Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-14
SEA FIGHT NERVES
GERMAN WAR PARTY
ALI Talk of Peace on Basis Of
Ante -Bellum Status Quo
Ends Abruptly.
WILL HOLD WHAT IT HAS

Correspondence of The Associstei Press.)
Stockholm, June 2l.-Regardless of
the decision, history ultimately will
record as to victor and vanquished in
the great North Sea naval fight OF
May 81 and June |, there is no de-
nying the fact that the battle brought
sudden stiffening to the so-called
war party" in Germany. All talk
of Germany being willing to end the
war on a basis of the ante-bellum
status quo ended.
1t is being given out now in neutral
Europe that Germany will require
"a slight rectihcation of its frontier
at the expense Of Belgium" 1t is
further asserted that-it will be eneces,
sary for the central powers to keep
a strip OF Serbia in order that the
railway to Constantinople shall al
ways run through friendly" country.
Germany always has maintained that
its colonies should be returned to it.
1t is now added that there must be
compensation for German losses in
the Congo. Something also must be
done, it is stated, ito keep Belgium
from being the vassal state of Eng
land"
DR.. Aked's Report Gloomy.
Rev. DR.. Charles F. Aked of San
Francisco, one of the American dele
gates to the neutral conference for
continuous mediation, sitting in
Stockholm, was in Berlin on a mis-
sion of peace at the time of the North
Sea fight 1t is commonly reported
he was there by invitation of the
German government. AT any rate he
seems to have had no difficulty in OBJ
tanning audiences from most of the
higher officials. The peace confer
ence had entertained the hope that
Germany would outline peace terms
of a character so extremely moderate
as to command immediate respect in
all the neutral countries, thus bring
ing about public opinion to which
belligerents eventually would have
to listen.
DR.. Aked brought back a very
gloomy report There seemed to be
no Thought anywhere that the war
would end within another year. The
new statement of peace terms that
would be demanded by the new
dominant war party, coupled with the
governmental announcement that
peace could be had only upon a
basis of consideration for the mill
tary situation of the opposing armies
and without consideration or discus
sion as to the cause of the war, ap-
pears to have chilled even the most
ardent of the peace advocates abid-
ing in the Swedish capital. Just a
short while before the naval battle
the German element in Stockholm
was proclaiming the fact that Ger
many was beginning to cease hostili-
ties and evacuate all occupied terri
tory in exchange for the captured
German colonies over seas.
Germany Stands Pat.
Dr., Aked is said to have suggested
to officials in Berlin that the neutral
nations would not look with favor
upon German retention OF any Of Bel
gium and to have received the an
swer:
THE neutral nations are not going
to dictate to the l20,000,000 of the
central powers. We have bought the
land OF Belgium with our blood. Ger
many must be protected against fu-
ture attacks. Shall we give back all
we have won at such great cost?
Shall we give up the valuable coal
and iron lands OF France now in our
hands? As to Serbia and Montene-
gro, they have had their lesson, |
hope. We will leave Austria to deal
with them"
Even the extreme pacificists in
Germany are said to have told the
emissary from the neutral conferences
that the time was not ripe for over
lures of peace. Irrespective of the
conflicting claims OF victory, it was
said the naval fight had heightened
the war by twelve months at least.
The only thing the pacifists could do
now was to wait for the right mo-
ment and seize it when it came.
Teuton Armies Confident.
DIR. Aked reported to the confer
ence that he found everywhere in
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