New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-05
President to Try Medi-
alton Again, Regard
less of Allies Reply
HAS BERLIN TERMS,
GERMANS ASSERT
Teutonic Peace Basis
Liberal Say Kaiser's
PropagandiStS
By STEVENSON n. EVANS


situation may develop rapidly soon
after the expected note from the
Allies, in reply to President Wilson's
communication Of December 18, is
received, if the following statements,
which are believed in high and offl.
cial circles here, are true:
The secret peace terms of the
German government are at the
White House, and, from the Ger
man view, they are so liberal that
the Allies will be forced, at least,
to consider them.
President Wilson has plans TO
send another peace note, probably
making a more direct avowal Of
willingness to act as mediator, no
matter how strong opposition to a
German-made peace is voiced in
the forthcoming note from the En-
tente Allies.
1t is important to point out at
once that the first statement was
started in German quarters. It's
circulation was forced in the same
manner and by the same people as
when other statements calculated to
assist the German cause gained pub
Iicity.
German Propaganda Active
That the secret peace terms were in
trusted to Mr.. Wilson, possibly even be-
fore he sent his note, is confirmed in the
minds of those friendly to the Admins
trstion by the attitude taken at the
White House and the State Department.
II is nowhere denied that the secret
peace terms are here.
If the terms are not here officials OF
the American State Department may
not realize how strongly they are back
ing up the German propaganda in per-
hitting il TO be believed that Mr.. WI
son is acting on secret information
from Germany. Or perhaps they do
realize il. At all events. il is the ap-
parent desire, in quarters very friend
ly to Germany, to have the American
people believe that the peace terms are
here and that they are very liberal"
Liberal they are, no doubt, from the
point of view Of a victorious Germany.
Whether the French and British would
take a similar view of their liberality
is doubtful, at least.
Wilson Will Try Again
President Wilson's intentions as to
sending one more note about peace
and Offering mediation to the nations
at war do not hang, however, on ms
possession of secret peace terms any
more than on the contents Of the forth
coming note from the Allies. His
friends in the Senate say that he be-
lieves that he has been entirely sue
cessful as far as he has gone. The
not. that came from Germany, they say,
was expected, and the President is pre-
pared for whatever the Allies may
write in their note.
No one here doubts the extreme anN-
iety on the part of Germany to keep
peace negotiations before the neutral
world. The plan is to keep the peace
drive going.
Anything which neutrsls can do to
help will be welcomed. But there IS
no doubt that in circles friendly TO the
Entente Allies another note from the
President will be regarded as even
more in the German interest than was
the first note.
Colonel House Starts Rumors
Colonel f. NJ. House, idus achates,
has been here, has had several long
and perhaps important conversations
with the President and has departed.
and the usual crop of rumors, that
something very weighty portends, that
Colonel House is about to start again
for Europe on q secret mission, etc, IS
in circulation. IL all may be true, but
nobody knows. Colonel House was bere
two days. He has gone. Anything else
would be guessing.
OF course. il is very important II
liberal German peace terms are IN the
possession of the President, and 1t is
no doubt interesting that Mr. wilson IS
busy on another peace note. But what
is really going on IN the United States
to-day is a very efficient and vigorous
German propaganda 10 SHIFT American
sympathy from the side of France and
Belgium and Serbia and England to the
side OF the Teutonie Powers.
If the Administration can be drawn
so far in that il will be difficult TO get
out: il. in addition, Congress may be
induced 70 take official action, and II.
above all, signs of change in Ameri-
can sentiment can be reported TO Ber'
lin then the work now under way IN
Washington will not have been in vain.
Il is unfortunate from the German
point OF view, that so many meetings
in cities Of the United States are now
being organized TO protest against the
enslavement and removal OF the civil
population OF Belgium.