The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-22
ny GEO. RANDOLPH CHESTER
Downright. taiSl

Copyright. 1879
PARIS. March ga man who
should have known better. or whose
sympathics were In the wrong place.
said. Ia tho cabinet 81 certain high
officials here. that Germany was in
a worse way than anyone know, and
that when she came forward with
offers OF peace. humanity should
prompt the allies 60 listen
There was a moment Of rather
awkward silence. In which brows
knottcd and tips Strengthened and
faces grow tense. then one French
gentleman who has very import
ant position in the government. who
has % male relatives dead In this
war. whose intirmity alone prevents
him from completing the number
with 20, and who spent years enough
In America 20 talk that language
nuently. turned slowly In his chair
and said:
III German came 10 me
with an offer Of peace. would
know him senselcss Immediately
and turn him over to sec
whether he had gas bomb or
plain bludgcon concealed be-
hind him when he held out tho
olive branch. There will never
I he any bona.fidc German offer
OF peace until Il i coupled with
AN appeal for mercy. and even
then the appeal IL more than
! likely 10 be an attempt nj de
ccption.
Germany talked peace with Rus
I STA across the trenches until the r.
| sis,ance OF Russia was weakened
and her first acts. when she consid
cred Russia supinc. were acts OF
greed and contempt.
Her soldiers talked peace with
the soldiers OF Italy across th'
trenches. while they were preptrins
| for the offensive which undid al
that Italy had poured out her bes
blood TO attain.
Peace Talk l. Bunk
Z and each OF Gcrmany's peac'
talks across the diplomatic treuehe'
/ had In view the same object. {,
weaken the determination OF one Of
another OF the allies. or 10 cause 1
split among them.
The replies OF Count Hertiinl
and Count Cxcrnin to the speeches
OF President Wilson and Mr.. Lloys
George were the most insoient o
ali in their assumption OF stupsdit,
on the par, OF the allies.
Promptly ON receipt Of these re
plies. II was announced. In this room
that. In tho opinion OF France
neither In the speech OF the Ger
man chancellor nor in the Czernii
speech was there any hope Of peace
or even one definite answer to Ia
very definite proposals OF PreSideu
Wilson: that Count Hcrtilng's spcecl
was notable for tho absence. for tn
first time. In any recent speech o
a German chancellor. OF tho word
without annexation and without II
dcmnity
1T n now known that at the vcr
time OF the making Of thos
speeches. the practical seizure an
partition OF Belgium had been d
cidcd upon. In detail. by Germany
In tho statement OF Count Her
ling regarding Belgium. Il was Il
sisted upon that the whole BelEia
question. In general and in detail
must be left for agreement durin
the peace negotiations.
I'm other words. II was frankly
and clearly set forth that the
fate Of Belgium would not be
: made a matter Of right and jus
tice. but a matter Of bargain.
HI ing.
/ Count HertlinR was equally clea
when he referred 20 the north Z
France. and calmly called attentu
TO the fact that tho occupied 20
tons Of French territory are now n
important asset In Germany's hand
and that their evacuation must TAX
the vital interests OF Germany int
| account