Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-12-18
The ALLIES Acuuicsce,

From the tenor of dispatches, and
comment In the press OF Europe, 1t may
be said that President Wilson's message
has put new heart into everybody op.
posed to the Central Allies including the
governments Of the various nations, the
armies In the field, and the people them.
selves. It is significant to them oil that
with the ever increasing number Of
American fighters and amount of
munitions landed on French soil, every
utterance of the American government is
stronger in its determination to accom-
plish the purpose for which the Ameri.
can people entered the war. Perhaps
the strongest utterance Of the press Of
London is embodied in the editorial com.
ment of the Daily News which said: ut
would be affectation to pretend that this
language echoes the declarations of
European spokesmen Of the alliance.
Il is the voice of q statesman, whose
vision comprehends the world, while
theirs prehends only half the world"
The Independence Beige, Belgian
newspaper published In London, thinks
that If President Wilson's message
could be submitted to the people
of the central allies without multi
lation, the peace idea would be
seriously advanced, "becsuse the Ger.
man people are too intelligent not to
realize that none but Mr.. Wilson's
formula will be able to secure durable
peace"
Frank comment from the press of
Paris, London and other capitals makes
the claim safe that the thinking people
of the allied countries are now ready to
accept the American President as spokes.
man for the allies. Everywhere the
verdict is general that Mr.. Wilson has
made marked advance over any utter
ance hitherto made BY An allied states.
man, and perhaps the most extraordi-
nary thing 10 that the allied governments
of Europe are content to scquiesce In
President Wilon's intellectual and moral
Leadership, To US, 1t is sign that the
world 10 making progress, and that the
allied nations are ready to accept moral
considerations to which they would not
have listened three years ago, two years,
or even one year ago. We do not mean
By this that they are weakening In their
war determinations, but that they are
seeing more clearly the outline Of
better things for humanity in q per-
petual peace that shall be led and forced
By the people OF the United States.
While the American aPresident's sd-
dress to the world through an American
Congress was direct. belligerent and
forceful in every sentence, and every ex-
preston of determination to fight until
the war is won for lasting peace-dis.
tinctly message of unyielding var In.
tent to the last word-yet the door OF
peace 10 left wide open to Germany, and
TO Austria Hungary on which the Pres.
ident made formal request for congress
sional war. From this message the I'm.
perial governments Of Germany and of
Austria can learn the full terms on
which peace can be made With their
enemies. Without equlvocation, the
whole matter is put before them. The
essentials are infsxibly laid down, yet
they are not unduly severe. An equally
frank reply from the German and
Austrian rulers, without beating about
the bush, would 60 far towards . settle
ment of the controversy that IL coating
the lives OF scores OF thousands Of mon
and the expenditure Of hundreds Of
millions OF dollars every day.
The spokesman Of the American
people, and apparently acceptably tho
spokesman Of the allies, has laid down
the rule under which the central en-
pires of Europe may obtain psaoe. The
decision 10 mp TO the war matters Of
PrussIa.-Kennebec Journal.