The Washington herald., 1918-05-07
A MARES NEST,
SAYSBALFOUR,
OF HUN PEACE
Foreign Minister, in House
of Commons, Denies
Peace Rumors.
TERMS OF PROFfER
Million Men by July 4,
Is Americas S Answer to
Hunnish Peace Wiles.
TERMS OF PROFFER

London, May 81 say 1t is all a
mares nest"
Foreign Minister Balfour has thus
laid to rest-at least temporary-all
the rumors and reports and back
stairs gossip about peace, when he
replied in the house of commons to-
day to persistent heckling from
Philip Snowden. the pacifiist leader.
Mr.. Ba1four fatty stated that no
peace offers had ben recently made
and no neutral representative was
here who had made either tentative
or formal suggestions for peace
negotiations.
Mr.. Balfour's denial does not, how
ever, preclude the possibility of an
unofficial neutral emissary bearing
German peace "feelers." The specific
question to which Mr.. Balfour's state
ment was the answer was. verbatim
Question Answered.
Whether there is in this country
a representative Of a neutral coun-
try who has submitted informal pro-
posals."
Snowden had announced before
hand that he would "either raise or
submerge," the German peace often
sive which Blockade Minister Lord
Robert Cecil has been referring to
in public interviews. He succeeded
in submerging it. for the present, at
least. There were two Develop
ments during the day however,
which gave the rumors a more sub
stsntial form. though both came be-
fore the foreign minister denied that
any advances whatsoever had been
made to Downing Street.
First, the identity was disclosed
of the neutral who Ia asserted to
be the Intermediary chosen by Ber-
lin to broach the German proposal.
Second. the details OF the proposal
were made known.
These "diseIostre3" came In dis.
patches from The Hague. They said
the neutral representative Is as
sumed to be Jonheer Colyn, former
minister of war Of the Netherlands.
1t happens that Colyn did come to
England last week as chairman Of a
Dutch committee appointed to ex-
plain to the British government ex-
actly in what position Holland has
been placed by the recent demands
OF Germany.
Outline OF "Feeler.S
The following outline OF Ger
many's new peace terms" was
given:
1. Germany to renounce all
claims in the West.
2. Restoration of Belgium as an
autonomous, independent state.
3. Autonomy for Alace-Lorraine
within the German Federation.
4. Status quo in the East.
.. Certain Austrian concessions
to Italy in the Trentino.
s. Balkan solution referred to
International conference.
I. All questions affecting Africa
and Asia Minor to be solver at the
peace table.
s. Germany to abandon all
claims to KiauChau, but will re-
Quire certain economic concessions
in China.
Snowden mentioned these detail
ed proporals in the commons to-
day and pressed the foreign min
lister for an answer to whether he
had reached them. 1t was that Mr..
Balfour repeated he thought it.was
a mares nest"
Snowden again insisted on the
last word. remarking that the
clause concerning Alsace-Lorraine
was the only one which President
Wilson and Premier Lloyd George
had not endorsed in their various
utterances on peace and war aims,
Meanwhile, Berlin. evidently sat-
ished for the present with having
brought up the subject, and afraid
to give the German people the i'm
preston the central powers are
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