The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-08
Full Suffrage for a Germany
Rid of Hohenzollernism
is the Only Op-
portunity.
THE PRUss1ANs MUST GO
Door to Peace Is Open, But the Teu-
tons Cannot Come In With
Guns In Their
Pockets.
rBy Robert J. Bender, United Press
Staff Correspondent

CBy Robert J. Bender, United Press
Staff Correspondent
Copyright 1917 by the United Press
WASHINGTON, Sept. s.-Full sui
frage for a Germany rid Of Hohenzoi-
lernism, right of disputed territories
to speak for their own futures and
restitution and restoration for those
countries trodden rlder-foo, during
the war, means peace Nothing short
of this can terminate the war.
To clear up the confusion created
by the state departments recent an.
nouncement in apparent conflict
with President Wilson'S reply to the
pope, the United Press sought and OBJ,
tanned today semi-official fnterpre-
tation of the administrations actual
attitude, the Interpretation youched
for by the highest authorities.
. The allies cannot talk peace with
the Hohenzollerns, in the opinion OF
administration officials. The German
people should act promptly to elmin-
ate entirely this dynasty and aban-
don all nilitaristic rule, If the war Is
not to 20 on indefinitely. Bluff re-
form, such as merely making the
chancellor subject to the will Of the
reichstag, is not sufficient. There
must be a clear knowledge among the
allies of full responsibility Of the
Germanic powers to. their people.
Acceptability of Germany's internal
reforms will not depend upon the de-
cision Of the United States or Eng
land. or France, but must be such as
the "other peoples ~of the world
would be justified in accepting"
This point. it is stated, is one or
the most important in the presidents
reply to the pope. 1t means IN tact
that the United States believes all the
allies and the rest Of the world shau
sit as court Of judgment on Ger
manv's internal reforms.
The United States will be guiCed IN
it's peace opinions largely by ma
tions which have had the most expert
ence with Germany-France, for ex-
ample.
France believes 1t would be mad
ness to enter peace negotiations WIN
the kaiser. So does the United States.
When President Wilson said peace
m,ist rest upon rights OF the people,
great and small, not upon govern,
ments-he meant it literally-ano
that point applies directly to his Ut
terance against dismemoerment Oh
empires.
It is declared that Alsace-Lorraine,
Bosnia-Herzegovina - even Schlels-
weg-Holstein wrested by Germany
from Denmark in 1S66-do not con-
stitute integral parts of the body apa
soul of Germany and Austria. Bosnia
and Herzegovina were assumed oy
Austria by executive order IN lsoo.
was part OF the Teu-
1f% hn rryor nY
The administration holds these
should be given the right to express
on the question OF wheth-
er or not they shall remain under the
military heel of the Germanic pow
ers. return to their mother countries
France. Denmark and Serbia-set
up autonomous governments and rule
them selves, or attach themselves to
other nations. Bosnia-Herzegovina
for instance, is understood to desire
a berth in the proposed Jugo-Slav
state, the nucleus of which is Serbia
and Montenegro. At the. same time
Ffume, Istria, Trieste and
Gorizia. upon which Italy has de-
signs, also desire entrance into This
the official view here is
that these states also should be al
lowed to determine their respective
fates
There must, of course, be auton-
omy for Poland and restoration and
restitution for Belgium naturalization
CT the Dardanelles and some rein on
Turkey.
The president has left the door to
peace open, but it is we'll guarded,
and the Teutons cannot come in with
guns in their pockets
Free grant of full power to the
German people, willingness to let
disputed territories speak for their
Continued on page 2)