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Show 1T0NS Premier Lloyd George Arranges to Visit Paris to Confer With Head of the French Cabinet on Subject; Well Reasoned Rea-soned Answer Is Promised. Prom-ised. UNITED STATES WILL TAKE PART Diplomats in Washington Washing-ton Believe the Austro-German Austro-German Plan Is to Drive a Wedge Into the Entente With the Intention of Causing Disruption. LONDON, Dec. 31. The Manchester Guardian says it is the Intention of the British government, when the Austro-Cerman Austro-Cerman terms of peace are presented officially, of-ficially, to return a serious and reasoned reply. Premier Lloyd George has arranged ar-ranged to visit France, according to the j newspaper, to confer with Premier Clcmenccau on this subject. The Austro-German peace terms referred re-ferred to are those presented by the representatives rep-resentatives of the central powers at the negotiations with the Russians at Brest-Eitovsk. Brest-Eitovsk. These negotiations were interrupted inter-rupted for ten days to give the entente ! allies opportunity to state whether they 1 would join in them. The principal point . in the Austro-German outline rjf peace terms was the acceptance of the Russian formula of no annexations or indemnities. GERMANS ATTEMPT TO DRIVE A WEDGE INTO THE ALLIES "WASHINGTON, Dec. 31. Insidious efforts ef-forts of the Germans to involve the United Unit-ed States and the entente allies In the peace negotiations proceeding with the Russian Bolshevlki have reached such a stage that, in the opinion of some officials offi-cials here, notice of the propaganda must be taken and an attempt made to neutralize it. If the British and French premiers are to meet in Paris soon with the purpose of discussing the advisability of receiving receiv-ing and answering the proposals of' the Bolshevikl to participate in the negotiations, negotia-tions, as has been reported by a leading conservative British newspaper, they will act in accord with the agreement rigidly , adhered to by all the entente allies until the defection of Russia, not to entertain any peace proposals from the enemy without consultation with each other. In diplomatic circles here today it was said that any decision from such a meeting meet-ing would be promptly laid before the American state department. Mere German Bait. Germany is believed to be prepared to offer almost any conceivable bait to an individual enemy in order to drive a wedge into the allies and cause their disruption, and having succeeded measurably meas-urably with Russia, is trying to get that nation to influence her late allies. Rumors that have existed for the past fortnight to the effect that another peace proposal was about to be la i inched by the central powers, either through the Vatican or some neutral sta le, are tie-lie tie-lie ved to have their foundation in the adroit attempt of the German negotiators to use the Russian delegates for that purpose. But In either case, if there is io be another peace proposal through those channels, or if the Russian negotiations negotia-tions are to be made the vehicle to carrv forward the German designs. It Is belie be-lie veil in some quarters here that the time Is ripe now for a strong and well- (Continued on Page Three.) ALLIES TO REPLY TO OFFER OF TEUTONS (Continued from Page One.) , considered declaration by the entente powers and America that will effectually anticipate and counter this attack. Already Announced. It has been pointed out by state department de-partment officials that President Wilson Wil-son already has twice annourred America's Ameri-ca's war alms in unequi al terms. Therefore, It is assumed fiat if Lloyd George and Georges Clemenceau, after consulting the spokesmen of the other allies, decide that a reply shall be made to the German proposals, that reply must take some other form than an address by the American chief executive. Since none of the entente countries has recognized the Lenine-Trotzky regime in Russia, it will be difficult for the Bolsheviki Bol-sheviki to dbnvey the invitation for a peace discussion, but it is regarded as entirely possible that the German government gov-ernment might request the Swiss foreign office to transmit an invitation to America Amer-ica and to hei co-belligerents. Proposal Significant. General staff officers here are understood under-stood to attach great significance to present pres-ent attempts of the central powers to force the entente powers into peace negotiations. ne-gotiations. To their mind, it is a clear indication that the German military leaders have now accomplished all that they feel capable of doing in the field. They can "hold on" for a long time yet. it is suggested, but they cannot extend fields of occupation without an enormous loss of men and time, at the risk of a terrible defeat. Therefore tho Teuton diplomatists seek to realize everything possible from what the German armies have done, and the Brest-Li tovsk negotiations nego-tiations are the first steps toward that end. An official German statement sent out from the government wireless station at Nauen, outlining in detail tle Russian proposal of a basis of peace, was made public tonight by the committee on public pub-lic information. The message describes the session of the negotiators at. Brest-Litovsk Brest-Litovsk on December 22, and quotes the Russian delegation as declaring that they signed conditions of peace, considering it "a crime to continue war simply for the purpose of. making annexations." FRANCE WILL NOT GIVE PASSPORTS TO SOCIALISTS PARIS. Doc. 'Al. Premier Clemenceau today refused the roquest of a delegation of Socialist members of the cha niber of deputies for passports to Petrograd for Socialist delegates. The premier, in his reply, told the Socialists So-cialists that he dM not doubt their patriotism, patri-otism, but said the situa lion at Petrograd Petro-grad was too unset t led for a useful result re-sult to be tibtained from their inten cn-tion cn-tion and that giving them pHHSporif might accm like an indoi sement of their mission, which would produce a harmful effect on opinion at tho front as well as in tho rear. . Many people would not fail to say in that case, added the premier, that 1-Yancc was taking part in preliminary ncgotia-lions ncgotia-lions for peace, which was in nowise thought, of in the absence of serious propositions from the enemy. FAVORED NATION CLAUSE INSERTED IN PEACE TREATY LONDON, Dec. ai. in addition to the points set forth in ye1 erday's advices from Krcst-Li tovsk regarding the provisional pro-visional agreement between the reportr-of reportr-of Russia and the central powers, another an-other clause Is included the precise meaning mean-ing of which is not clear. A Renter dispatch dis-patch from Amstcrda m gives tho clause thus: "It was -a greed that hot h legally and economically one country should riot be treated less favora bly by a not her t han iry any third country which cannot appeal to treaty rights." The German wi relets version' of this , clause re-ads: 1 "It w a w agreed tha t respect ing a 1 'rights of intercoiirse a nd economic re-' re-' la Hons, none of the countries which is a party to the nea'e arrangement shall be treated less favorably than anv outside country in re.5-pert io which treaty rights do or do not exist." This proba bly is in effect f he fa miliar "most favored nation" e!rtii-e. which frequently fre-quently Is in rinded in treaties. UJVITED STATES IS NOT COMMITTED TO PEACE PROGRAMME WASHINGTON. Dp.-. ?. - Slat'; d-vpr-r'- . rnent officials coniii'T that (he i-rman roemmt-nt is ncniriHiic : dinr:ne t M"ts behind t lie peace rieot i: nony u i BreM-J.iovsk hy r c widely ru .-ul.i ) story that the ka is-r ha s delent .;d ! rhaneelkT von f I - "f Ling the power U moke peace ? nd t ':.at fie pan-German press is deeply i rrn ad a: t h pa terms proposed by i he fjerman delegates. I The apparent dif-pleatur of ihf pan-I pan-I Germanic element is ren.-trdd by ffi'-'jis hre a s proba bly inspire -I fnr the pnr-I pnr-I pose C'f indicating the confidence of lit" public in Germany's power to dictate ' peace terms. i The story that the kaiser was yield- ! ing" more power to his chancellor has not 1 been borne out by any facts teceiyed at the state department. The only information infor-mation tha-t. mifiht servo as tho basis for such a report was a dispatch from Copenhagen dated December but referring- to a published dispatch there under un-der the dato of December 21, in which it was reported that the Kaiser had given to the chancellor his approaI of the participation par-ticipation in tho peace conference of the delegates chosen by the chancellor. The state department todav was still without any intimation, official or otherwise, other-wise, that this Kovcrninenl'is participation participa-tion at a peace conference is desired. Reports from Brest-Litovyk and from Petrograd have left no doubt that hoth Berlin and Fetiog-rari were determined if possible to align America and the co-belligerents co-belligerents in some peace agreement, and the receipt of an offer, either direct or indirect, would be no surprise. No official offi-cial of this government has coiniuit t"d himself upon what reply would be made but there has been nothing to indicate that it would be favortihle. PAN-GERM AN PRESS SATISFIED WITH PEACE AGREEMENT WSDOX, Doc. .11. German newspapers, news-papers, telegraphs th correspondent at 1 Amsterdam of the Central News agen-v arc much occupied with t.bn declarations of the ccnlr;i powers at Rrest -I ,t t i vsU concerning I .ithnania. CnurN rid and To-h-j.nd. Apparently tho tcrni;m representatives represen-tatives yielded to pan-Cermnn influence tins being indicated hy Hie '-onimenlH of the annexHtlonist press in contiast with those of libera and democratic newspapers. news-papers. The Deutsche Courier, a pan -Henna i"C orsran, says the Genua ti delegates represented rep-resented the interests of (he Cermnu empire em-pire as adroitly and as firmlv as it -was possible for representatives in their nn-. sit! on to do. The Deutsche; Tapes Zeituncr, whicli stormed against the conferenrro arrance-ments arrance-ments la rt week, now de'-ln rrg Uyof quite salipfied. J-aying that the un-.- thing' Cerrnany has to take care of is to sro the people of t ho occupied j-eion.s nr.; "fanaticizeri" against German-.' by entente powers. I I The Yossisrhf Zeit untr. on t lie nt hrr ! hand, does not think flic German policy I will bring about an endur.Tbj nnder'- I ttandincr with t!;e wh:-le Russian peo- pie, while VorwHcris says the cenira! I powers will be convinced without further fur-ther reflection that real decision regarding regard-ing the peoples of the occupied territories terri-tories cannot be spoken of in earnest. German Admiral's View. PETROGRAD. Dec. 31. An interview with Admiral Kcyserlingk-, a member of tho German delegation which arrived in Petrograd last week, is published by the Den Jn replv to a sl-atement by his interviewer in-terviewer Ua't the Bolsheviki constituted onlv one party in -liupsia and were not 'recognized by a majority of the people, I the admiral said; "That is a matter of your internal politics, which in nowise concerns us. ilowev.er. Germany would not wish to concluded' con-cluded' peace with only one party. That is whv we insisted tho delcga tes from ricraine lie admitted to . the peace negotiations nego-tiations at Bresl-Litovsk. "Wo. have not declined to hear representatives repre-sentatives of oilier -national! Uch in Pus-sin Pus-sin . even of other pa rt irs. We. understand under-stand tha t a durable pea.ee is a tla inablc only when factional passions in Russia have been allayed. There tore, however much wo desire peace, we await tho re-rstahlishntent re-rstahlishntent of order." The admiral denied de-nied that tho rp'estion of peace was bound up with the constituent assembly. Russian Securities Barred. WASHINGTON, Dec. 31. The IVeivh government ha-i forbidden importation into Kra.nee of nil KusiSia.n government securities se-curities after January i. |
