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Show LONDON PEOPLE " CROWDSTREETS Many Believe End of War in Sight When German Note Is Sent. LONDON, Sunday, Oct. IS. London's Lon-don's streets, parks 'and puhlic places wero crowded with people today. Tho qrowds had an almost festive aspect. Such cheerfulness has long been unknown un-known here. The people believe peace is near. Thousands of Sunday idlers parade through Whitehall and gathered about the government buildings, awaiting tho latest news. None was moro cheerful in those crowds than thc hundreds of officers, soldiers and sailors, with contingents con-tingents of Americans, Belgians and French always present. Never were the military forces more evidently popular. Tho government offices wero unusually unus-ually active. A. J. Balfour, secrotary of state for foreign affairs; Andrew Bo-nar Bo-nar Law, chancellor of the exchequer, and Lord Robert Cecil, assistant sec-rotary sec-rotary of state for foreign affnlrs, wore at tho foreign office early. Later Mr. Balfour and Mr. Bonar Law motored to Premier Lloyd .George's country home for lunch and for a conference. Tho public eagerly awaits some statement of the government's policy! and some interpretation of events from I a British standpoint is expected. Discussion of the meaning of the German terms used in the roply toj President Wilson is heard everywhere. Two leading questions arc whether the allies will embark unon a commission to arrange for an evacuation of allied , territory still in German hands, and! how far German assumption that all jthe allies will stand together on Presi- dent Wilson's platform is warranted, j There Is also question whether the al- i lies will begin any conference with I previous insistence upon certain mini- J mum demands. ; The submarine warfare and the dis- ! position of Germany's colonies are details de-tails of peace which seem to interest the British public most. In the meantime the much advertis-ied advertis-ied democratization of Germany keeps pace with the groat rotreat of the German Ger-man armies. The Prussian house of lords has accepted franchise concessions conces-sions which it appeared to have set its face against a few weeks ago. Emperor William, according to late reports, has instructed the imperial chancellor to pardon political prisoners, particularly those jailed for street demonstrations. There are said to number nearly 1000. A German newspaper says" that Prince Charles of Hesse, the as yet unannointed king of Finland, has de- i elded to refuse the throne If it is not! Offered tn hilll iinnnf mmielv Thic means he will never wear the ermine. I |