The Washington herald., 1917-12-30
Reported Before.

HCBONN[1 A<(A~
1t Is recalled that a similar step was
taken q year ago. At that time. just
after President Wilson had made his
cffer Of mediation, the Kaiser pub
lished Q letter to Bethman-Hoiiweg'
the then German Chancellor. authoriz-
ing him to enter peace negotiations
1t Is believed that the present dele
CATION Of powers will no more fulnl
the allied requirements foi a respon,
sible German government than dlo
the letter OF q year ago.
1T will require o complete cnanse
in the German constitution" said
one allied diplomat here last night,
to make q peace offer consideranIe'
II the Kaiser should say to Hert-
ling, I authorize you to make
peace IT would amount to nothing.
It would merely mean that the
Divine powers of Wilhelm had
been passed to his agent.
IF, on the other hand, he were
completely to abdicate his rights
in favor of the Chancellor, acting
well. that would be q COM
plete change In the German con-
stitution, and IL might lead to con-
SlQGEdIOE. WOulo Anchu Nha@a AhS
Kaiser had recognized that the
source of all authority in Germany
was not from himself and God. but
from the German people. That Is
the only assumption upon which
the sAtente will consider an offer."
No oficial consideration will be
given to the suggested change II may
be state authoTitatively, until 1t comes
to the United States in proper form.
Proper form was described by an Of
lcial as authoritative transmission
through the accredited representa-
tives of~the Teuton powers at this or
some other allied capital The Swiss
minister has charge Of German in
terests here and the Swedish minister
cares for Austrian AFFAIRS. II may be
stated that neither Of them has heard
any hint OF coming peace proposal
II Is therefore eonsideTed here that
the Raiser,s ''abdIcation" and the re-
Hswai Of the czeEnin offers- are but
the same sort Of propaganda which
Germany haS engaged in before
II Was clearly indicated at the State
Department yesterday that no erfers
through any Bolsheviki agents in
Petrograd will get any attention 1t
Is admitted that Ambassador Francis
might transmit such an offer, purely
as q matter Of information. But IL
was indicated that the department
believes It highly improbable that he
should do so.
There will be no step taken which
can possibly be construed. as recog-
nizing the Bolsheviki government.
This is the first time that such a
declaration has come cleanly from
the State Department. 1t was made
yesterday when attention OF the
department was called to q report
that q diplomatic courier of the
United States had been denied ad-
mission to Russia because his pass
port had not been Vised by the Boil
sheviki minister at Stockholm The
courier in question will remain out
of Russia, 1t was stated. II his entry
involves anything that might be
as a recognition Of the
BolsheyikL -.- -.,.-.,- E--
Germans Weary Of War. -
The opinion that the peace move
represents a real WEAKNESS with the
war IN Germany and q disposition
10 compromise Is strengthened by ar
Interpretation of the Brest-Litoysk
conferences made here yesterday. II
is suggested that Germany permitted
Count Czernin, the Austrian premier
to voice the Teuton terms. because
they were primarily designed for con
sumption in the United States. Aus
tria. II Is pointed out. is far less
persona non grata in the United
states than is Germany.
o -. oil
were happy last night over tht
prompt repulse. No German peacI
offer has found the United State
more solid for war than the pres
ent one. 1t provoked a furry Of re-
sponse in the British Labor Congress
but that response was promptly snuf
fed out by the whirlwind Of war spiri
stirred by the letter of Lloyd-George
Further strengthening of the opinion
that Germany Is about ready to dui
IL seen m the accounts Of interna
political struggles which reached her
Yesterday. The Committee on Publi'
information made public the wireless
Transmission from France OF an edi
toriaI in the Frankfurter Zeituns o
December s. which says:
The German people desire in NJ
sense whatever that the opportunity
presented by the favorable situation
on the East front should be uset
for realizing on the West front th'
vain dreams Of the annexationis
fanatics Of Pen-Germanism."
At the same time the Pan-GermaT
organs condemn the Czernin terms OF
the surrender Of everything that Ger
man blood and sweat and sacrific'
have bought within the last thre'
dreadful years.
These contrasts are taken to indi
cate an internal struggle far NOR,
dangerous to the hitherto effectiv,
solidarity Of Germany than anythin;
that has yet been reported.