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Show ENTENTE WILL DELAY ANSWER TO PRESIDENT Press and Public of Great Britain Almost Unanimously Unani-mously Opposed to Favorable Fa-vorable Reply. GREAT INTEREST IS MANIFESTED Large Group of Citizens Regret Chief Executive Interfered ; German Opinion Mixed. LONDOiV, Dec. 23. The answer of' the entente allies to President "Wilson's note asking for their peace terms hardly hard-ly will be read in Washington before the new year. It is necessary for the allied nations to consult, and their re-i ply probably will be a joint one. . j It is hard to predict just what the ( reply will be. It is hardly likely that it will be a positive declination of the president's offer, but many believe it will take a negative form, yet leave room for reconsideration. There is hardly any other topic of conversation in London at present. All England is intensely interested in Presi dent Wilson's oner and the form of the rcp!3' from the entente. There is some resentment in certain circles, especially that class which believes be-lieves that the United States should be pro-ally. The phrase, "each sido desires de-sires to make rights secure," particularly particular-ly has aroused a feeling of resentment. The phrase is taken to mean that President Presi-dent Wilson considers Germany's ways and views as being as strong as those of the allies. Support Is Weak. The pacifists support Mr. "Wilson with the exception of holding firmly to the belief that the entente's respect for treaties and respect for the liberties of smaller nations is greater than that of thn central powers. There is a large group of British citizens citi-zens who regret that the offer ever was sf made. However, now that it has been made they see no other course than to decliuo it respectfully. Still others believe be-lieve t'aa president should have made this offer in secrecy. America may come into the war is 1 he belief of Commander Carl Yon Bellaires, M. P., the representative of the advanced navy class. He said: ' ' A f ter wha t the responsible statesmen states-men among the allies already have said, there is only one justification for the T I n i ted States asking for terms and that, is that she means to come in and naturally wants to know what she will be helping to win. Kven then, however, how-ever, such a request normally would he made in confidence. Otherwise, this country simply must be astounded at the president 's course in putting the allies in the same category with Germany Ger-many regarding their policy and objects. ob-jects. " Impossible lo Accept. General Sir Alfred Turner declared that none of the allies possibly could accept President Wilson's offer because the note left out all account of Germany Ger-many 's crimes and atrocities, which, he declares, never have been equaled for brutality in thn historv of warfare. He designates Bethmann-Hollweg 's peace proposals as the most impudent ever attempted. at-tempted. Lord Syddenhain, famous soldier and administrator, declares it is unfortunate that the German peaco move and President Presi-dent Wilson's came so close, together. ' ' The German chancellor 's idea of the way to peace is to proclaim the invincibility in-vincibility of Germany and threaten darker atrocities if the allies do not respond re-spond immediately," he declared. ''To such proposals, so conveyed, there can be only one answer, tt already has been given, independently and at once, by all the governments of the allies. We appreciate and share Mr. Wilson's desire for pence. We regret that some American interests have stiff cred from the war which we were forced into hy a shameful broach of treaties, but the Americans hardly can expect us to enter into negotiations which must fail unless based upon restitution and reparation repa-ration and solid guarantees for the future. fu-ture. Done With Scraps of Paper. "Wo are done with German scraps of paper. When Germany is willing to negotiate upon this basis the allies will not be found wanting in willingness to end a war which only the mad ambition ambi-tion of Germany forced upon the world. Meanwhile the allies feel a sense of surprise sur-prise and indignation in learning that the president has failed to realize their object and their immense sacrifices called forth by the dictates of their honor." Noele Buxton, member of parliament, and 1. M. Mason, a pacifist member of parliament, both feel that President Wilsou is endeavoring to render a real service to the warring nations, but regret re-gret that he places he entente upon the same footing as Germany in ideals and honorable intentions. On the other band it seems certain that every Kuropean neutral nation will fully support President Wilson. 6HHMEB WILL IT VOTE FOR i. Mil Repudiates Leader on Account Ac-count of His Indorsement of President Wilson. CINCINNATI, Ohio, Dec. 23. Representative Repre-sentative Augustus P. Gardner of Massachusetts, Massa-chusetts, in a statement here tonight, repudiated the leadership in congress of Representative James R. Mann because be-cause of his indorsement of President Wilson's peace note to the European belligerents, and says he will- support Representative Lenroot of Wisconsin for speaker when eongress convenes. The statement follows: I have read the indorsement which the leader of my party in congress gave yesterday to President Presi-dent Wilson's offer of interference in Kuropean affairs. This is the fourth or fifth time that Leader Mann has given encouragement to Germany 's wicked cause. So far as I am concerned, I shall tolerate such leadership no longer. 1 I believe that the happiness of the world requires the destruction of the dynasties of the Hapsburgs and and the Hohenzollerns. For that reason it is with very sincere regret that I repudiate Congressman Mann's leadership. I shall support , Lenroot of Wisconsin for speaker when congress convenes. |
