The Washington herald., 1918-09-08
HUNS PREPARE
PEACE OFFERS
Germans Get Ready to or
fer Olive Branch If
Drive Halts.

Germany At present il nursing new
peace proposals, but she judges this
an anpropitous time to advance
them. according to an Official dis
patch from Berne yesterday.
The time she will choose. the mes
sage adds is when the allies are con-
virced that Marshal FoCh's offensive
viii not break M the German front.
Needless TO say allied diplomats and
military Observers do not believe they
viii ever share the convictions the
Germans think they will, inasmuch
ss Marshal FOCh has already bat
tered and damaEcd the German front
and seems TO he able to keep up the
good work
RurIan at Conference.
The information contained In the
dispatch is based on the account OF
the Vienna correspondent OF the
BerIiner TagebIatt regarding the con-
ference held by Foreign Minister Won
Hintze with Baron BuTian, the
Austrian premier. He said:
These two statesmen agreed that
at the present time any steps taken
to bring about peace would be bound
to fail. They are both convinced that
the entente powers must frst expert
ence that Marshal Foch's offensive
cannot possibly succeed in breaking
up the German front. The enemies.
they believe. should confess that
struggle meant to defeat Germany
would have TO last for years before
Germany could be defeated. So II
may be that once Foch's offensive is
at an end We may be able TO face a
new political state Of things, more
favorable to steps on behalf OF
peace"
, However true the information in
the Tageblatt. SAYS the dispatch. IL
implies that Germany has lost all
hope OF defeating the allies. and
o comedies with the recent utterances
Of the Kaiser and the crown prince.
The German people, it says, now
cherish the hone the allies will tire
Of victory, and this is the last German
Illusion.
MiIItarists Post Notices.
Meantime the German people arc
manifeSting the deepest dependency
according to other official dispatches
from France Military authorities in
Berlin have posted notices on the
walls and prominent places warning
people TO beware of 'defeatist' con-
versations on the subject Of the bat
ties in France and threatening severe
penalties and Imprisonment to those
who fail to beware" Imprisonment
is also threatened persons talking in
an alarmist manner.
The German press carries daily ref
erences to the wild rumors and stories
Of all sorts of military disasters,
which the press as a whole, but with
out much success. says are under
mining the morale of the empire. The
KoeInlsChe Zeitung openly admits
that the allies offensive is = contin-
r!-d success. It reproaches the i'm
perial government for having brought
on the crisis in morale by magnifyiTnS
the German victories. and says:
D!strust Among People.
1T has been said that the C-boat
v4r was going to defeat England.
that the allied reserves We're eN-
h-u-t,d and that they would be uu-
arIe torocover from the blows inflicted
IN them No wonder then that the
result of these statements has been
the awakening diSilIusion and distrust
among the people"
50 deDI sing has been the attitude
Of the civilian mind that OffiCialdOm
JAS called OF H!ndenburE to allay the
distrust the dispatch adds. The mar
ghaI it is saul. charges the Entente
with poisoning German minds with
tracts and manifestOs He also de-
clared these rumOrs have seriously
affected the morale of soldiers on
leave and he winds up by asking his
rOuntrymen to "defame any German.
showing by his attitude that he has
gone to the enemy's side"
This appeal by HindenburG has been
given wide circulation throughout the
entire empire.