Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-07
GERMANY, ON KNEES
AS SUPPuANI, TO
MEET NEW REBUFF
OFFICIAL WASHINGTON EXPECTS
LATEST PEACE OFFER TO MEET
WITH REJECTlON-PLEA LOOK
ED UPON AS CONFESSION OF
DEFEAT.

respondent luettudtlbt41t news SN''
ice.
Washington, Oct. Instant rejee,
ton by the United States will be the
fate of the latest peace proposals from
the central powers.
President Wilson will handle the
situation and handle it in a hurry
He is expected to act as soon as the
state department receives officially
the text of the notes from Berlin and
Vienna. Neither OF the notes had
reached the state department tonight
There was no disposition in official
circles tonight TO distinguish between
the German and Austrian moves, as
the proposals are deemed but another
step in the great peace offensive now
under way Because the two govern
ments are acting in accordance on the
matter word of similar action on the
part OF Turkey is expected momentar-
lily
1t can DE stated semioiiicially, how
ever, that peace is impossible at the
present time as far as either Ger
many or Austria is concerned The
reason it is impossible is because they
have made ii so. Officials expressed
disgust at the hypocrisy which cloaks
the present proposals and which
glares from beneath the camouflage
of good faith
The opinion still obtains here
among army and navy officials that
Austria and Germany are working
together with deceptive propositions
in order to gain time within which
to overcome the panic among their
peoples who are elamoring for peace
on any terms that will stop the blood
shed and relieve the starvation OF the
dependent classes.
The branch of the government
most keenly interested is the war
department Views were expressed
by some of its officials today which
are Of unusual interest.
Views of Capital.
: These may be stated in this way.
/. The changes in the cabinet Of
the Kaiser and their first fruits, this
offer OF Prince Macmillan. are con-
tession Of defeat.
2. A confession of defeat Is not
enough while there is a single army
h the field furiously fighting rear
guard actions and devastating Bel.
gian and French towrh as they
retrograde under our pressure. The
desolation they are leaving in their
track casts grave doubt on the pro-
LESSONS of sincerity in their peace
proposals
3. What stands out wildly as the
main point Of the speech of Prince
Macmillan and the Austrian actual
proposals is an armistice.
4 AS we understand the Presidents
pisiton it will be in vain to appeal
for an armistice unless the two enc
my governments first state what
they propose to do pending that
armstice That means that the over
lures are open to grave suspicion.
5. What is manifestly necessary is
a statement with guarantees from
both governments that they will
abide not merely by the propositions
of the President, which nowhere men
tion an armistice, but that they will,
if an armistice be granted, accept
any conditions that the President will
impose
6, From the military point of view
an armstice that would meet the
Views OF the United States, as under
STOOD here, should carry with the
eessations of arms several hostages"
for performance
Must Gut Invaded Soil.
"One Of these hostages, or guaran
tees, should be what we would call
the minimum" said high official,
"and that means we will not talk
armistice until they have Withdrawn
INTO their own country and have
abandoned all conquered territory.
The second would be the maxi.
mum, namely, that after they have
Withdrawn across the Rhine the allies
shall be allowed TO occupy some of
the Rhine towns, preferably the
Rhine fortresses this implies de.
mobinization Of the enemies armies
and the allies, or probably the United
states, would administer Alsase and
Lorraine until final adjustment had
Deen made at the peace congress.
\ The imposition of such terms would
moi be incompatible with what is
generally understood to be the presi.
cents idea of a just peace. because
II involves the actual forcing of the
Germans AMI Austrians out of the
held by force of arms and their nm.
Willingness to abide tY what the
president has so often and quite re.
GENTLY stated