The sun., 1918-10-08

Study, presumably framing by his own
hand the reply to the German pro-
pbsal. .-..
Notes sent TO White House.
t,rhe German peace note reached the
White House this morning. having been
delivered by Frederick Oederlin. Charge
dtAralres Of the Swiss Legation. The
Apstro- Hungarian note was presented to
Secretary OF State Lansing by w. A. #.
aRengren. the swedish Minister, before
IL o'clock and was promptly despatched
% the White House. ..a . ..
mir Lansing at the mornings confer
eace with the newspaper men announced
that the Swedish Minister had handed
him note from the Austrian Govern
Itlent, but said he could not comment on
itsin any way. Secretary Lanslng's at
titude toward the new peace moves could
not be OWNED by anything he said, but
itswas clear that the developments were
mt causing him concern or worry, and
lbs was obviously In buoyant spirits, as
II anticipating the denouement which
VII come when;the President makes his
reply. -.-t ~. .
Eat the afternoon conference With the
ptess Secretary Lansing began by stat
ing II have no news, gentlemen" but
tbs remark sounded 20 out of place in
y1cw OF the circumstances that Mr.
IRnsing could not repress n smile
Efforts, however, to initiate peace dis
cussions with Secretary Lansing met the
same fate which the present -Teuton
efforts are going to meet. for the Secre-
tsry OF State declined to be drawn into
any discussion at this time.
Must Consult with Allies. ..
With the official texts % tho German
and Austrian notes just received and a
peace appeal along the same lines COM
ing from Turkey It Is necessary for the
United States at least to withhold all
official comment until there has been OPP
= portunity TO discuss the matter with the
Entente Allies.
II was indicated authoritatively that
exchanges of views between the United
States and the Allies would necessarily
have to take place before the President
makes reply. The German note In ef-
feet asks the President to take up the
Question OF peace discussion with the
Entente Allies There is reason to be-
lleve that these exchanges Of views have
already been making progress over the
cables and that President Wilson is par
ticularly anxious to have no unnecessary
delay in this phase OF the matter.
Diplomats point out that promptness
Ia important in replying to the German
note and they are convinced that the
President fully shares this view. But
in this case the contents OF the Presi-
dents reply and even the manner In
which to "a certain extent the form 1t
takes will be of such vital and Tar
reaching Importance. 1t is explained, that
they cannot be sacrificed for any reason.
Thus the President has made no effort
to follow the procedure he followed in
A. Anc Inn ri N N
proposal for a non-binding peace.
spokesmnn for the Allies.
I'm the present case the procedure to be
followed virtually demands dignity as
well as the most scrupulous regard to
Justice and to the principles which have
Guided this nation in war and will con-
tinue to guide 1t until the end OF the
war.
president Wilson In this case has an
opportunity such as no single man ever
had before. He Ia accepted by all the
nstions waging war against the Central
Powers as their spokesman. and now
Germany and Austria in their desperate
efforts TO force the peace issue to the
front at any cost have appealed to the
President TO name conditions upon which
peace may be discussed.
For this reason many here believe that
the Presidents reply not only will be ar
unqualified rejection Of the proposal fol-
an armistice and for the initiation oil
peace discussions Gut at the same time
Will be a document which history will
pfeserve as a future creed of free peo.
pies and as a death notice sealed and de-
IiFered to military autocrats of the He.
henzollern and Hapsburg types.
There is little reason to believe. in the
opinion of close observers here. that thu
Presidents reply will be Influenced By
the sympathy he Is known to entertain
for oppressed enemy peoples. who have
been led like sheep by their imperis
masters. The issues, It is explained, ar,
TOO vast and too vital to be viewed from
thu standpoint of such incidental ques
tons as the wrongs which the Teutor
peoples themselves have suffered from
their own rulers. The President in hi
Fourth OF July speech at Mount Vernon
said the past and the present are II
deadly grapple. and added Significant,
that the settlement must be final"
There can be no compromise. ",
half way decision would be tolerable
No half way decision would be conceiva
BIZ" he added.
No Suggestion of Compromise.
In his reply to the German offer nov
II is fully expected that the Presiden
Wall deal with the subject OF peace II
the broad way which he has already re
ferred to and which implies defnit
triumph OF right and justice, with n
suggestion of compromise or barter. bu
with force, force without stint" q
the only means to achieve this end.
/ In his Fourth of July address the Presi
dent stated that "the blinded rulers O
Prussia have reused forces they kney
lftSle of-forces which once reused ca
never be crushed TO earth again; 70
they have at their heart an inspiratio
aed a purpose which are deathless an
OF the very stun of trium9h."
1T Is now pointed out that the Pres
dent is replying TO an appeal from thes
blinded rulers of Prussia" II is not a
appeal for mercy or an appeal to kno,
what terms they must accept or ho'
they can meet the dictates of right an
justice which the President has lai
down. Instead 1t Is an appeal for
basis OF discussion, OF negotiation, c
barter and compromise.
Basis for Guarantees Lacking.
!,asermany. it Is pointed out, gives n
guarantee whatever that such terms q
the President and the Entente migf
propose would be accepted or even ser
ously considered All the Imperial Gel
man Chancellor offers is to discuss then
and he asks that an armistice be cor
ended while this armistice goes on.
The new feature which the Cover
nasnt inspired press appears TO have a..
covered is that President Wilson's fdes