The Washington herald., 1916-12-24
Dove OF PEACE
FLITS AS XMAS
DRAWS NEARER
No Definite Move to End War
Likely Until After Hoi-
days End.
WATCHFUL WAITING HERE
Adverse Criticism of Peace Note Fails
to Disturb United States
Officials.

There will be no definite move IN peaoe
negotiations as result OF President VIII
sons peace note to the warning nations
eminent officials here declared last night
The Joyous season will be in the past
before either Germanic or Entente allies
will declare their intentions, or even
intimate their purpose Of replying TO the
Presidents communication. There will
be no out Of the trenches for Christ
mas" for the military millions Of Eu,
rope
President Wilson last night settled
down to quiet holiday rest and while
no statement was forthcoming from the
White House. it became known that no
further move in the peace situation is
contemplated until some dshnite word
comes from abroad, which certainly will
bc later than the middle OF next week
Secretary OF State Lansing left his Of
ice last night with the announcement
that he would not return until Tuesday
and that he would have nothing 10 say
rs to the general situation or new de-
velOpments until that time. Washington
offlcialdom settled down down to await
action in Europe
Undisturbed by CrIticfsm
. NOillutNl4dl Tti'OFlS from broad or dQ-
verse criticism Of the Presidents peacs
note I'm the press Of the entente powers
did not disturb administration officials
While they declined TO comment on the
position assumed by the British and
French press. they let it be known that
they considered the press Of the belliger.
eut countries too closely controlled by
the military governments TO allow them
10 express the real views OF the people.
They took the position that public opirl-
! ion in the belligerent nations would grad
uaIly force a more favorable view Of
the Presidents action.
| Optimism in Teutonic diplomatic circles
and peSsimism in entente diplomatic CIR
| Giles here continued as to the fnaI sue
cess Of the peace move started by the
I President Both sides however. were
| more inclined to withhold definite exprsS.
| slons as to the possibilities OF the diplo.
/ matte correspondence which will follow
| A new view Of conditions in the entente
! countries. particularly Great Britain, wa.
I presented 10 official WashinSton yester-
/ day when George Foster Pes body Paul
! |. kellogg. and Emily Green BlaCl COM
municated TO President Wilson the peace
. plea Of Bertrand Russell, the British
! paCifist.
Declares Victory Impossible.
The Russell communication. in the form
! OF ar open letter was snuggled out OF
| Great Britain as Russell has been under
( strict surveillance by the British authorf-
ues for some time II was a plea for
( mediation by the United States and made
I the fat statement that victory for either
side in the present war was impossible
The committee which brought the Russell
letter to Washington represented the
American Neutral Conference
SpeCula ton on the peace situation
among diplomats in Washington revived
I reports that the administration is pre-
pared to abandon the American policy
Of avoiding "entanglinE alliances abroad"
and l. ad the way toward a world alliance
to enforce peace, State Department Of
fCia.s. headed by Secretary Lansing de-
clIned to comment on this possibility
other than to say that the President was
determined to make every possible effort
10 insure permanent peace. Any effort
TO COnsummate an alliance with any in
dividual nation or nations along this
line. it is believed would encounter stern
opposition in this country, particularly
in Congress. The Senate, which would
be called Upon 10 ratify any treaties
made with this object in view is widely
divided on the question Of involving this
nation in European matters, and any
such plan would be certain TO develop
a bitter political struggle.