The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-16

Wn1Cn alQeG lno GeTmdu luVduSTS 10
go unpublished. The London morning
posal as follows:
Express-''The proposal brings
peace no nearer. 1t is true that all
peoples long for speedy end to the
struggle but the allies have stated
their preliminary conditions. They
are: Withdrawal from Belgium and
France; abrogation of the Brest-
Litovsk and Bucharest treaties, etc.
There is not the faintest suggestion
that the central powers will agree to
these conditions. 1t is just an invi-
tation to 8 secret conference at which
bargains can be struck and the de-
struction Of militarism prevented.
Hindenburg wants time to pull his
armies together. Negotiations mean
a practical armistice. Germany's note
to Belgium is another Brest-Litovsk
scheme"
Chron1cle-"Two motives inspire
the note-first, the desire to embar-
rass the entente by throwing upon
| 1t the odium of continuing the war.
Berlin and Vienna now realize for the
first time that the central powers can
not win the war. Instead they are
fearful with the dread OF defeat and
disaster. No one wants to continue
! the war day longer than necessary.
but the entente are not going to be
fooled with an unreal peace. 1t would
be foolish to expect good results from
a conference until Berlin and Vienna
change their methods of negotiations.
In Wilson's language, no general
peace. no peace worth the infinite
sacrifices Of these years of tragical
suffering can be arrived at under the
old method of barter and concession"
The Times-"Germany is employ
ing Austria to sham peace proposals
and cover up her efforts to gain time
while Hindenburg organizes his
forces. 1t is one Of the oldest and
stalest tricks of diplomacy. What
the central empires really hope for is
rejection of the proposal SO that they
can again present to their disheart-
ened peoples their reasons for con-
tinuing the war, They also hope to
break the entente's solid front"
Handed 1t Over.
AMSTERDAM, Sept 16.-The Aus
tria-Hungarian minister to Switzer-
land handed the Austrian peace note
to an allied representative in Berne
at one p. m. Sunday, according to the
| VOsS1Sche Ze1tung.
German Press Comment.
AMSTERDAM. Sept 16.-The Ger
man press seeks to give the impress
sion that 1t Is not whole heartedly In
favor Of the Austrian peace note. The
Berliner Neuste Natritchen calls the
note risky"
The Boersin Zeitung thinks there is
little hopes of its success. The Post
fears the allies will interpret tho
! note as a sign Of weakness. The Vor-
lwaerts warns against "overhasty OPP
timism," but he says the widest cir
Giles of the German people" will wel-
come the note.
The Kruez Zeitung fears the note
is futile and may lead to results OPP
posite to those desired. The Vossische
Zeitung anticipates the proposal will
fail, saying "if rejected, 1t will mean
declaration of the bankruptcy Of the
Official policy"
Suggests Acceptance.
NEW YORK, Sept. 16.-The New
York Times, in an editorial today
urged that the allies accept the Aus
trian proposal for an 'unbind1ng dis
cussion" looking toward peace. The
newspaper, however, declared peace
conditions must throttle German mill
tarisn and insure that there be no
repetition of the war.
Pointing out that the peace offer
comes from the quarter, where for
three years the allies have felt it
would come, the Times said, sit comes
in form which the allies may honor
ably accept in the confident belief that
it will lead to the end Of the war"
THE custom and practice of ma
tions," the editorial continued, ode
mands that this invitation to enter
upon the preliminaries Of peace re-
ceive the most serious and respectful
attention of the governments to which
1t is addressed
Commenting on causes for the pro-
posal it said:
For the actual and moving cause
of the proposals we must look to the
battlefields Of France. The French,
British and American troops under
the command Of Marshal Foch, the ad-
vancing and victorious leglons direct
ed by Haig, ny Petain and by Pershing.
have brought about this complete
change in the minds and In the atti-
tude toward the war Of Vienna and of
Pottsdam. The refluent current that
began to bear the Germans back from
! the Marine on July Is and has never
ceased it's irresistible sweep, exiting
uished their last hopes of victory: ST.
Mihiel comes as an admonition of i'm
pending and irretrievable disaster
The Times declared all belligerents
desire the end of war, but said at
would be the worst of plumbers for us
or any of the entente allies to abate
! war preparations now"
Commenting on what might be fore
ed from the central powers, the news
paper said:
"A peace that left Germany master
of the east would be a crime against
ourselves and our posterity. Control
of vast regions where she could renew
her now diminished might, she must
once and for all time renounce. The
RESERVATIONS and reparatinns to he do