The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-09-16
ALLIES WILL NOT
SHAKE HANDS
Nor Agree to Any HoIe-in-the
Corner Negotiation, In.
dignant Reply. II
cATSPAW IS AGAIN USFr
To Gain Time for Shattered Ar
my-offer to Belgium Is I
Shameless Insult. u

1
London, Sept. 16-Austria's INVITA-.
ton to the belligerents TO meet In a.
formal peace discussions Is Indignantly
rejected by the London morning newt.
papers. The note Is seen by commcY.
tators as a German trick In whi3)I
Austria Is made the catspaw h. an q.
deavor to gain time TO enable the Ge1-
man high command 10 Ieorganixe
shattered troops. The offer OF pea6e
TO Belgium Is regarded as O shau,
less insult. 80 HE
The Austrian note does not bri49
real peace any nearer" says the Ei-
press. Preliminary conditions, b
peace have been stated over and oyx
again by the allies and there q ~
the faintest suggestion that the cen
tral powers will nkree TO any one n
these conditions. They who drew ~
sword are scheming to save themselv2
from perishlng by the sword. The di6-
righteousness of the note jbetrays thit
u was written in Wilnelmstrasse, B.{.
lin." 80 'F
To Preserve Hohsnxollern. n
Relative to the offer of peace to Ecu
GUM, the Express says:
This Is another Brest -LitoyA
scheme and part Of the same plan RI
preserving the power Of the Hoherli
zollerns."
After referring to the sinking of th6
liner Galway Castle. Us n coincidence
to the offer OF peace, The newspapcr
says:
The allied peoples will not shake
hands. They will not be friends nor
VIII they agree to any hole In the cor
ner negotiations. Democracy is now
at the helm of the worlds affairs.
Militarism is tottering and II the Ger
man people desire TO save themselves
from falling with 1t they must insist
on the preliminary conditions hich
alone make useful talk possible"
Our Peace Terms Clear.
Our peace terms have been made
abundantly clear" says the Fost.
When Germany and her dependents
are ready to accept them tsey can
let us know. There Will be no a,hate-
ment to them. Germany must be bent :
en- and must recognize she 10 beaten,
Until then her suggestions for peace
conferences are not t. be regarded any
more than the cracking of thorn5
under a pot" Ff
The pacifist Daily News is the sole
exception to the prevalent tone Of
comment. Anticipating general ejec-
tion OF the Austrian proposals, It suys
that responsible SOBER minded men
should nevertheless face the = Jposais
squarely The newspaper argues that
discussions r1ust take place tconer or
later as a preliminary peace and says:
There Is no solid ground upon
which statesmen sincerely xealous tor
peace can justify the rejection OF The
austrian proposals Discussion would
rnt involve an armistiue. There would
htN nnacffnn ~ hA4 ~ ~~.-sn
mio'ng their fundamental principleas
Aga'nst the more than remote prbsI
pect that discussions might leave GtF-
many obdurate they might have q xary
different result In the case OF TuFl1SJ.
Bulgaria and even Austria. The aI1leS
with an unassailable moral case. have
everything to gain and nothing 10 lose
by discussion"
IAN impudent sham" is the Mairs
editorial head over its comment on the
note, which II describes as another
form Of an Old German trick.
THE German emperor is a v.ntrilo-
quist, whose voice we may hear In
this Austrian telegram" the newspaper
continues, "and we hear in this Aus
trian telegram" the newspaper con-
fs1ues, land we hear It becn use the
masters under whom Germany
10 'SVuiklE are dlTulu. 1t Is nOL ntl-
manlty which they have IN view but
the safety of their own skins. This
German trick has been disposed OF in
advance by President Wilson's mas
,erly addresses. Mr.. Wilson's, great
no peace with autocracy'
ipnles to Austria as well as Prussia
md for the same cause no German
rhe allied attitude Is clear We re-
lutocracy can be trusted for an hour.
luire reparation, restitution and guar
tntees and since the fresh German OUT
ages upon French territory we require
he punishment of the criminals
Nothing less will do. We remind the
'nemy Of President Wilson's words.
there can be no compromise; no half
way decision Is tolerable'."
AS to the offer to Belgium the Mail
avs it is insulting and only "offers
seleians one more scrap of paper"
"The note Is absurd on the very face
f it," says the Telegraph. ut is dis
ingenious, cynical and insincere, while
he proposal to Belgium is both insin-
ere and insolent. Germany as
ower is not to be trusted Her most
olemn compacts are talsified by her
ction. We must find repentant Ger
1any and German policy carried out
Y very different rulers before we can
ven hope to discuss peace. It is true
hat all nations desire the end OF the X
yar but peace must be lasting. It
,ust be one founded upon the recog-
ition Of the independence of nations.
bove all, 1t must he one which. In Mr
Wilson'S words. makes the world safe
,r democracy. Negotiations at the
resent moment even though they
rought a temporary peace. would only
ostpone the struggle OF right and
light. As long as he kaiser and the
an Germans direct with irresistible
uthority the destinies OF Germany. so
ing can thera be no question Of an
or purely academic negotia-