The Columbus commercial., 1916-12-17
PRESIDENT WILSON Will
TRANSMIT PROPOSAL
10 ALLIES INTACT
NOT ONE SINGLE
WORD TO BE ADDED
Will Await Reception of Pro.
posal Before Taking Any
Action Whatsoever.

Washington. Jcc l6 President
Wilson has decided that the notes If
The central powers proposing q Ais.
cussion Of peace TO ihe entente allies
/ will be sent forward by the AmeIi-
can government acting as intermed-
iary without any accompanying med
iation offer OF It's own lIe has not
determined whether any action in
behalf Of peace will be taken later
by the United States on is own qc-
count, but is holding himself in read
mess to serve in any way possible
toward bringing the warning nations
tore ther.
The course TO be pursued was
made known last night after the
president had conferred with Seere-
tary Lansing and after a prolonged
cabinet meeting. 1t was stated that
the delay IN forwarding the notes to
the entente capitals was due 70 the
fact that the messages received from
Germany, Austria-Hungary and Tur
key, identical in substance, differed
slightly in phraseology as a result Of
different translations They probab-
ly Will be put on the cables tomorrow.
Since the first note arrived, the
one from Germany, the president and
his closest advisers have been alb
sorbed in study Of the situation
created.
The Austrian note followed and
the one from Turkey came late yes
tclday, too late to be translated for
the cabinet meeting. Those from
Germany and Austria have been gone
over carefully by the president and
Secretary Lnnsing to make certain
Of their meaning so that they may
be sure to properly represent the in
tent of the central powers
Fhe fact that thc cabin meeting
lasted more chan three hours ana
was the most prolonged Of the year
attracted profound attention in Of
ficial circles and led to all sorts of
speculation, 1t was explained au-
thoritatiyely later, however, that the
meeting was devoted largely to con
sideration Of departmental matters
and had been prolonged because il
was the first time since the campaign
that all the members had been pres
ent.
In other quarters than the White
House It was learned that some word
indicating the official attitude of the
entente allies toward the peace pro
posal is being awaited with the deep
est interest by the American govern
ment The president will not consid-
err injecting the United States into
the situation until he is thoroughly
familiar with all its phases.
Secretary Lansing, explaining the
delay in transmitting the eommunica-
tons of the central powers, pointed
out that the German note was trans
lated into English by Charge Grew at
Berlin and the one from Austria by
Ambassador Penfeld at Vienna,
while the Tur kish note came to the
state department in French. AS the
communications were intended TO be
identical, the state department does
not desire to transmit three different
versions and when all three are in
hand plan to avoid this will be de
termined upon.
In England, France and Japan this
government represents all three leu
tonic countries and will therefore
have to deliver three separate notes
| In Russia and Servia the UniteC
States represents both Austria anC
| Germany and will have to send only
two separate notes Only to Bel
| gium, where Austria is represented
and in Rumania, where Germany il
represented, will it be possible Z
send only one note.