The Washington herald., 1917-01-02
HOPE FOR PEACE
RESTS ENTIRELY
With PRESIDENT
Direct Negotiations Between
Belligerents Is Now Re-
garded as Impossible.
LANSING EAGERLY WAITS
German Chancellor Expected to An
swer Charges in Note
Of Entente.

Hope for peace In Europe last nirht
rested solely on President wilson's me
diation, as the world greeted the New
Year 1911.
Diplomatic Washington was convinced
that direct negotiations between the two
groups OF battling European nations 10
Impossible, and that only the most skill
full handling of the situation by the
United States can bring the slaughter
to an end.
Diplomatic circles here last night be-
lieVed that the peace negotiations will
now disappear into the dark and mys-
ter1ous territory OF secret diplomacy. II
was predicted, however. that these secret
negotiations, properly conducted. VIII bear
fruit ultimately, and one well-inforrned
diplomat declared that the peace terms
would come TO the surface in two months
With the direct peace negotiation. in
itsted by Germany now practically a
closed incident, and attention ceutered
on the attitude TO be assumed by the
Entente Powers toward the Presidents
peace plans. high Official OF one OF tn,
oelhserent embassies here outlined the
peace situation as follows:
No Direct Negotiation.
Germsny's proposal for peace ana IN.
reply OF the entente allies have made ~
clear by their tone that there is no hope
Tor oirect negotiations for peace.
mediation by a strong neutral power
obviously the United States-is the only
Other means Of securing peace. The Eu-
ropean neutrals by their close proYip,itv
to the conflict and their vital interest IN
Us outcome are plainly barred from .f-
ton.
These negotiations Will be carried on An
secret Following the expected reply OF
the entente allies TO the Presidents peac.
note Il ls to be expected that opportunI-
Ties for the preliminary confidential com
munication Of peace terms oy botb go,
TO the President direct VIII deveiop.
confronted with this situation, the "A
nlnisrAuon yesterday settled down 10 ,
PERIOD OF dip}srss "a s'vstchful waiting"
hhe lid Srs se8 "a down tightly AZ
both the white House and the sts.. ~
partment secretary Of State Lsnsinz
oeelareo emphsticaily that he would not
oiscuss the peace situation. and the
oipiomauc decks were cleared for tina
confidential negotiations.
Representative Of the enteut. .Tte,
declined to talk peace until the for,n,I
answer Of their governments To the Pres
ioents note has been recsived IN. Ten
tonic diplomats maintained the optiuni.y,
which has characterized their peac. dis
cussion since the President initiated nj,
peace propaganda
Expect German Statement.
At the German Embassy Il was stated
That the German government would nm
oouoteoiy make some statement. either
through diplomatic channels or otherwise
10 meet the charges made in the entente
reply 10 the German pesce proposals. In
this statement, which may take the form
OF speech to the Reichstas by Chan
cellor Zimmerman, will be Germany's
last word In the controversy over who
is responsible for starting the war.
The State Department and the White
House cleared up the speculation as 70
whether confidential communication ac-
companied President wilson's peace note
II was stated that the American diplo-
mats who delivered the note to the neu-
tral countries were Instructed to notify
b those governments that the President be-
lieved the time opportune for all neutraIs
, to express their desire that the war be
brought TO an end