Evening star., 1917-09-19
GERMANY PLANNING
ADRO|T PEACE MOVE
Crops of Rumors Permitted to
Sprout to Prepare Home
Opinion.
OFFER POSSIBLY THIS FALL

LONDON. September 19.-The crop of
so-called peace rumors that the Ger
man censor is permitting to sprout in
leading German newspapers convinces
the London press and public that Ber-
lin is preparing home opinion for an
other adroit peace maneuver which
probably will take definite shape be-
fore the snow flies.
First came the alleged British peace
oner which. notwithstanding official de-
nial. is still being commented upon ex-
citedly in Germany. Now much fuel has
been added to the agitation by the re-
port that the German government has
abandoned claims of supremacy and
control over the territory and popula-
tion of Belgium. In addition. there are
all sorts of rumors regarding the Ger
man answer to the Pope.
Matter Discussed Freely.
A strange thing about the whole af-
fair is that the German censor appears
to be permitting the newspapers to dis
cuss the matter freely. but SO far as is
Known none of the discussions is
founded on more substantial authority
than the indefinite I'VE. understand"
or I'VE have received information" The
fact remains, however, that the Ger
man government, as represented by the
censor, does not object to these state
ments.
The Westminster Gazette quotes the
Berlin correspondent of the Koensche
Volkszeitung IS saying that from an
official source there is no truth in the
report that Germany intends to declare
GUM" The Gazette points out that the
message is not necessarily an official
denial that Germany has decided to
renounce all claims on Belgium.
The Evening Standard says: The
German censor is permitting German
papers to publish reports that Germany
is to climb down and renounce any
claim to supremacy over Belgium"
The Pail Mall Gazette adds: An
other step forward has been taken in
the carefully engineered peace cam
paign in Germany
Significance Is Seen.
The Star says it is significant that
the German censor is permitting such
publications. adding: 1T would GER
tainly be an important step in the di-
rectton of peace, but does not in itself
insure the success of the negotiations,
and as the press is silent about similar
.rumors' about the future of Alsace-
Lorraine, the Trentino and Serbia, it
would be folly to build any high hopes
there is no sign that the rulers of
Germany and Austria are in a more
chastened mood than they were year
ago"
A dispatch to the Central News from
4
"A careful reading of German papers
leads to the belief that reports Of a
British peace offer were circulated SIM
ply with the object of making it easy
for the German government to rally to
the attitude of the reichstag majority"
and the whole thing is an adroit man.
euver engineered by DR.. Won Kuehl-
mann. the German foreign secretary
The general consensus of opinion in
official and diplomatic quarters for
some time has been that Germany
would make another peace move before
cold weather comes.
1t would not surprise London If Ger
many first directed efforts or feelers to
the United States. In fact some quar-
ters expect this move. They are satis-
fed. however, that the United States, be-
ing determined to get on with the war,
will not be misled by any German move
which either will be designed to bring
about a German peace or so to cloud
the atmosphere as to enable the Ger
man government to say to the German
people:
I'VE are willing to make peace. but the
entente allies will have none of it,
Opinion Of Vorwaerts.