Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-05
REPLYOF ENTENTE
REACHESU. S. ENVOY
Ambassador Gerard to Pre-
sent Official Text to Foreign
Office in Berlin.
NEUTRAL PRESS COMMENT

BERLIN, January 4. noon, via Lon
don. January 5.-The official text of the
entente reply to the peace proposals has
been received by the American embassy
by the roundabout route of Washing
ton and Copenhagen. 1t will be pre-
scented by Ambassador Gerard to the
foreign office this afternoon. There is
no urgency with respect to the presen-
tation. as the Swiss minister presented
the official text received from Italy
Tuesday.
Sober second thought in official cir
cles confirms the impression expressed
the day the press version of the note
was received here, that the note puts
an err l for the present to all chances of
peace, and Germany and her allies
must buckle down to the task of con-
tinuing the struggle with all energy.
This undercurrent of opinion is large
ly supported by the opinion expressed
in the neutral press.
1t is considered in some quarters
that the reply of the entente will not
entirely close the door to the POSSIBLE
ity of peace discussions. THOSE VINO
hold that belief contend tina this could
be done either in response to a further
invitation from President Wilson to
both sides to state their terms stimuli
taneously and confidentially. or per-
haps through an open declaration OF
their terms to the central powers.
Holds Publishing Conditions Useless.
LONDON, January adjudication of
German peace conditions would be USE
less in view of the attitude of the Brit
ish and French press, according to the
Berlin Lokal Anzeiger, as quoted in an
Amsterdam dispatch to Reuters. The
Anzeiger bases it's opinion on the reso-
luton in the French senate that France
could make no peace with an enemy VINO
occupied French territory.
publication of our conditions, says
this paper, would now be undisnifed,
and moreover would not be the least use.
The evacuation of French territory is
made a preliminary condition for peace
negotiations. Though this condition is
not contained in the entente note it still
exists, and, therefore, it is the French
senate and the French government who
render impossible the publication OF our
peace conditions.
I'VE mus show to the door any neutral
who should dare to demand from US
that we should regard as an invitation
the words of the reply as a suggestion
without conditions for opening negotia-
tons is no peace offer We must refer
such a neutral to the resolution of the
French senate"
Discuss Fate Of Neutral Press.
GENEVA. via Paris, January 5.-The
Journal Democratic says that President
Schulthess and former Presidents Motta
and De Coppet voted against the recent
Swiss note, supporting President Will
sons communication to the belligerents,
in the form that it was edited and issued,
but that they were in the minority in
the federal council.
There is much discussion in the Swiss
newspapers of a statement credited to
the Cologne Gazette concerning neutral
nations-"that the Swiss confederation
has the greatest interest to see peace
concluded rapidly. because it is now
impossible to foresee the future fate
of the nations which have remained
neutral up to the present"
The Geneva Tribune sarcastically
asks the Cologne Gazette to explain
the meaning of "the future fate" of
neutrals-