Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-07
PRESIDENT AWAITS
OFFICIAL NOTICE
BEFORE DECIDING
Acid Test Will Be Applied
to Proposals Now
on Way.
INDICATIONS ARE PLEA
WILL GET SCANT HEED
Recognized as Step by Germany
to Save Something From
Wreckage. -
SURRENDER IS ONLY ,LAN
Suggestion OF an Arn,istice v, hife
Discussion Is Conducted Isl
Not to Be Considered.
IS ONLY nLAN
I'By Associated prcss.1

rBy Associated Prcss.l 90
While Germany and Austria Hungary,
are clamoring for peace, the entente /
allied governments thus far are pay
ing scent heed to the proposals, but
their armies are pressing forward to
further victories on ali fronts. SIS
Ofiicially no cognizance has yet been
taken or the request of Prince MAXI
milan of Baden. the new German
Chancellor. or that Of the Austro-
Hungarian government for an armis-
oics on land, on sea and in the air.
and the commencement Of peace neEo-
liaiions, for peace to whom the dual
and and highly similar proposals are adj
dresSed Is not yet in receipt of them
that the request will fall upon deaf
ears ear and and that no peace is possible for
conditional surrender and acceptance
TO the full Of the terms President
wilson has enuncated. eSsl
not reached WashinEton in of1ieisi
form SUNDAY. and there was. there
fore. no authorized statement OF how
Ilniniy. however, II was recognized "a
me next step in the continuing efrorts
Oh th,n inc German statesmen to save some
dream of world domination the step
Which might be expected from los
ing ing trader who makes his proposition.
best. each time coming nearer TO the
demands of his adversary, meanwhiie
e9edeavorins en- ea,, to hold out In the hopes
OF getting the best terms he can. .e
II hardly Is taking position in ad-
vance OF the American government TO
say say mat Il the present proposition
ceptancc of the four PRINCIPLES Of peaes
laid l down by President Wilson In, his
r. Pourth Was,,1i. Of July speech at the Tomb
lt ii does not; II II is an acceptance
In In principle" with saving diplomatic
around a council table, IL vii, i,o,unl'hs not lbs
e9hside GO, red; Those terms accepted ,pby
all the allies as their own, the Presi-
aent compressed into single SEN
Reign Of law based upon the con-
sent sen o. tne governed and sustainedsby
INC organized opinion of mankind.a,s
THAT THREATEN wORIn
They provided for the destruction or
reduction or virtual Impotence, Of any
aroitary arr na., power .. CAPABLE of disturbing
OF every question on the basis Of the
interest Of the people concerned and in
cHect league OF nations to enforce
II In the offer ,pf Prince. Maximilian,
Is willing TO accept these terms and
that he speaks not alone. but with
the military masters of Germany in
acaniescence. the next logical step
man from every foot Of occupied tar
ritory From that point the allies
might begin 70 test the sincerity OF
the world peace. preserving program
No one in Washington even as
much as gives thought to any pro-
posal that the victorious troops 6 sc
Great Britain, France, Italy and the
United States should halt in an ar
mistice while .'discussion' Is con-
Of the same nature as was given 10
Bulgaria. an armisticc Of unconditional
surrender. 49,
When Austria proposed a peace ne
gotiation the official view was summed
up this way:
Austria is breaking: that is tho
to talk peace"
WILL APPLY ACID TEST
WHEN PEACE OFFERS ARRIVE
There is nothing to indicate that
the view has been changed. No one
here doubts o, that sooner or later Ger
that may be worth considering. None
OF tho allies wishes to assume the re-
sponsibiiitr OF the prolonging the war
day longer than is necessary to In
sure the future peace of the world.
Therefore. ii is realized that offers of
peace arc no.; to he rejected before they
arc examined Prince Maximilians Of
fer. with those said to be coming SIM
ultaneously from Austria and Turkey.
VIII so under the same acid test which
has been applied TO all the others.tjIf
1t fails to stand the test it will go the
way OF all the others.
Germany herself is participating
formally now for the first time in an
open and direct proposal OF peace. Tho
move is believed to mark the begin
ming OF the last phase of the effort to
substitute diplomatic discussion tor
military operations before the allied
and American armies cross the Rhine
and give German soil taste OF what
has happened TO Belgium and North-
ern France. The proposals even max
be little more specific than officials
OF the American government had ex-
peceted as a sequel to President VIII e
sons nat rejection of Austrias request y
for secret and nonbinding. discussions
but apparently no one here is ready
to conclude that the Eaiser's govern.
ment has reached the point VIII ,rc II 4
will accept without more hghting tho
only terms upon which their enemies
arc willing to lay down theiE arms.
CLAIM KAISER IS STILL
IN CONTROL OE SITUATION
Officials who informally g.. they md
no reason for thinking peace yw!lI 30
brought apprcciabiy nearer byifSthe .
latest development, point to the pSes-
ent situation In Germany, and al tJfc
battle fronts. They say there has bStf
no real change In control In Germany.