by Richard van Pelt, WWI Correspondent

The day’s headlines in the Capital Journal reflected the usual mix of confusion and optimism:

DOES JAPAN INTEND TO FURNISH TROOPS FOR EUROPEAN WAR?
Plan to Organize Two New Army Corps Causes Suspicion and Opposition
PARLIAMENT SPLIT, MAY BE DISSOLVED
Budget Now Shows Deficit of $13,000,000 – Japan In Bad Shape Financially

Tokio

[sic], Dec. 19. – -Suspicious that the Okuma cabinet plans to send Japanese troops to Europe, the anti-administration party in parliament here was developing a powerful opposition today to the government’s plan for the creation of two new army corps.

FRENCH CLAIMING STILL MORE GAINS; RHEIMS BOMBARDED
Allies Today OccupiedGround East of Arras for the First Time
PRINCE WILHELM REPORTED WOUNDED
Claim to Have Made a Mile Yardage in game at La Basse Today

The Germans were bombarding Rheims again today.

It was contended here that they were doing so solely in revenge for a French attack in which Prince August Wilhelm, one of the kaiser’s sons, was wounded recently.

This attack followed a report by an aviator who had been spying on the kaiser’s forces that preparations seemed to be in progress for some important ceremony, that bands were playing and that troops were in readiness for a review. His account gave rise to the conjecture that the prince, who was known to be at the front, intended to inspect the Teutonic forces, so in response to the aviator’s suggestion concerning the range, a shell was fired which struck an automobile described here as occupied by an “important personage.”

The airman’s version was that this individual was the prince and he reported that the latter was wounded on the hand and one leg.

That night the Germans resumed the bombardment and have continued it ever since, despite the fact, according to the French, that there are no longer any troops in Rheims.

REVOLT IN HUNGARY IS CAUSING ALARM TO TEUTON ALLIES
Hungarians Angry at Austria for Permitting Russians to Invade Her
FORCED TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM SERVIA

The Oregon Statesman reported on “A Christmas Truce:”

Armies have always seemed to have a predilection for fighting great battles on Sunday. Even Christmas Day has not been held sacred as a day of peace. It would be logical climax of the present conflict if the approaching Christmas should mark an orgy of slaughter.

Pope Benedict has taken the initiative in a step aiming at the prevention of a tragedy so shocking to the moral sense of humanity. He has suggested to the belligerents that they agree to a truce during the Christmas holidays. Germany is reported to favor the proposal, on condition that her enemies consent to it.

The efforts of the Vatican are seconded at Washington in a joint congressional resolution requesting the warring nations to declare a Christmas truce of twenty days. It is not likely that the powers will agree to stop fighting for so long as that; but any cessation of hostilities at all would be grateful relief to the world as well as to the fighters. It would also tend, in the language of the Kenyon resolution, to “stimulate reflection upon the part of the belligerent nations as to the meaning and sprit of the Christmas time, to the end that there may come again ‘on earth peace, good will toward men.’” Even Turkey and Japan, to whom Christmas traditions mean nothing, might derive benefit from such a course.