Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02
METROD0F REPLY
.T0P0PE IS SCORED
Vatican Organs Insist Presi-
dent Failed to Observe
Diplomatic Usage.
GERMAN ANGER Is VENTED

By the Associated Press.
ROME. Friday. August 81 delayed
Criticism of the form in which Presi-
dent Wilson replied to Pope Benedicts
peace note Is voiced by the Osservatore
Romano and the Gorriere D'Italia, re-
Electors Of Vatican opinion. which take
up this point without entering into the
their comment contrasting American
cleverness in business with, what is
alluded to as an American lack OF
knowledge of diplomatic usages
The criticism Is based. for one thing.
upon the reply being signed by Secre-
tary of State Lansing. while the papal
note was signed by Pope Benedict him.
self. This. according to these news
paper critics. required that the answer
be signed by President Wilson himself
The same organs allege impropriety in
the fact that publication of the Presi-
dents answer was permitted before the
text was delivered to the Pope, where
as the papal note was sent to England
August for delivery to America and
was not published in Rome until Au-
gust Is.
Objection is also made that the reply
was telegraphed, which is pointed to
as not in accord with diplomatic usage
for such important documents. which
are invariably dispatched by courier.
Finally. the newspapers find in the
text of the presidential reply contra
dictions of statements contained in the
Presidents former messages on the
subject of peace.
Berlin Press Is Bitter.
BERLIN, via London, September l.
President Wilson's reply to the Pope's
peace note was published generally by
the newspapers this morning, and in
the editorial comment Mr.. Wilson is
bitterly denounced on the score of the
notes tone and tendency. The Lokal
Anzeiger says:
president Wilson declines the Pope's
mediation with the same mass d
swollen phrases with which he has all
ready satiated the German peoples. We
are told that the war is not being
waged against the German nation. but
against their masters
The absolute mendacity of Mr. Will
sons phraseology becomes apparent
when his dictum as to the rights of
nations, who are capable of shaping
their own destinies. is opposed to the
wish of tho German people to be gov
Wilson. therefore. does not intend to
give US our liberty, but to deprive us
of liberty to arrive at our own oeci-
sionS
For that matter. this whole mass Of
words has as its sole purpose the ex
preston of the intention to prolong the
war at any price. In this resolve Mr..
Wilson, who is fighting for the freedom
of mankind, orders peace meetings dis
peAsed and paciflsts arrested.
This war has exposed in it's naked
ness much that is low and contempti-
BILE: its remaining task was to exhibit
q hero like this coldly calculating
mathematician, whom a singular fate
in momentous hour has given the
power over 100000 people"
AMSTERDAM. September Accord
ing to a telegram to a local agency the
Cologne Gazette. in commenting on
President Wilson's reply, says:
Every word of President Wilson's
note is grotesque nonsense. The climax
Of all the nonsense Is that the German
people are groaning under a cruel gov
eminent. Has not the entire German
people. rich and poor. socialist and
conservative, continually repeated that
1t stands firm for the emperor and the
empire? The solution of the puzzle is
that Mr.. Wilson wants to persevere