Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-08
Peace
Continued From First Page.)

4ol a : llCW WOllu III WlllCll tIlC
nations will not permit insane armed
rivalry to deny their hopes of a
fuller life" and Eve are determined
to see to it that Europe shall not
again be subjected to a repetition
Of this tragedy"
was the London Daily Telegraph'S
remark that if Lord Halifax had
had the message of King Leopold
and Queen Wilhelmina in mind, he
could not have made more appro-
pirate and convincing reply"
German sources said it was not
known whether Adolf Hitler would
make formal reply to the offer
to negotiate a settlement of the
European war through Foreign Min
lister Joachim Won Ribbentrop. The
Fuehrer, in Munich for the annual
celebration of the Nazi beer cellar
putsch in 1923, has given no indi-
cation of how he feels on the mat
ter, although he was carefully study
ing the offer.
Bar to Invasion Seen.
Whatever the results from the
mediation offer, observers in Brus-
sells expressed belief it would make
doubly difficult any immediate vio-
lation of Belgian or Netherlands
neutrality by the warning powers.
Fear that war would start in
earnest on the western front in a
few days was voiced by some Bel
gian quarters commenting on re-
ports of German troop concentra-
tons near the Netherlands frontier.
While little hope was held that
mediation would result from the
neighboring monarchs' offer, Bel
gian foreign office spokesman said
the general situation is slightly bet
ter this morning"
May Follow Up Move.
Official circles at The Hague
limited that King Leopold and Queen
Wilhelmina might follow up their
offer as peace mediators with diplo-
matte contacts with Berlin, London
and Paris.
While these circles would not spec
ulate on the probable outcome of the
dramatic peace appeal, an atmos-
phere of moderate but cautious opti-
mism was apparent at The Hague.
1t was conceded that this opti-
mism was based on the belligerent
powers apparent reluctance to initi-
ate major offensives rather than On
any reaction produced thus far by
the mediation offer.
If the offer is not rejected out
right, Dutch government circles said,
1t might be possible to make care
full contacts with the belligerents
and thus give them further time to
express their views
Polish Premier to Go to London.
It was disclosed in London that
the Polish Premier. Gen. Wladis-
law Sikorski, and Foreign Minister
August Zaleski would visit the Brit
ish capital next week to confer with
Prime Minister Chamberlain and
Lord Halifax. The Polish govern
ment is in Paris.
The British cabinet considered the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES peace appeal
at meeting today, it was said au-
thoritatively. The mediation offer,
which came as surprise to Lon
don, however, apparently stirred
little British hope for concrete re-
suits.
Premier Daladier conferred until
late last night at the war ministry
in Paris. but there was no hint of
official French reaction to the medi-
alton suggestion.
Unofficially it was said that while
France and Britain had expressed
willingness to attend peace con-
ference under certain conditions, to
do so now would be tantamount to
accepting a German victory.
They cannot nourish the least il
fusion as to the fate of their pro-
posal," commented Pertinax in
L'Ordre. He attributed the move to
German pressure on Belgium and
the Netherlands, which he said had
been increasing in the past Is days
Sensation in Berlin.
The offer was a sensation in Berlin
government Offices. Surprise was ap-
parent that it should be made at
this time, with the war already more
than two months old.
The authoritative commentary,
Dienst aus Deutschland, said, 1T
will be weighed with all the serious
ness its deserves"
The average German citizen, rely
ing on the daily press, was largely
unaware of the proposal. Indicating
an apparent lack of instructions,
three German morning papers print