Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-16

the dust"
That, was the Presidents answer
his answer now. No one doubts that it
is the answer Of an the allies
Meant to Pacify People.
In the. opinion of officials here the
primary object of Baron Burian and
the Germans who stand behind him is
TO convince the Austrian and German
desire peace. q course made necessary
by the highly dangerous and rebel
nous state of mind in Germany and
particularly in Austria
RMS could be accomplished speedily
ana EFFECTIVELY, it is pointed out by
omcials here. by an open declarat ation
OF full and unqualified acceptance by
Berlin and Vienna. Of the fourteen
rolnts laid down by President Wilson
as a proper basis of peace. But this
Would sound the death knell of pam
Germanlsm; would mean the dis
gorgement of a huge tract Of terri
tory, enormous indemnities and val
liable special privileges and monopo-
lies which the predatory central pow
ers nave wrung from Russia, not to
qwen upon the recessation of AIsace-
Lorraine, whose wrongful seizure half
century ago President Wilson has
solemnly declared must be righted-
with much interest the government
notes the statement that the Vatican
and all neutral nations would be noti-
presume that this is an attempt to en-
list sympathy for the peace movement
IN those quarters, as the fact is recoe-
ntzed that this proposition, which
amounts to invitations to the Vatican
ana the neutral states to participate
hattering to their pride The attitude
OF the Catholic elements of entente
as potent.
ostensibly the aim of Baron Buriian
Is to reduce the war issue to the sim
plest form by process of elimination
OF many points of only sentimental
Importance, and by agreement upon
certain broad altruistic principles Of
self-evident propriety and wisdom as
anecting international relations. But
officials who consider themselves ac-
quainted with the methods of German
diplomacy say they recognize a con-
cealed design to include some very
substantial German doctrine in some
apparently harmless and high minded
statements of principle.
Would Favor Germany.
But all these altruistic principles, It
German purposes. II the discussions
were to bear the fruit expected by
the authors of this latest peace Of
fensive. The League of Nations In.
wolves international disarmament, ac-
cording to the German idea, upon a
scale proportioned SO that the CEN
tral powers would continue to be
dominant from the military point Of
view.
The freedom of the seas from the
German view would involve. the
abandonment by Great Britain of
Gibraltar, Malta and Suez. and the
other great naval bases and fortiflca-
tions upon which depends the life of
the British navy and the security of
with India and her other colonial pos
sessions. The immunity from seizure
Of merchant shipping would make
impossible such a splendid blockade
as that by which the British, Ameri-
can. French and italian. navies have
isolated the Germanic powers.
Finally it is considered that the
sole purpose Of the apparent accept
ance of the principle of the right of
self-determination Of small nations
Is to accomplish the defeat of that
proposition. Germany. officials feel.
does not contemplate relinquish-
ment of. her control of Alsace-Lor-
raine. nor Poland. nor Schleswig-Hol-
stein. nor even the border states
which she has wrestled from Russia,
and she feels that the surest way to
maintain her hold is to defeat this
proposition. Of .self-determtnstioii by
making the independence of Ireland
and India a condition of its accept
ance.- =
Look for Peace Propaganda.
Tho State Department received dis
patch today, dated the 18th. from one
Of It's. representatives in Europe stating
that 1t was the consensus OF opinion
among diplomatists Of the allied gov
ernments and American Representatives