New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-12-29
Children CRY
FOR FLET0nEN'0
c. a 8 y q RIA
SINCERITY OF TEUTON
PEACE PROPOSAL rs
DOUBTED AT WASH
INGTON.

Washington. Dec. 27.-The cor
ditions surrounding Count Ger
min s proposal for basis 0
peace cause officials here to fee
some apprehension for their sin
cerity. There is a disposition t.
feel that the object of the Ger
man plenipotentiaries is simply t.
protract. the negotiations as Ions
as possible without any expecta
ton of an immediate peace agree
ment with the double purpose O
leading the German people to be
lieve that their government reall,
is DESTROYS of making peace. ant
Of gaining time for the further
strengthening of the German
lines in the west.
One condition regarded impos
sible, for the present, at least, Is
that the adherence Of all the bel
ligerents must be secured to the
peace the Germans are trying tt
make with Russia before it can
hecome Affective. This is aG'
companied by a demand for the
return of the German colonies
now in the possession Of Russia s
allies.
U. s. Position Unchanged.
1t can be stated authoritative!y
that the position of the American
government has not changed IN
any respect with regard to its de-
termination to enter no agree
ment with a government which
does not represent the free will
Of the governed people. This
would dispose of any hope the
Germans might have that the Rus
SLAMS could induce America 10
subscribe to the peace treaty
which they are now trying to ar
range. As for the German col
onies, the American government
has never recorded itself on the
subject, and Llyod George re-
Gently declared that was a subject
for the peace conference.
No provision is made in Count
Czernin's terms for the return to
France Of Alsace-Lorraine. which
is regarded here as condition
that must be met as a preliminary
to any peace agreement; an un.
Outstanding declared by President
Wilson in his message to congress.
In the light Of extraordinary ef-
forts Germany has been making
to rid those provinces Of French
inhabitants. it is believed here
that Germany may propose =
plebiscite Of inhabitants. relying
upon the vote Of German soldiers
and the imported German popula-
ton. but such a proposal prob.
ably would be rejected by the
United States and her cd-belli-
gerents.
s'1sssrvation Of Guarantees. :
Apparently Belgium is prom.
ised freedom by Count Czernin II
all the other German demands are
met. But officials note there is
: reservation. almost inseparabis
from German diplomacy, in the
shape Of guarantees which
Germany requires to insure the
execution Of all these complicated
factors Of the peace treaty. From
public declarations Of German
statesmen and publicists. it is un-
derstood that guarantees Ger
many would insist on retaining
control of Belgium for an indef-
mite period.
The German insistance that the
pledge to restore the political in
dependence Of countries occu-
pied by the Central Powers shall
not apply to nationalities which
did not previously enjoy indie
pendence is regarded as aimed
directly at the projected Polish
state. Even were such q state
created as ) result Of the peace
treaty, it would have to be on the
lines az the subject kingdom
which Germany and Austria al.
ready have created.
Il issaccepted BY Washingtno
efIciAls tint tie Central Powers
~ prepared t. neke every effort
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