Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-08
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SUICIDAL
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PROPOSAL
President Wilson Conferrine
With Entente Premiers on
Answer to Germany's
Peace Note.
By Associated Press.

London, Oct. 7.-Whether the al.
lied governments will make coll
lective reply to the chancellors pro.
position is not known. 1t is prob
able that the allied statesmen now
assembled in Paris are considering
the subject, or will do so when they
have the full terms of the German
appeal before them.
Washington, Oct. 7.-President
Wilson is conferring with the pre-
mers of the entente nations over
the form of answer to be made to
Germany's latest peace proposals.
The indications are that it will not
be dispatched for a day or two.
While there may be some ques-
ton as to the form of the reply
there is no question whatever as to
its nature. Z.
1t may not use the short and
forceful unconditional surrender"
which would reflect the sentiment
which has come from the spokes-
man of the nation, but it is sure
to convey to the German govern
ment very clearly the fact that
nothing less than the terms already
laid down can be accepted. and that
those terms cannot be made merely
"the basis for negotiation"
As to an arnistice, such step
would be looked upon as suicidal
and not to be thought of.
By this time, Prince Maximilian's
note and that of Baron Burian, the
ustro-Hungarian foreign minister.
in official form undoubtedly are in
the foreign Offices in London, Paris
and Rome, forwarded by President
Wilson as requested by the central
powers
Two-Fold Purpose.
The exchanges now going on have
a two-fold purpose:
Obviously the American govern
ment would not proceed to speak
for the other belligerents on a
matter of such Importance without
consultation among them, and, it is
proposed to avoid the mistake of
making a curt and premptory re-
lection which could be used by the
central powers before their own
people to bolster up the. argument
that they are waging a defensive"
war and that the objects of the co..
belligerents are to destroy" them.
Lacking official announcements of
what the president has done it is
highly probable that he had taken
one of these two courses:
Either he has asked Premiers
Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Or
lando to advise him of their replies.
or, more likely still the president
already has formulated reply and
asked the premiers for their acquies-
ence.
The temper Of debate in the sem
ate today and the general tone of
public opinion in the United States
as expressed in the newspaper
comment are very fair index of the
governments views.
The consensus of opinion in the
senate debate was that the offer
should be rejected; the practically
unanimous public opinion as re-
tlected in newspapers all over the
country was that no peace terms
short of unconditional surrender
could be discussed.
1t is very clear that the reply will
not be only an answer to Germany
and her allies, but statement for
the historical record of the world.
1t is realized on every hand that
a rejection OF peace offer must be
a convincing one and one which will
justify the prolonging of the war
to the ends sought.
1t is realized that it must be
convincing to the people of Great
Britain, France, Italy and the United
States, so that they may be warned
Continued on Page Two. Column One,