The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-12
Peace Not
Possible
is WASHINGTON VIEW
OF THE ALLEY NOTE
Document So Finely Worded
Will Require Most Careful
Study of Any of War.

| WASHINGTON, u. C.. Jan. H.
1.-The Entente reply TO President Will
sons peace note is regarded in all
quarters here as putting an early
peace practically out Of the question,
but still leaving an open door for the
President TO make further efforts.
, The official view on first conSidera
! ton Is that it constitutes a complete
answer 10 the Presidents note.
German diplomats regard the reply
as even more severe than they expect
! ed. They declared ii evidence that
tn enemies of Germany are waStng a
war Of conquest TO crush and dlsmem'
Der her The Germanic allies, they de-
clared, never would agree 10 any such
terms.
, President Wilson's next move now
becomes the center Of attention. II
! will not be decided upon until a care
! ful and detailed study Of the replies OF
| both the Central powers and the En-
! tente has been made.
! Several courses are open to the
President. He may infor each side OF
the others reply, and in doing so may
. forward the documents without com
ment, or with some expression to adj
i vance the situation to the point OF an
a.. OLQRT eACuduSc- 11S IAds OCSili q ~
rieS Of confidential negotiations either
: through the ambassadors here, OF
; through the ambassadors at the for
! eign capitals. Also, he may base his
next step not upon the notes alone
; but upon an estimate Of the situation
! in the belligerent countries.
, 1t is possible that the United States
might state to the Central powers that
as the Entente has refused CONFER
! ence and has made a general state.
! ment of terms, this government would
| be glad II Germany could see her
! way to make similar statement This
point and all others will not and can
not be decided in q brief consideration
! of the wide field of action the situation
offers.
! German Note Surprise.
The German note TO neutrals. pub
! lished simultaneously with the Enten
te reply, came as Il distinct surprise,
: II promptly was characterized by the
Entente diplomats as carefully pre-
pared and timely address to the world
calculated to Offset the Entente state
ment of aims and purposes.
The Entente note ia regarded as
oneof the~most delicate and careful
ly written diplomatic documents the
war has produced. Officials were
! loath to discuss even its broad as
poets before they had time to study
! il with the utmost care. The com
pactness Of the note. the delicate
touches Of language and suggestion
,and the painstaking choice OF words
and phrases convice officials that 1t
will require more careful study than
| any document Of the war. Surprise
/ was expressed that such a complt
Gated, 'many-sided document repre-,
sented go many aims and points OF
view, could show such flnesse and
skill in the drafting.
Officials also were pleased with the
friendly tone Of the note and the con
! sideration. shown TO American pur.
poses despite the indirect criticism oi
the President for what the Entente
construes as confusing the Allied anc
! Germantc purposes. This change IN
attitude proved surprising after the
early hostility which greeted the
| American note in the Entente press
! Peace at an early date is foreseer
here now only on terms known TO Dc
unacceptable 10 Germany. The AL
lies are thought to have committed
themselves by the defniteuess ol
; their statements to continuation ol
the war till such time as they have
either attained or been convinced
/ that they cannot attain a military vic
jtory. Their note Is regarded as sc
I'emphatic that they cannot retreat
from it without at least one more
spring campaign.
] Await Confidential Reports.
Officials will await with deepest In