PEACE TALK.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 January 1917, Page 5

PEACE TALK.

PEACE SCHEME INTERPRETED TO PREVENT ECONOMIC RUIN. AND KEEP RULERS IN SADDLE. Received Jan. 5, 9 p.m. London, Jan. 5. The Daily Telegraph's Rotterdam correspondent states that a neutral from Berlin, in close touch with the German Government and diplomatic circles, whose wise judgment and exceptional knowledge of German affairs has been proved previously, interprets the peace manoeuvre as follows: —The German Government wants peace in order to prevent economic ruin. The immediate motive was, the internal situation, which was primarily due to the failure of the potato crop. It became ncccssa.y to take special steps to keep a hold on the people. The rulers do not regard tile military position as dangerous, but fear civilian conscription will spell economic ruin, although it. was necessary in order to continue tly war. The neutral adds that the mass of the Germai. people now regard the 3overnraent as guiltless ior the futura warfare. If the Government had not acted thus, it might not have lived through the spring. LORD SELBORNE'S WARNING, Received Jan. 5, 8.50 p.m. London, Jan. Lord Selborne, in a speech, slid that it was erroneous and miselrevou.s to prophecy ar. early peace. It was a pure delusion to suppose that the enemy would accept terms favorable to us. HERR HARDENS VIEWS. ! Received Jan. 5 ,0.5." p.m. i Amsterdam, Jana. 5. Ilerr Maximilian Harden, in a speech at Berlin, pleaded for peace by agreement. The enemy, he said, had miscalculated Germany'!, strength, and, on the other hand, considered Russia'', strength was inexhaustible. England's hunger was a catchword without foundation. The French lack of, men was 'balaneeable Dy British troops. ROOSEVELT CHARGES WILSON WITH COWARDICE. I New York, Jan 6.

Colonel Roosevelt assails President Wilson's Note, saying that the statement that the belligerents have similar objectives is wickedly false, misleading, and profoundly immoral. Germany has trampled the Belgians under her heel, transporting them to serve as State slave* in Germany; yet the President dare not utter one word on behalf of Belgium. The net result of the Note has been the ruin of stock investors.

THE WALL STREE'I GAMBLE. Washington. Jan. 4. A preliminary investigation has been ordered into operations (in Wall Street, following upon the leakage of the Peace Note. AMERICAN SENATOR'S VIEWS. New York. Jan. 4. It is authoritatively reported that President Wilson is contemplating a further peace move. Senator Lodge, one of the most influential Senators, continued the opposition to the endorsement of the peace Note. "Belligerents,'' lie said, "ought to make their own peace. I believt Mr. Lansing was sincere when he said the Note was issued because the United States was nearing the verge of war. It would be unwise to venture upon negotiations to which neither party invited us. We do not want to find ourselves after the war without a friend in the world. , WILSON WILL TRY AGAIN I Washington, .Tan. . | It became known definitely to-day that. President Wilson, on receipt of the ! Allies' reply, will not drop the peace | negotiations, but will make at least another move. No final decision has been come to as to the nature of this step.