A GERMAN PEACE OFFER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 39, 9 November 1917, Page 5

A GERMAN PEACE OFFER

FURTHER LIGHT ON VON BULOW'S PROPOSALS

GENUINE OR A TRAP ?

London, November 7. The "Manchester Guardian's" com*"' i pondent nt Paris confirms the message concerning Prince von Billow's peace proposals, which was cabled on October 24, ; and adds; "M. Briand strongly wished * to go to Switzerland to see von Billow. \ or the Chancellor, ns Germany suggested, i but tho Premier (M. lUbot) would not i allow it, believing tho proposal was a. trap. M. Briand then demanded that ! all the Powers should be informed. This was done, but in such form as to suggest . that tho offer was a trap. Hence tho ; Powers declined to negotiate." : Tho "Manchester Guardian states: "In addition to Alsace-Lorraine tho proposals included tho cession of i Trieste ; and the Trontino, tho complete indepen- \ denco of Belgium, and financial com- ; peusation for damage done in Belgium. : Germany insisted strongly upon the abstention of belligerent nations from a ; commercial boycott after tho war, com- • plete equality of treatment, in jinport j duties and commercial facilities." > [The message referred to is as follows:' —"The Paris correspondent of tho "Manchester Guardian," writing in connection with tho Cabinet Crisis, says that M. ' Briand,' in conversation with, frionds, ; disclosed that he was the so-called 'liu- ; portant politicaL personago' who received Germany's peace proposals. Ho said. < that ho was staying in Switzerland in : September, when Bulow scut him a mes-: seugcß suggesting peace, and offering to ; , restore Alsace-Lorraine to Franco and: j Trieste to Italy, but demanding compen-, ! sation at Russia's expense. This an-; ; nouncement explains tho Auglo-I loncn j . assurances to Russia in September against 6uch a peace." Mr. Asquitn, ex- ( ; plaining the Government's war aims to a meeting at Leeds during September, said, among other things:-'I assume, , as a matter of course, tho enemy evacu- . atiou of the occupied territories of Franco . and Russia." About tho same tune Gen- ; oral Vcrchovsky(thcn Minister of War • in Russia) announced at a plenary Bit- ; ting'of tho Soviet's Central Committee i that tho Government had received from i England and France'a categorical do- ! olaration that any German attempt, to, conclude a soparato peaco pn Russia s. ; : ncSouiit would bo indignantly "fused., ; Englnnd and Franco" said that tho idea, , would not be given evon .paping con- ; sideration."l i GERMAN Sil'S VIEWS j MORE SWORD-RATTLING (Itec. November 8, 7.3 ft p.m.) London, November 7."" , A remarkable book entitled "Deduce tione from tho Great War," by the Pru&- i sian General Baron von Freytag LonugJiovon, former . Quartcrmastor-Genaral,. and now Doputy-Chief of the General' ; Staff, has reached England. Tho writer; is considered a moderate thinker among;' j Prussian ■■militarists, henco (his views. ; are more illuminating. Von Freytag, shows that tho most intelligent German; military leaders utterly roject the'ideas, ; of pacifism or internationalism. Theyi regard tho present war as showing that:. ( ; Germany must have a bigger navy, a bigger army, and far greater quantities of munitions, for tho next war. He proceeds: "It may bo asked* What will be the use of all this? Will not •; tho goneral exhaustion of Europo after, this world conflagration put the danger of a now war in tho background and pave tho way to disarmament and permanent peace? The answer is that nobody can guarantee a long period of , .peace, and lasting peace can bo guaranteed only by strong armaments. Moreover world power is inconceivable without striving for tho expression of power in the world, and for sea power, but that would involvo the constant existence of a large number of points of > friction, hence the necessity for quate armaments on-land and sea. Von Freytag expects that tho result of this war will be that! agreements to banish war wilt bo concluded botwo.cn. States, but all such agreements, after all, will be only treaties. Hehopes that tho present war will nd Gcr-, many once for all of her confused W mopolitan sehtimentalism.' -Router.