Evening journal., 1918-01-26
GERMAN austrian
Replies ARE 'SP00F'
British Minister Sees Trick
cry and Evasion in
Peace Answers
SAYS GENERALS
ARE PULLING WIRES

LONDON, Jan. 26.-Chancellor Won
Hertling's speech was characterized yes
terday by Lord Robert Cecil. Minister
OF Blockade, as a very warlike, GER
tsinly not peace speech" He added
that the speech had been dictated by
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg and Gen.
Won Ludendorff, and contained no dec
laratlon OF policy regarding Belgium,
which he had always looked TO as
test OF the reality Of any proposals
from the other side.
The afternoon papers here regard
the speech OF Count Won Hertllng as a
scheme Of evasiOns and Inconsistencies
They point out that Germany proposes
TO have certain questions settled by
general conference Of Powers where
she thinks she may gain the advantage
by that method and insists on separate
negotiations for other questions. For
example, that the demands for the
evacuation OF northern France shall
be arranged with France alone, but the
evacuation OF Belgium would be ar
ranged by a general conference.
Germany also insists that all the Rus
sian questions should be settled with
I
tions concern only Germany and Aus
tria, but that the British colonies,
which the Central Powers never have
been able 10 touch during. the war,
shall be considered by an interna-
tional conference with view to TAX
ing some Of them away from Great
Britain. This last proposal meets an
iron clad refusal by the British press
TO consider.
The Evening News expresses the
opinion that the whole business is a
game Of spoofn concocted between the
two counts won Hertling and Czerninl
to split up the Allies and the United
States, although the newspaper fore
sees that later on internal forces may
cause a cleavage between the Central
Powers
The Westminster Gazette says: IF
Won Hertlings speech is what it ap-
pears TO be, the next word will be not
for US but for Czernin and the Austrian
Parliament and people"
The Pail Mall Gazette places en-
phasis on It's belief that the German
policy was arranged by Emperor VIII
| Ham, Field Marshal Won Hindenburg,
Gen. Won Ludendorn, Chancellor Won
Hertllng and Dr. Won Kuhlmann, none
Of whom owes his status In the re-
motest sense to popular suffrage or
admits any constitutional RESPONSE
bllity to the German people.
/ Lord Robert said he had not read the
speech Of Foreign Minister Czernin,
and therefore could not comment upon
it.
The first impression created In Lon
don by the summaries OF the replies
Of Count Won Hertling and Count Ger
min 10 President Wilson and Premier
Lloyd George is that the Austrian
viewpoint shows signs OF independ-
ence and does not follow the Ger
man policy in several respects.
On the vital question OF Belgium the
/ German Chancellor's statement Is con-
sidered so indefinite that 10 might be
construed 20 cover any course Germany
might think opportunity at the time OF
the peace negotiations. While assert
ing that Germany never demanded the
incorporation Of Belgian territory he
adds the qualifying phrase by yio-
lence," and leaves all Belgian ques-
tions TO the peace conference. This
course. it is pointed out, would give
Germany as free a hand in the con-
ference as her platform Of no anneXa-
uons and no indemnltles has been In
terpreted to give her in the Russian
negotiations
Count Czernin's proposal that peace
negotiations shall practically be begur
by Austria-Hungary and the United
states on behalf OF the two groups OF
Powers is one which is received with
marked interest The proposal which
seems certain to be met with a decisive
negative in England, however, is Count
Won Hertling's demand that the peace
conference shall involve a reconstitu'
tlon Of the worlds colonial posses
sions.
The general result Of these speeches
in the view Of observers here, is that
the war problems are now fairly
launched into the field Of internatlona
debate and that the next utterance !:
due 10 come from the United State:
and the European Allies.