Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-09
PAN.GERMANS DEFEATED
IN OPENING SKlRMISH /.
OF TRIBUNAL
NO ANNEXAT|0NS
NEITHER 90 THEY ASK iNDEMl-
TiES-WlLSON WILL GIVE NO
HEED TO PEACE PROPOSALS
UNLESS FIRST SURE OF
GROUND.

Amsterdam, Oct. "a new peace Of
fer from Austria and Germany will
soon be made containing terms Of an
nexatiOns and no indemnities, accord
ing to a dispatch from Berlin today.
The telegram quoted the Deutsches
Tages Zeitung as its authority.
This information, II true, shows
that the Peace bloc" in the German
Reichstag has won a victory for .
peace on the basis of status quo ante .
and that the pan Germans have been
vanquished For some time the peace
party in Vienna has been bringing
strong pressure to bear upon Berlin
to state definite peace terms, which
would be of such nature as to secure
recognition in the allied capitals.
The Deutsches Tages Zeitung said
that its announcement OF the fourth
coming peace was made on high au.
thority and that the central powers
would agree to surrender all Of the
French and Belgian territory over.
run by the teutonic armies.
1t Is understood that the clause re-.
lating to indemnities will state that
neither side shall ask financial com.
pensation.
This important news from Berlin
caused at time when the Reichstag
was planning Its debate on peace
terms. The debate was to have open
ed yesterday afternoon, but It is un.
derstood that 1t will be postponed to
allow the leaders OF various German
political factions to confer
At the conference said Berlin ad.
vices the majority of the Peace bloc"
in the Reichstag decided to renew
their pressure upon the Imperial Gov.
ernment to state Its peace terms in q
definite way
Opinion is expressed that the peace
intervention of the pope had a strong
influence upon both the German and
Austrian governments.
While definite mention Of the Bal
kan question was avoided, 1t Is ex-
pected that the central powers, wear
led by war. and with their finances
on The point of complete exhaustion,
are prepared approach that question
in manner they hope will be &C.
ceptabe to the entente.
U. s. VIII Reject Plea.
Washington, Oct. 9-The United
States will reject any German pro.
posals of peace that carry with them
only demand for the restoration OF
the status quo ante bellum.
High administration officials made
this plain today in discussing the re.
port in the Deutsch Tages Zeitung,
of Berlin that new peace offer, with
that suggestion as the basis, is about
to be made by the central powers.
President Wilson, they pointed out
had such an offer in his mind yester-
day afternoon when addressing the
newly organized League for National
Unity he said that the war must con.
tlnue until the enemy is beaten. This
statement. taken in connection his
reply to the pope that no peace offer
could be considered from the German
government until that government
was made responsive to the German
people. was declared by officials today
to mean that the president will not
change his announced attitude even
tho the peace bloc in the German
relchstag should compel the govern.
ment to end the war on this basis.
"As no" indemnities and no annexa'
tions This does not mean, however,
that the administration favor other
annexations or lndemnities. On the
other hand, 1t Is considered certain
that president himself would favor
peace based entirely on a basis OF
restoration IL the present German au.
tocracy could be robbed OF its powers
and the government reformed 50 the
people would control.