White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1917-01-05
OUR PEACE MOVES
. ( TO Be KEPT DARK
ALL FURTHER STEPS ARE TO BE
REGARDED BY PRES. WILSON
AS CONFIDENTIAL.
GERMANY GIVES HER VIEWS
Secret Exchanges Between the War
ring Nations Hinted as Reason
Willing to Declare General
Principles if Allies Shy.

Washington. policy of absolute ST.
lence regarding the peace negotiations
has been adopted by President Wilson
and Secretary Lansing. It was stated
officially that all steps henceforth will
be regarded as confidential, that no
comment will be made on any develop
ment, and that rumors will not be dis
cussed in an yway.
Decision Is Unexpected.
The decision to pursue this course
was made known after the state de-
partment had received the official
texts of the German and Austrian re-
plies to President Wilson's identic
notes to the belligerents proposing
discussion of peace terms and after 1t
was learned that the Teutonic powers
would be willing to permit conf
Dental exchange of tentative terms if
it became necessary to do so to bridge
the gap threatening to prevent gath
ering of peace delegates.
Secret Exchange Probable.
In many quarters the official atti-
tude was construed as indicating that
secret exchanges were expected to
follow, if they did not precede, the
formal answers to the entente nations
to the notes of President Wilson and
the central powers. Because Of the
highly confidential nature of any such
negotiations, it is pointed out, the in
termediary would be obliged to re-
frain from admitting even that they
were in progress.
Expect Allies to Refuse.
So far as the ententes government
are concerned it is understood that lit
tie if any confidential information has
reached here to shed more light on
their attitude than has been given
publicity in the speeches Of their pre-
miers and the comment of their press.
Consequently, there is no disposition
here to doubt that the allies unani-
mously will refuse to enter into any
sort of peace conference until Ger
many has indicated clearly on what
conditions she will stop fighting.
On the Teutonic side, while the re-
ply to President Wilson is regarded by
the German embassy as complying
with President Wilson'S suggestion in
offering a method of procedure, Ger
many is said to be willing to consider
other suggestions regarding methods
from any quarter, including her enc
mics.
The views of the German govern
ment further are represented as being
as follows:
Germany's Views.
eff the entente considers that
guarantees for the future are the prin-
cipal elements to be achieved, and
lacking confidence in the German gov
eminent, insists upon knowing some
thing of the guarantees that Germany
is willing to give, the Berlin govern
ment might make some declaration re-
garding the principles to which she is
willing to subscribe, leaving details
for settlement at the proposed confer
ence. The German government consids
ers that there is but little to be gained
by going into any lengthy discussion
of guarantees for the future with the
present war in progress.
"In this connection Germany, it is
asserted, never has intended that the
conference suggested should result
Immediately in the establishment of
peace. 1t is considered that it neces'
sarily would be of preliminary ma.
ture to determine whether it might not
be possible to end the war"
Preliminary Treaty Proposed.
According to the German diplomats
the plan Germany is proceeding upon
would provide that the delegates
should first agree upon territorial and
Immediately connected terms and that
a preliminary tentative treaty then
should be settled upon. This complet'
ed, the German idea is to have all the
neutrals called on to participate In
consideration of the question of guar
antees for the future.
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