representations from his government.

He said that he did not; but as he understood that they were to be
made to all the belligerents, he did not think that they could be
much more than a pious aspiration for peace; since that was the
only thing that was equally applicable to the Germans and to us.

As he was leaving he suggested that the German note might be
published in our press.

I am, etc.,

ROBERT CECIL.

This so-called German "peace proposal" began with the statement that the
war "had been forced" upon Germany, contained the usual reference to the
military might of the Central Powers, and declared that the Fatherland
was fighting for "the honour and liberty of national evolution." It is
therefore not surprising that Lord Robert received it somewhat
sardonically, especially as the communication contained no specific
proposals, but merely a vague suggestion of "negotiations." But another
spectacular performance now drove the German manoeuvre out of
everybody's mind. That President Wilson resented this German
interference with his own plans is well known; he did not drop them,
however, but on December 18th, he sent his long-contemplated peace
communication to all the warring Powers. His appeal took the form of
asking that they state the objects for which they were fighting, the
Presidential belief evidently being that, if they did this, a common
meeting ground might possibly be found. The suggestion that the Allied
war aims were not public property, despite the fact that British
statesmen had been broadly proclaiming them for three years, caused a
momentary irritation in England, but this was not a serious matter,
especially as the British Cabinet quickly saw that this request gave
them a position of advantage over Germany, which had always refused to
make public the terms on which it would end the war. The main substance
in this Presidential approach, therefore, would have produced no
ill-feeling; as usual, it was a few parenthetical phrases--phrases which
were not essential to the main argument--which set the allied countries
seething with indignation. The President, this section of his note ran,
"takes the liberty of calling attention to the fact that the objects
which the statesmen of the belligerents on both sides have in mind in
this war, are virtually the same, as stated in general terms to their
own people and to the world. Each side desires to make the rights a