Arizona republican., 1917-08-30
REP[ ' ()F
 WILSON |S
 SURPRISE
TReoubiican A. p. Leased Wire;

 7 WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-Discus- sion of President Wilson's rejection of the pope's peace proposals in diplo- matic circles today revealed that ever some of the entente governments were anprepared for the prompt fashion ir which the president disposed of matter of such tremendous import aDce.
 There had been no doubt at an1 time as to the general nature of the reply and the understanding is tha the United States was generally looked upon as the nation to speal first but some of the allied foreign of ficers, accustomed to long deliberated moves in diplomacy, regarded the ex- changes that had been going on be- tween their capitals as barely com pleted. They had rather expected fur ther discussion of the time for dis patching replies.
 It was realized, however by the en- fente representatives in Washington that President Wilson must have had some good and sufficient reason for acting so quickly. Speculation ascribes the motive to a desire to impress fav- orable the great Russian convention at Moscow while that body still is ir a plastic and receptive state. If alse was suggested that the president might have wished to anticipate by his remarkable state paper obstruct we action by the pacifist elements in 'lnd out of congress in the United States
 NO reJoinder from the vatican is ex- pccted here in the immediate future. Comm"nt from the press of Europe including Germany and Austria is awaited with interest Bitter attacks upon the American note by the Ger man press and possibly condemnatory spt teches by German officials are fully ex' 'ected when the presidents reply is all1wed to leak through the censors to the German public. But for the present, at least, no further attempts at pHace negotiations on the old basis. involving a continuance in power of the present autocratic German regime is anticipated.
 While the Germans may wage war W n added desperation because of ID. "v'eerinP indi~troe-t oe +hei- methods, it is confidently believed here that the spirit of revolt will de- Velop steadily and rapidly among the people in Germany. bringing nearer the day when they will assert them selves to the point wnhere President Wilson may feel safe in listening to peace overtures in the conviction that the| are from the German raople themselves and not from the military despots. President Wilson realizes the force of the objection that has c6 7' rom soron quarters as to what might be regarded as a disposition on hlF nart to impose a form of govern ment on Germany. It can be stated that nothing was further from his drought. He meant just what he saic in the note. that the word of the present autocratic rulers of Germany cannot be taken for anvthin~ hot to endure unless supported by the will Of the German people themselves. As to whether Germany has ap imperial or q republican form of government 1t is conceded that the remainder of tho world has nothing to do.
 The struggle for parliamentary re form is being watched with the keen- est interest and while it was said at the state department today tho ~c official advices are as yet on hand re- garding the developments, it would not be matter of surprise if there were some sudden and important manifestation of the popular will in Germany. Sigrs of cnch an or+~nn,c are found in the halfway efforts of Premier Michaelis to meet the de- mands of the reichstag committees by his projected cabinet representative of the more powerful political parties in Germany, certainly a long step in
 Continued on Page Two)