The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-26
GERMANS Nearer
COAL Than EVER
Withdrawal of Russia Gives
Clear Field for Great
"Mittel Europa.
NO TIME TO SLACKEN
British Expert Sees Cause
of Peace Overtures by
Wilhelm.

Boston. Des. o5.-Sccretary Of War
Baker Is right in stating shat the Ger
man peace maneuvers should not for a
moment induce the United States to
slacken preparations for war. In the
opinion of II. Charles Woods. fellow
of the Royal Geographical Society and
recognized authority on military mat
tors in England. who now is in this
city.
Mr.. Woods today pointed out that
the exit of Russia from the war would
remove one Of the great obstacles in
the way of the realization of the de-
sire of Emperor William and his adj
visers for domination from Hamburg
to the Persian gulf. an area in which
they could maintain their positions
without sea power.
Personnel Proves Aim.
If any proof were wanted" he con-
tinued. that the Germans. in negotiat-
ing peace with Russia, have in view
their future success in the east. 1t
would be In the personnel OF the dele.
cations
Won kuehlmann, whom knew when
he was chancellor of the German en-
hassy in London until the outbreak Of
the war is himself an avowed east
erner.' At that time his one aim and
object was to bring about an agree
mcnt between England, on the one
side. and Germany and Turkey on the
other. favorable to the latter two
countries In regard to the Bagdad rail-
way.
In this he nearly succeeded, for he
lost no opportunity Of making propa-
panda of the most subtle kind. with
politicians and Journalists. British and
foreign. Indeed it was nearly impos-
Sible to persuade him to speak upon
any other subject.
Would Give in on West.
Thus if there be (: man in Germany
who would be willing to make sacri-
fices In the west or even upon ques-
tons OF German Importance to Rus
STA. in order to secure the cooperation
OF or a free hand from that country in
the Balkans and in Asia Minor it Is
Won Kuehlmann. the German foreign
minister.
The personalities of the Austrian
and Bulgarian delegates are, in my
opinion. of no great importance for tn.
! representatives of the dual monarch,
will have to follow the orders of Ger.
many, and Bulgaria has no directly
| outstanding questions with Russia. Il
| Is. however, interesting to note that thu
! bulgarian delegates are none of then
men of outstanding regulations a
home or abroad.
This can be no accident. 1t is du.
either to the fact of Tsar Ferdinand.
considering he has no interests othel
than the retention of Macedonia, un
til which he would accept no decision
| except one forced upon him on thu
field of battle. or to fact that Fox o.
the Balkans wishes later to be able Il
| say that he never treated this confer.
ence seriously and therefore to be free
to accept any policy which may the1
seem advisable to him.
Turkish Delegates Significant.
Coming to Turkey the personalitie.
of the delegates Is again most signifi
Gu Mt for Germany cannot ignore tn,
| present and future attitudes of tina
country and at the same time realiz.
her .Mittcl Europa scheme. Nessin,
Pasha must be either Osman Nizam
Pasha, formerly Ottoman amba ssado
to Berlin and delegate at the Lon
don peace conference after the frs
balkan war, or Nezim Pasha, who Is
prominent diplomatist and a membe
of the committee of union and prog
ress. In either case he is an influ
entail person.
hakki Pasha Is Pro German.
But the Turkish delegate of out
standing Importance Is Haiku Pasha
He has been grand vizier and ambas
sador In various countries and Is on
of the most pro- German of the Turks
Moreover, when Germany and Rus
STA had come to an agreement as +
the Bagdad railway. as a result of tn
meeting between the kaiser and tn
Tsar of Potsdam in 1910. II was Hakk
Pasha, who. after the conclusion o
the Tripoli and Balkan wars was sen
to London by Turkey, in agreemen
! with Germany, to try to bring abou
agreements between the British foreig
office. the German embassy. that !
Won kuehlmann. and the Turkish en-
bassy in regard to the Bagdad- Persia
Gulf section of the railway and othe
important matters connected with tina
region. Those agreements had for
tnnately not been signed on the out
break of the war.
ut Is for these reasons and becaus
Of the identity of these persons that
fay particular stress upon the influ
ence of these negotiations upon VIVA
feel convinced are the designs q