30 DECEMBER 1916, Page 2

Germany has already replied to Mr. Wilson's Note. But her

reply, dated December 26th, is as- evasive as her peace proposal of a fortnight earlier. " The Imperial Government considers an immediate exchange of views the most suitable way to reach' the desired result. It has therefore the honour, in the sense of its declaration of December 12th, in which it held out a hand for peace negotiationee to propose- the earliest possible meeting of delegates of the belligerent States in a neutral town." Obviously that is no answer to the President's• request for information, but a mere' repetition of the original Note in which; after claiming that they had won the war, the enemy said that •they " propose even now to enter into peace negotiations." The Allies, we are

sure, will be able to give a far more satisfactory response to Mr. Wilson, since the objects for which they are fighting are well known to all the world and can be restated clearly and definitely for ,fr. Wilson's benefit. Germany, with her lust for world dominion and her determination to enslave her neighbours, will be placed in a difficulty if the President pushes his interrogatories very far.