Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-16
DOOR SHUT
ZIMMERMAN SAYS
German Foreign Minister AS
serts Entente Reply Slap
in Wilson's Face.
WON'T GIVE TEUT0N TERMS
Our Moderate Ideas" Would
Make Germany Look Weak,
He Ayers.

BERLIN, Sunday, Jan. 1i.-lBy
wireless To Sayville. Jan. 15D-Doctur
Zimmerman, the German imperial
foreign minister. gave an interview to
the Associated Press correspondent
In which he declared that the high
handed answer" OF the entente to
President Wilson's appeal for an
early peace conference shattered the
hopes OF the central powers ana neu.
trails for the continuation Of negotia-
tiOns
Doctor Zimmerman asserted. how
ever, that the answer of the entente
to the president did not finally and
completely close the door to later ef-
forts for peace before one side or the
other was completely crushed
Won't Give Terms.
The foreign minister in the course
Of conversation with the Associated
Press correspondent last night. de-
clared. ultho with obvious reluctance,
thai it was impossible for him to give
more definite statement OF the
peace program of the central powers
than that indicated in the declarations
Of Doctor Won Bethmann-I IIollwog.
the chancellor. because the German
terms were such that the unsolicited
PRONUNCIATION of them in their mod
crate details after what he character
i2cd as the aspiring program of con
quest and ACKNOWLEDGMENT outlined
BY the entente would be interpreted
by the entente powers as "A sign Of
weakness and of desire for peace at
any cost
Not Safe to Publish.
Publication Of the peace terms of
tho central powers therefore would
defeat its very purpose, said Doctor
zimmerman. The foreign minister eX-
pressed doubt whether after what he
described as the rebuff To President
Wilson's peace efforts given I'm the
reply of the entente, the president
could take any further action for the
present, adding that the entente
answer excluded for the present any
possibility of peace.
Expressing profound conviction
that the program of the entente
powers never could be carried into ef-
feet. Doctor Zimmerman intimated
that a failure of the entnte's offensive
this year, which he expected, might
again make it possible to approach
the subject of peace on reasonable
terms and with some prospect of sue
cess.
DIR. Zimmerman said he could obVi-
ously see the advantages from one
point of view In declaring Germany's
terms and letting the world see by
contrast with those to which the en-
tente powers have committed them
selves the real state of affairs. but
seemed to be convinced that such ad-
vantages were not sufficient to affect
the attitude of the entente powers. or
to outweigh the effect on opinion I'm
enemy countries OF the announcement
Of the terms regarding Belgium and
the others in this war.
To the question as to whether he
saw the possibility Of Germany MAX
ing such a declaration of her inten-
tions, should a further inquiry be
made from the neutral side for eN-
ample, by President Wilson, the min
lister replied critically:
President To Stop.
"But will he make such an inquiry
after the entente reply which in Its
nature is. shall we say. insultlng?"
"Dou you think after an interval
there will be any possibility of an
offer Of mediation for peace being ac-
cepted by both sides?" the minister
was asked
Yes" he replied. The desire for
peace of all the peoples-peoples
mind YOU. | say, not governments-is
so strong that after the entente has
had another try with a new offensive:
after II has seen the fruitlessness OF
all the endeavors to crush the military
strength OF the central powers. there
may be a better possibility of negotiat-
ing satisfactory and reasonable
peace.
To Bitter End.
"Of course, II the entente powers
persist in trying to execute their pro-
gram the war must be fought out TO
the bitter end. There is not German
who would not rather die than see the
accomplishment of the announced In
tention of the entente powers with
respect to Germany. to see German
provinces with predominant German
populations torn from the German
empire, and united Germany, which
our fathers so labored to achieve, torn
asunder and the country reduced, as
the allies have plainly announced as
their ambition, to "A condition of sub