Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-21
WILSON APPEALS
TO BELL|GERENTS
President Sends Historic Plea
for Peace to the Warning
Nations.
n CONFERENCE AT LEAST
CONFERENCE AT LEAST
"Act Before 1t Is Too Late"
His Warning to Powers
Fighting.
GERMANS THINK END IS NEAR
Won Bernstorff Asserts He
Believes Negotiations Will
Follow.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2l.-Pr',idcn'
W,,son has appcalcd to all the bcllig-
crcnts to discuss terms OF peace
without actually proposing peace or
offering mediation. the prcs'"c"' HIS
sent formal notes to the governments
or all the warning nations suggesting
that ian early occasion bc s"ug"t !"
call out from the nations now at war
such an ayOwaI of their Respective
views rs to the terms upon which the
wnr might bc concluded and the ar
rangcmcnts which would he dccme"
satisfactory n II guaranty against "S
renewal or the kindling OF any SINH
iar conflict in the future. as wouiu
make II possible frankly TO compare
them"
Wholly without notice and entirety
contrary to what administration ofil-
ciaIs have described a. his course, thc
president last night dispatched the
note, TO all the bclligcrcnts and to
all the ncutrais for their Information.
Summarized in the presidents own
words as contained In the notes, his
attitude Is as f0llOws:
Take SOundings." i
"Thc president Is not proposing
peace; he Is not even offering media
ton. He Is merely proposing that
.oundIngs bc taken In order that We
may learn. the neutral nations with
the bcliigcrcnt, how near the haven OF
peace may bc 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 he understood by
all concerned and ne confidently hopes
for n response which will bring new
light into the affairs of the world"
This latest development In the rap
idly moving world event, toward dis
cussion of peace was not permitted
To become known until tonight when
the notes were well ON their way To
the American ambassadors in the bel
ligcrcnt capitals and probably already
In the hands of some of thcm
\ Distinct Surprise.
1t was most distinct surprise to
all official Washington. which had
been led to believe that with the for-
NAL transmittal of the proposals oi
the central powers the officers of the
United States would await further
moves between the belligere'hs them-
selves and that certainly IN view OF
the speech of Premier Lloyd George
and the announcements in RUSSIA
France and Italy. further action 10y
neutrals would depend upon tho nest
careful and delicate moves OF the
belligerents.
The whole tenor of official opinion
thruout Washington when the pres
ident's action became known was that
IL immeasurably improved the pros
meets for some sort of exchanges lock-
ing toward an approach to peace dls'
cussion between the belligercnts with-
out impairing the position or the
United States should they finally be
unable to find group on which TO
approach one another.
At the White House no statement
whatever could be obtained as to
whether any Of the powers ever had
intimated 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 action
until II had been taken. would sur
round any of the succeeding moves
All Below Surface.
Nowhere on the surface appears any
indication OF the history-makinl
events which dipolmatists generally
are convinced must have sranspired
since the German allies brought fortl
their proposals. to dispel the generally
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