Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-17
BALFoUR THINKS NOTHING
CAN COME FROM PROPOSAL
lBy Associated Press. !

IBy Associated Press
3LoNDoN, september l6.--A. J. Bal
-FOUR, the British Foreign Secretary
giving his personal viewpoints on tue
american peace noie 10 visiting jour
naliSts. said: 1t is incr. iio:e that any
ming can come OF his proposal
Friedrich Won Payer. he German In
perial Vice Chancellor. NJ Baifour
SAID: This cynical proposal o! The Aus
trian government is not a genuine at
tempt 10 obtain peace, IL IL an at
tempt 10 divide the allies
i cannot honestly, IN The proposals
now made TO us. as | nav" bcen able
the slightest hope that IL. goal We
deS!re--the goal .! a pea :e which shall
be more than a uuce-can really be-
attained"
The Foreign Secretary SAID ne was
utterly unable TO see that ,onfcrrnc,
proposed BY Austria could Eave the &C.
sired end
upon himself the task OF REJECTING; with
light heart any proposal which wol.d
sho.tei. the lenS n OF the war He a4so
declared ihfss mo cI1a litlon ever had hren
s. strong as the allied roaIl.On ana
that tAe enemy would no. succeed al
Drcak!ng IL
Conversations such as were pro-
posed by Austria Hungary, Mr.. BaIicur
said, undoubtedly would have great
value under certain circumstances. lie
SAID they would serve 20 smooth out
obscuriiies such as questions OF pride.
but he declared that iha questions
now between the belligcren,s were
definitely defined
SAYS GERMAN ATTITUDE
HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEFINED
Il am not taking the proposals II
Two years ago or OF last year. but of
last week" Secretary Ba!.our SAID.
The German Nice-Chancc.lpr, speak
ing for the German government clear
~ and without obscure verDjase.
showed where Germany stood on ;ne
question OF Belgium, Alsace- Lo-rairc,
The German colonies ana .h- Br.st
Litovsk ana Bucharest treaties"
Inc Fo!e!sn secretary said he agreed
thors pointed out that Inc whole of
CIVILIZATION was al stake. and that the
prolongation OF hosti!iiics was A risk
ing or sacr ihcins OF great deal that
was really dear 10 everybody Interested
in the progress Of mankind The tar!as
of peace and war were so Tremendous
and the caiamit!es imposed by ;h,. con-
t!nuatiou OF hostilitlcs 80 overWnal,n
Ing, he said. that he would never .rcat
with disrespcct any peace proposa.
1t could not be more clearly set
forth than II was by Won Payer last
week that Germany Intended TO nav
no indemnity 10 Belgium. MIR Balfour
continued. He Indicated the Foreign
Secretary said, that Germany did not
believe in the principle OF !ndemnitics
and yet at the same time she was
sqeezing millions OF dollars on, Of
Russia.
This" the speaker went on, "w,s
for the wrongs Russia is supposed 10
have done Germany. How can tnos.
wronge be compared with the devasra
ton and ruin which Ger many is wrrak-
ing on Russia now?"
Regarding the question OF colonies,
Secretary Balfour said:
The colonies are one question on
which there is no Misunderstanding.
We stand on one side and Germany
on the other"
Referring TO the lack ~ concerted
effort by the central powers. AS en-
phasized by the Won Payer speech and
the Austrian note. the Foreign Score
tary pointed TO the clumsiness of Ger
man diplomacy.
THE German" he added "excels IN
direct. simple brutality but when he
tried to dress In President wilson's
clothes or tries TO act as President
Wilson would act. he is clumsy"