The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-12
GERMANY SETTING
NEW PEACE TRAPS

would be followed 1t would amount to
a plea for mercy by defeated Turkey and
would be received in good grace all
around, and Turkey would soon be out
OF her death agony. But an appeal to
President Wilson unaccompanied by q
readiness to surrender to the Allies
would be precisely the kind Of move
which the Wilhelmstrasse might be ex-
pected to inspire.
Hope to Annoy Allies.
The German idea would be that such
an appeal would necessarily cause deep
resentment in London and Paris. 1t
would tend to provoke the gravest I'M
easiness in some quarters, for admittedly
the average Englishman or Frenchman
would not relish seeing the mere posi-
bility OF the fruits Of victory achieved
at last by their armies against the Turk
ish forces taken out OF the military
realm and transferred to the realm of
discussion.
The only sort of message which
Turkey could send to Washington which
would have the earmarks of sincerity.
II is explained. would be n simple mes
ga ge that the Government was ready to
follow Bulgaria. Such n message. II is
added, could just as well be sent direct
to the victorious enemies as to the United
States. occupying the role OF neutral
toward Turkey.
II Turkey. therefore, has sent 4 plea
for peace to President Wilson or a re-
quest that he assume the role of media
tor between Turkey and the Entente
Allies this move will be at once stamped
as simply another clever ruse on the part
of Berlin. The Turkish communication
might be so couched as TO make il i'm
possible at first flush to ascertain
whether Turkey wanted to surrender or
not although II is believed here that the
probabilities are in favor of an indica-
ton of readiness to make a separate
peace II the President will assume the
role which Turkey asks him to assume.
Officials here fully expect the Presi-
dent to make short work of any camou-
tagged German trick along this line.
More CamOuhnge Reports.
The report that Austria Hungary and
Turkey have informed Germany that
they will accept the Presidents peace
terms Is another move which any one
conversant with the underground meth
DDS of German diplomacy might hava
expected at this time.
Ii Germany can create the idea that
both Austria Hungary and Turkey are
being weakened by the peace discussion
and that the Austro-Hungarian Govern
ment liz very likely to insist upon peace on
the Presidents terms the Teutonic diplo.
matists naturally believe that the United
States will be tempted to keep the peace
talk progressing and not snuff 1t out.
What German apparently fears most
now Is that the President may simply
cut Off all peace discussion with one
hri,p he l.on ly ,lo
status of the battlefield. where Marshal
Foch is hammering the German armies.
without giving the Imperial Government
the opportunity of keeping the spirits of
the German people up with hopes of an
early peace.
The Presidents note has checkmated
every effort the German war lords ex-
pected to make toward seeming to demon
strate to the satisfaction of the German
people that their enemies aimed to de-
stroy them and that a war of defence to
the last man must be w-aged to protect
the fatherland Consequently the Ger
man leaders are in more desperate
position than they have been at any time
since the war began. They are perhaps
gaining a temporary advantage by keep
ing the peace hopes and the peace at
mosphere uppermost in the minds OF the
Germans. but they realize that the day
Of accounting is fast approaching when
they must make answer to the PresI-
dents inquiry.
Meanwhile desperate efforts to compli-
cate the issue and prepare the ground
for the initiation of negotiations based
upon evaslve reply to the President or
terms arcN being made 1t Is ex-
planned here and the reports from Ger
many, Austria and Turkey are all re-
garded as part OF the network of VIII
intrigue.