The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-01-03
TO CONTINUE PEACE EFFORTS.
NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE CON.
QUOTED IN SECRET IN FU-
TURE.
Germany Ready TO Name Peace Terms
I'm Confidence al to Aid Peace
Movement, United States Will Car
~ on Correspondence Under Vcil
of Silence. E

President Wilson and Secretary Lam
sing, 1t was stated officially today
that all steps henceforth will be re-
garded as confidential, that no COM
mont will be made on any develop
ment and that rumors will not be dis
cussed in any way.
The decision to pursue this course
was made known after the State de-
partment had received the official
texts Of the German and Austrian
replies to President Wilson's Identical
notes to the belligerents proposing
a discussion of peace terms, and after
1t was learned that the Teutonic pow
ers would be willing to permit con-
fidential exchange of tentative terms
IL lit became necessary to do so TO
bridge the gap threatening to pre-.
vent a gathering of peace delegates.
In many quarters the official atti-
tude was construed as indicating that
secret exchanges were expected to fol-
low, If they did not precede the formal
answers of the entente nations to the
notes of President Wilson and the
central powers. Because of the higf-
ly confidential nature of any such me-
gotiations, it is pointed out, the inter-
mediary would be obliged to refrain
from admitting even that they were IN
progress.
So far as the entente governments
are concerned, it is understood that
little if any confidential information
has reached here to shed more light
on their attitude than mas been given
publicly in the speeches of their pre-
miers and the comment Of their pres.
Consequently there is no dispoBitlon
here to doubt that the allies unani~
niously will refuse to enter any ,sort
Of peace conference until Germany
has ind. c<ated clearly on what coadl~
tons she will stop fighting. -
On. the Teutonic side. while the fe-
ply to President Wilson is regarded W
the German embafsy as complying
with President Wilson's sugsestion Iii
Offering q method of procedure. az
many IL said to be willing to conetl
other suggestions rsgarding MA -
|fremrany aussAers inCiuatns nj "
emies. ~
The views of the German govern
ment further are represented an being
as followE:
If the entente considers that guar
antees for the future are the prin-
cipal elements to be achieved, and
lacking confidence in the German
government insists upon knowing
something of the guarantees that Ger
many Is willing to give, the Berlin
government might make some declar-
at IN regarding the principles 10
which she is willing to subscribe.
leaving details for settlement at the
proposed conference.
THE German government considers
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. If in this
connection Germany, it is asserted,
never has intended that the confer
ence suggested should result imme-
diately in the establishment of peace,
1T is considered that it necessarily
would be Of a preliminary nature to
determine whether 1t might not be
possible to end the war;"
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 treaty then should be
settled upon. This completed, the
German idea is to have all the neutrals
called in to participate in considera-
tion OF the question of guarantees for
the luture. They regard II as a. mat
ter for the conference to settle
whether the neutral nations should
become signatory to the entire peace
treaty or only to that part having t.
do with guarantees for the main
tenance OF peace in the future, such
as freedom OF the seas, limitation OF
armaments. formation Of world
league to enorce peace and establish
ment Of an international court of ar
bitration.
Diplomats familiar with the view
point OF Germany and her allies were
especially emphatic tonight i'm saying
that Germany necessarily would be
able to make much better terms in
confidential negotiations than in pub-
lie. The radical element i'm Gery,on