The Washington herald., 1918-06-26
CENTRAL POWERS WILL
LISTEN TO PROPOSAL
Wars End Through Other
Than Military Decis-
ions, He Says.
BLAMES RUSSIA AS CAUSE OF
CONFLICT, AND FRANCE NEXT
Expression, Vague and Back
Door" Left Open as to Boundary
Lines to Be Drawn.

London, June 75.-Out of the
gloom and disgust that have hung
heavily upon Berlin ever since
Austria's Italian drive proved a
bloody hzzle, stepped today the
gentle Kuehlmann, to address a
few remarks to the world, through
the medium of the Reichstag. II
was a singulariy pardoxical effu-
sion; smooth and crude, apole-
getic and threatening. conciliatory
and warlike- Political wiseacres,
scrutinizing it late today as the
full text came jn, were strongly
inclined TO look upon It as hastily
PsIt-together substitute for a quite
different speech, one which would
have been made had Austria sue
ceeded in her bold Plan to put
Italy out of the war"
Won KuhIman Substitutes.
Today's meeting Of the Reichstag
had been long and widely advertised
by Berlin itself. The imperial chan
cellor, Count Won Hertling. had been
scheduled to make the chief address.
A peace offer, with more or less ex-
plicit statement OF the Central Paw
ers' aims, was generally looked for
But the program. based as 1t was up
on Italy's utter collapse, fell to pieces.
ister was put forward to make the
best Of the situation-for someone had
to say something.
Three points stand out in the Ger
man foreign minister's address:
!. Germany. he said, would not turn
deaf ear to q peace proposal mot
couched in ambiguous terms" but
mutual confidence in each others
honesty and chivalry" was one of the
preliminary conditions for an ex-
change OF peace views.
The wars end, Dr. Won Kuehl-
mann asserted-and It Is the first ad-
mission Of its kind emanating from a
German statesman-''can hardly be
expected through purely military di-
cisions alone, and without recourse to
diplomatic negotiations"
1He placed the chief blame for
the war on Russia. naming England
as only third In the list of the DOW
ers he charged with responsibility
for the conflict, and France second.
Next In importance was his dec
laration that Germany did not de-
sire to bind herself with regard
to Belgium, as long as the allies re-
mained silent on the subject
sIdesteps italian DebaeIe.
Pitifully lame was DR.. Won vuhl-
mann's reference to the events in
the italian theater. Instead of the
scheduled announcement that an
other "faithles former ally" had
been punished for his treaehery," !"
Gas the pronunciamento ran In Ru-
mania's case) all to which the pilot
of the Kaiseris foreign Office deemed
IL safe to commit himself was:
The Austro-Hungarian army has
achieved q noteworthy success IN Mn
ming down Important enemy forcss."
Spurning "abiguous" peace offers
Quoting Former Premier Asquith In
doing sol DR.. Won Kuehlrnan himself
fndulged In some of the choicest vague
ness OF the WiIhemstrasse brand.
We wish for the German people
and our allies" said he, ca free.
strong, Independent existence within
the boundaries drawn for Us By his
tory'-carefully omltting a DEFINITION
OF this elastic phrase. and leaving the
back-door open to state at some fu-
ture date he meant the history Of
this war. drawn by the shining
sword"