Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-06
SDOWNE EFAvORS
FARLEY WITH HUNS
~ Perceptible Advance in
Eeace Discussion in Talk
of Won Hertling
oINTS OF AGREEMENT
Iiminary Get-Together Declared
Only Means of Advancing Un-
\ derstanding More Rapidly
LONDON March G.

|.
The Marquis of Lansdownc has writ
(on q letter to tho Daily Telegraph
saving the recent speech of Chan'
callor Won Hcrtiing marks a percepti.
bio advance In peaoc discussions. LORD
LAnsdowne thinks 1t all the more re-
markable because .thc speech may bc
REGARDED as "a kind of rcjoindcr to the
depressing announcement recently
lnode--some OF us thirh< rather gra'
tuitcusiy--by the Versailles confer
.encc."
(. Lord Lansdownc notes that the Ger
4 man Chancellor regarded tho speech
made by Niscount Miner on February
E ~ as more conciliatory than that made
recently by Walter Runclman, ca.
president OF the Board of Trade. and
LAnsdowno seems by implication TO
agree with Won lIer1ling.
Four points OF Won Hertling's
speech arc selected by Lord Lans-
downe for comment First ~ the
Chanccllor's wish for an intimate meet
Ing OF tho belligercnts. Lord LanS
d6wne interprcts this to mean "a small
Informal meeting. not of plcntipotcn
fiories. but of persons authorized &c
discuss confldentially the possibility o'
more formal conference. hc rctcr'
approvingly TO the opinion OF ForcigI
t Secretary Balfour that it would be
uI1wise to begin negotiations unless
some preliminary agreement exists
and asks how such n preliminary
agreement is to be reached without
Z preliminary conversations.
Lord Lansdowne remarks that Allied
q spOkesmen now are stcrnly repro
batting Germany's crimes and are sub
n hitting demands which arc not likely
TO be conceded until Germany ~
! beaten to her knees. while German
sbokesInen arc putting forward in
admissible demands aud imputng sci
fish and aggressive aims 10 the Allies
y He continues:
-Tn these circumstances it seems
at first sight that there is nothing for
: It. but what Count Won licrtliug callS
: sadherencc TO the existing method ot
dialogue across the Channel and tho
ocean dialogues which, after all, may
be useful"
SCRUTINIzE GEI.MAN ACTIONS
The second point is Won tcrtling''
admission that peace can be dscussc'
on the basis Of President Wilson,
four principles. This. says Lord Lans
dowrc, Is satisfactory as Far as i
goes. but he. ma'ntairs that "Wc ar'
entitled to scrutinizc the manner "
winch tfleSe DllnClDlCS udNt DCtll dli
piled by Germany
The third point is the Chancellor
assurance that he would greet joyful!
and cooperate gladly with an i'm
partial court of international arDitrl
lion. Lord Lansdownc says this state
ment may be welcomed. and recall
that Mr.. Balfour made n sinila
! uttcrance
The fourth point is Won llcrt!inG
Intimation that Germany does no
think of retaining Belgium, togethc
e with the Chanccllor's references {
3 the papal note aud TO the utilization
OF Belgium as jumpIIgoIf ground fo
Cermanys enemies. Lord lausdown
TX admits that when read in the light Il
other German uttcrInceS this lead
to the inference that the thanccllo
cof,templated tile imposition upon he
GUM of terms which would intcrfer
y with her independcnCc, but he point
out that the material passage in III
< pnpal note upon which Won lIertlin
apparently relies. insists that &c
many cvacuate Belgium and Guaral
~ tee her full political, military and &C,
alnic Independence. adding that
v:ll a guarantee is really all tl
chancellor requires il ought not to i
diftlcult to satisfy him. Tho lettc
continues:
i"Let Us hope that in the course Q
the Dialogue which will doubtless b
continued he will tell us whether this
hts meaning or whether wholly differ
ef1t signs hintcd in the papal note wcr
in his mind, THIS point requires cloat
,a ing up, because II Count Won lIcrtlinR
. overture has bccu turusd down this la
Z been In great measure due to the II
terpretation placed upon his rctcrenc
to Belgium. with an Information;
court IN operation there would not 1
ny much likelihood of such abuse Of III
{ neutrality OF Belgium as count vo
Hertiing apprehends.'
4 SAME TREATMENT FOR ALI
Up TO this point. Lord Lausdowue GOT
AtE on, lie Is unable to see why mtiniat
II dtxcuEsious cannot take place for thcl
vi q q basic agreement. nc sayg, upo
President wilson's principles, the nee
Of All International tribunal aud also, !
believes, regarding Belgium. lie col
tends thai treatment similar To that r.
duired for Belgium must be oNtcndC
10 the other areas occupied by the Gel
trial Powers.
l However. ne sees formidable dinicr
b 1ica arising from claims for the tran
Y Ference of territories from one Pow
p 10. 4HOtncrf SucH as NlsdCC-LolTtlU
France. parts OF Austria to Italy N
4 pavts of Turkey'to Great Britain, |
a does not suggest that these arc all
4 tho came plane, but rather that all d'ft
from any question OF restoration. Al
acks whether 1t Is not inevitable that
such questions shall be left for tho, lin
peace congress, TO which Premier Lilo
George suggested that tho question
The German colonies be submitted
# s,iggcstion In which hc says Preside
KIlnon apparently concurs.
Lord Lansdowne asks whether any U
M o1pposes these questions could be 81
1I<d while the war Is raging and whetf
~ nnyfhing moro can now he done thi
i 10 lay down principles upon which Z
~ mace congress would deal with the
|- 10fiers. lie raises the question whetl
& {; 1orovement can be made upon {
|&riples which President Wilson j
1>ofd. which both sides apparen
hot indisposcd TO accept.