Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-26
MUST NOT Be sLACkENED
BY HUN PEACE MANEUvERs
II. Charles Woods, Authority on Eng
lish Military Matters, Says
Baker Is Right.
HUNS SHOW HAND IN RUssL,
In Negotiating With Slavs Teutons
Have i'm View Their Future Sue
cess in the EnSt-DcsignS Dangers
Gus to All Nations.
fBy Associatcl Press ]


BOSTON. December 25.--Secretary of
German peace mancuvers should not
for moment induce tho United States
TO slacken preparations Tor war, in the
opinion OF II. Charles Woods. fellow OF
the Royal Geographical Society. and i
recognized authority on military mat
tcrs in England, who now is in this
city.
III statcmen; to-day Mr.. Woods
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 desire OF Emperor
William and his advisers for domina
ton from Hamburg TO tho Persian
Gulf, an area in which they could main
tain their position without sea power.
III any proof were wanted" he con-
tiuued. shat the Germans, in ncSotiat-
ing peace with Russia. have in view
their future success in the east, il
would be il the personalities OF ;hc
German and Turkish delegates" Re-
fcrring TO Won Kuehlmana. heading the
German delegates. Mr.. Woods says:
IF there he 4 man in Germany who
would be willing TO make sacrifices in
tho west, or even upon questions OF
general Importance TO Russia, in order
10 secure the cooperation OF. or free
hand from, that country in the Bal
kans and in Asia Minor. i; is Won
l<uchlmann, the German Foreign Min
lister.
THE personalities OF tho Austrian
and bulgarian delegates are, i'll my
opinion, OF no great importance. for the
representatives OF the dual monarchy
will have 20 follow The orders OF Ger
many, and Bulgaria has no directly
outstanding questions with Russia. 1t
is. however, interesting 10 note that
the Bulgarian delegates are none OF
the mon OF outstanding regulations a:
home or abroad.
ZION or BALKANS"
PLAYING SAFE GAME
This can be no accident. i is due
either TO the fact of Car Ferdinand's
considering he has no interests. other
than the retention OF Macedonia, upon
which he would accept no decision. eI-
cop; ono forced upon him on the field OF
battle or TO the fact that the Fox OF
the balkans wishes later on, to be ablo
10 say that he never treated this con-
ference seriously. and. therefore. to be
Ire. /" accept any policy which may
then be advisable to him.
The Turkish delegate OF outstand-
ing Importance is Haiku Pashr. He
has been grand vizier and ambassador
in various countries and is one OF the
most pro-Gcrman of the Turks.
Moreover, when Germany and Rus
STA had come TO an agreement as to
the Bag dad Railway. as n result OF the
meeting between the Kaiser and the
Gar at rotsdam, in 1910 IL was Haiku
l'asha. who. after the conclus ION of the
TYir"li ami Balkan wars. was sent TO
London b. TurlleS in agreement with
Germany. to try to bring about agree
oGico. the German embassy. that is Won
l<uchlmann and the Turkish embassy
in regard IL The Bagdad- Persian Gulf
section, OF the railway and other i'm
pcrtau, matters connected with that
region Those agreements had fortu-
natcly not been signed on the outbreak
Of the war
1T is for these reasons and because
Of tho Identity OF these persons that |
lag particular stress upon the influence
Of these peace NEGOTIATIONS upon what
feel convinced are. thc designs Of the
Germans in the t.ae,H The realization
OF SuCh designs would be as dangerous
TO the future ~ the worlds peace as
would tho conclusion OF peace un-
satisfactory To the allies aud TO
where.