Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-04
PEACE DRIVE
is LAUNCHED
BY GERMANY
Failing on Field She Opens
Maneuver-Will Meet
Flat Refusal.

London. May Am emissary
of Germany's new peace Offens-
i've already is in England Ac-
cOrding to the Central News.
he is a Dutch financier. An
other agent, the agency says. is
believed to be on the way.
In the opinion of Lord Robert Ce-
oA, minister of blockade, the failure
Of Germany's knockout offensive"
will result in a big peace offensive.
directed mainly against Great Bri-
tain and possibly made in an at
tractive forp, but which will not
afford any aerms the allies can
look at.
In a statement to the Associated
Press Lord Robert expressed the
belief that the new peace offensive
would be largely for German con-
sumption, because "the rulers Of
Germany know that if they have to
rely on their own resources they
cannot hold out much longer"
In discussing Germany's next
peace offensive" signs of which
have begun to appear recently, the
newspapers reflect the determine
ton of the British nation and its al
lies to see the war through. They
say it is impossible that Germany
should succeed in duping the allies
into a peace which does not full
fill the principles for which they
are fighting 1t continues:
t'On the one hand the German
speakers and agents show suspici-
Gus readiness to dilate upon the
food shortage and general discom-
fort in Germany with the obvious
intention of lending a ring of sin
cerity to Germany's profession of
anxiety for peace. At the same
time neutral emissaries Of well
known antecedants and tendencies
are understood to have arrived re-
Gently in England and other allied
countries for the purpose of sug-
gesting that if the allies will only
show a pacific disposition they will
find Germany ready to meet them on
moderate terms. In some instances
these emissaries are believed to
have put forward proposals as to
the best policy for the allies to fol-
low. ..-...- .-...
VIII Be Flatly Rejected.
1T need hardly be said that the
origin of these maneuvers is quite
as we'll understood as was the pur-
pose of the military offensive in
March. and that the allied govern
ments are likely to present as firm
a front to any peace intrigue as the
allied armies presented to the Ger
man military attacks"
The Daily Express says:
"If the present feelers ore being
put out by Won Kuehlmann, the
obvious answer is that Won Kueh.-
e.--.l mas no power to pledge hi;
country to anything. G 4rmany
today absolutely in the hands OF
lists have given up hope of victory
in the west let the kaiser himsels
approach the allies as whole. Let
him admit he cannot win the war,
categorically abandon his scheme
of. conquest and withdraw his arm
les within his own frontiers. After
that the allies will talk. but the
Germans and Won Kuehln,ann may
make up their minds that holeand-
corner intrigues will be boycottef
and that we shall continue fight
ing till clean, not patched-up,
peace is in sight.
Proposal Presented.
The Express adds that the first
of the peace offensive agents n
London laid his proposal semi-offi-
cialIy before various Off ials. Tee
newspaper says it understands on
high authority that this agent is
a Dutchman with important finan-
cial associs lions and that he came
as a friend to Won Kuehlmann
that is to say. his inquiries we.e
made on behalf of the civil and not
the military party in Germany.
This agent represented to the
authorities here" the newspaper
continues, that by refusal to con-
slider peace last year we deprived
the civil party in Germany of the
chance of ousting the military par
ty, and also that the most we could
hope for now was peace by ar
rangement. He was told that there
was no such thing in the English
dictionary as peace by arrange
ment. He was told also: Very
soon there will be no such phrase
as raw material in the German die
tionary.
Germany Behind Move.
The failure OF the first envoy to
find a sympathetic hearing will not
end the peace offensive. II is known
that other neutrals have been per-
suaded to undertake the task OF
laying further suggestions before
the British government. without
any apparent inspiration from Ger
many. But the business associa-
tions OF these envoys are too well
known for any doubt to exist that
they are deliberately inspired"