The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1917-01-14
kNswfn o. ENTENTE Al.
tlfs ~ PgrsIOfHT4s
NOIr HfCtIvrD
OBJECTS SOUGHT
PLAINLY STATED
Captured Territory Must Re
Restored and Cssb Indem.
nifty Paid.

Washington. Jar ig The entente
allies. replying 10 President Wilson's
pence note In q Joint communication.
express the belief that II IL impossible
NJ the present moment 10 attain
peace that viii assure them repara
tion, restitution and such guarantees
AZ they consider are essential
In q separate note the Belgian
government expresses ia desire for
neace. but declares u could only nc
cent settlement which would a..
sure IL reparatIon and security IN the
future
Both Of the communications made
public by the state department Thurs
day night, are dated Jan. 10, and
were transmitted In translations from
the French texts through Ambassador
Sharp at Paris
The entente reply is regarded in
all quarters as putting an early peace
practically out of the question, but
still leaving an open door for the
president to make further efforts.
The official view on first eonsid-
Grafton is that it constitutes COM
plete answer to the presidents note
German diplomats regard the re-
ply as even more severe than they
expected. They declare it evidence
that enemies of Germany are wag-
ing a war of conquest to crush and
dismember her The Germanic allies
they declare, never would agree to
any. such terms.
President Wilson's next move now
becomes the center of attention. Ii
will not be decided upon until care
full and detailed study of the replies
of both the central powers and the
entente has been made
Several courses Ars open to the
president. He may inform each side
of the others reply and in doing so
may forward the documents without
comment or with some expression to
advance the situation to the point
of another exchange. He may begin
series of confidential negotiations
either through the ambassadors here
or through the ambassadors at the
foreign capitals. Also he may base
his next step not upon the notes
alone, but upon an estimate of the
situation in the belligerent countries.
Nothing has been decided and
nothing will be decided without the
most deliberate and mature consid-
Grafton. 1t will not be unexpected
if the curtain of secrecy is drawn
upon the next moves, because the
situation has advanced te a stage
where progress may demand abso-
lutte secrecy more than ever before.
The entente statement of terms is
regarded as presenting a legitimate
opportunity for the president to take
another step if he chooses to do so.
BY forwarding the replies of each set
of belligerents to the other, with or
without suggestion of the views of
the United States, the president may
act without incurring exception from
any OF them.
While the German diplomats de-
nounced the terms laid down in the
entente reply, American officials
made no attempt to estimate their
real feeling. Naturally they expect
ed the entente would state the limit
of its expectations. AT any rate
they regard such an assessment Of
the war situation as a valuable step
ping stone. Whether the president
still hopes to get from the centra
powers similar statement of term!
IS not known.
Germany's reply, while holding tC
the idea Of conference to find ;
starting point, was not regarded a
making other means,impossible.
1t is possible that the United States
might state to the central powers tha
as the entente has refused confer
enee and has made a general state
ment of terms, this government
would be glad if Germany could Sc
her way to make a similar statement
This point and all others will not an
cannot be decided in brief consid
Grafton of the wide field of actioI
the situation offers.
The German note to neutrals, pub
lished simultaneously with the er
tente reply, came as a distinct su,
prise. 1t promptly was characterize
by the entente diplomats as careful
ly prepared and timed address to tn
world, calculated to Offset the entent