The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-14
FRANCE DEMANDS
Continued from First Pa8e')
ser's III health are discounted IL
France
T TdITET,
Not GuIled by Stories of Austrian

Franco.
Not GuIled by Stories of Austrian
Oisaffection.
Nor do Tho stories III Aha'rlan use
+ fnrIiun receive greater rr"QfHGf ~
france. In short. France "rniaHuH
something concrete before she VIII Ne,
Iievc Germany is ready 70 maxi
ueacr that would hc possible TOT ''e
allies. That she Is ready 20 iilahe y
German peace. yes; nut ma s.r -
ready To make an acceptable peace
For France does not believe that
Germany will hr ready 10 make an
;,rrrnrahlr peace while The German
t,oops are in possession Of INC ricnesl
provinces nf France. Of Rrlgulm' Ser
tia. Rlmauia and whole provinces nt
Russia while Germany possesses OF
is oycrlord Of solid block from Ham
burg 10 near Ragdad. There IS no
reason why Sh" should make peace
except on hpr own terms. j. not
logical 10 expect il. and the french
are the most logical people III inc
world.
Germany TO try To discount the next
TWO wears and make today peace
,acceptablc for herself. Rut II would
not be- logical for her 10 discount now
the last three years of almost unbro-
ken German victory and make peace
acceptable 10 the allies.
; The rHpidity with which all peace
talk died out in France last Win'cr'
after the interchange OF notes pc
tween the kaiser and President WIZ
son and President Wilson and the al
lies was remarkable. The cessation
WAS so abrupt az 10 be- uncannE.
There was instant recognltlnn IN
France Of German insinccrity. There
has been no resumption since. Dur
iny the recent months in which peace
discussions have occupied so largo
Mace in English and American news
papers. while England and America
have profeSsed to see signs oi Ger
man weakening, of Austria giving
way. Of danger OF split between
Germany and Austria. Of independence
in the new Austrian emperor, france
has remained silent and gone about
the business Of making war.
VIZ in France often wondered what
was wrong with England and Amer
lea. II seemed 10 Us that IN all TINS
pnaCn talk the wish was father 10 inc
thought. and we wondered what was
The fundamental trouble that would
make people willing tn talk ar peace
when The German armies we're every
where on foreign soil and the only
enemy soldiers in Germany were prlS-
oncrs. There was nothing logical in
expecting the German army 10 knuckIe
under 10 the allies when Germany mad
nil Tho better of the argument at arms.
Rho French people did not talk about
1racr. They talked about lighting.
Thry did MOI discuss conditions of
reacn. They discussed where and
when the next offensive would prob
ably be launched.
France Ready for Peace, but Not on
German Terms.
Doub,lrsS the attitude Of The gov
eminent helps to account for the lack
of discussion in France OF the prob.
able terms Of peace or the possibility
of urace. There il no doubt that the
French people would BE- very willing
10 write and rewrite the peace treaty
many times over. Who Will win the
newt battle Is the only subject that
is more absorbing than inc probable
neacc conditions. The people are IN
tcresred and anxious. They want TO
know when peace will como and UNI
der what conditions. Most important.
they want 10 know how soon.
Bu, the government has rrsnlutely
reurrssed all such discussions. Dis
Cussinn of the terms Of peace might
easily run into discussion Of how 10
rot those terms before the other fol
low. and that might lead 10 an al
Tempt to do it, and thai might lead
10 an armistice, or something or that
nature, with the German armies still
In France. And if once the fighting
siops il will be terrible job 10 get
It started again. Peace discussion
now might lead to a German peace
made with the German armies holding
belgium and eight French, provinces.
All the peace in the world can be