reconciliation, the struggle should N on, the four allied powers are dete