The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-29
War Must Go on Till Ger
man Autocracy Is
Crushed
GERMAN WORD
CAN'T BE RELIED ON
Futile to Negotiate with the
masters of the Ger
man People"

Washington, D. c., Aug. 29.-Presider
Wilson's note rejecting the pope's peac
proposals was regarded here to-day a
finally settling the question of dealin
with the present German rulers. uncon
quered or ,hcurbed at home. The pres
ident makes it clear that lasting an
durable peace can be negotiated onl,
on a complete understanding with tn
German people and not alone on the nm
stable guarantees of existing govern
ment.
The note comes as a climax to the re
anarkable series of state documents il
which President Wilson has argued th'
cause of world democracy against autoe
racy in the high court of public opinion
and accepted more and more by the
people of all the allied countries as ex
pressing their ideas.
There appears to be no doubt that the
United States vas selected to make
answer before the world, in advance OF
all the others. Whether the entente ma
tions will send extensive replies is not
known here. 1t is regarded as proba
BILE that they will in large measure adopt
the presidents reasoning for their own
and send notes of endorsement.
The general tenor of the presidents IS
reply had been anticipated everywhere,
but there was no inkling of the forceful
terms he would employ to say that the
l.. fz.& 4. d. - 4
government of Germany.
Students of diplomacy see in his de-
nunciation of the military autocracy a
fresh appeal to the war ridden German
people TO throw off their military mas
ters and join democracy with a govern
the world.
Although this appeal probably viii not
be permitted to become known in Ger
many until the autocracy has attempted
to mold for its reception by denunciation
through government controlled press
of what has been characterized as inter
ference in the internal affairs of Ger
many, the hope is that it will fall on fer
tile soil.
The Presidents Reply to the Pope.
The text of the note follows:
august 81, 1917.
ITO His Holiness,
"Benedictus XIV.
sPope:
"In acknowledgment of the communi- |
cation of your holiness to the belligerent |
peoples, dated Aug. !, 1917, the president
of the United States requests me to
transmit the following reply:
Every heart that has not been blind
ed and hardened by this terrible war
must be touched by this moving appeal
of his holiness, the pope, must feel the
dignity and force of the humane and gen
erous motives which prompted it, and
must feverishly wish that we might take
the path of peace he SO persuasively
points out. But it would be folly to
take it if it does not in fact lead to the
goal he proposes. Our response must be
nothing else. 1t is not mere cessation
of arms he desires; it is a stable and en-
during peace. This agony must not be
gone through with again, and it must be
\ matter of very sober judgment what
viii insure us against it.
"His holiness in substance proposes
that we return to the status quo ante
bellum, and that then there be a general
disarmament and concert j
Of nations, based upon an acceptance of {
The principle of arbitration; that by a $
similar concert freedom of the seas be {
and that the territorial t
,laims of France and Italy, the perplex |
ng problems of the Balkan states, and /;
he restitution of Poland be left to such !,
,onciliatory adjustments as may be pos
gible in the new temper of such a peace,
lue regard being paid to the aspirations
# the peoples whose political fortunes 2
md affiliations will be involved.
"It is manifest that no part of this I
,rogram can be successfully carried out I
Inless the restitution of the status quo /
nte furnishes a firm and satisfactory
ais for it. The object of this war is TO ,
oliver the free peoples of the world
rom the menace and the actual power
( a vast military establishment con-
rolled by an irresponsible government y
fhich, having secretly planned to domi- -
ate the world, proceeded TO carry the
Ian out without regard either TO the
aored obligations of treaty or the long
established practices and long cherished
rineiples of international action and 81
onor; which chose its own time for the f'
ar; delivered its blow iercely and sud u
enly; stopped at no barrier, either of Fl
Nv or of mercy; swept a whole conti- lin
ent within the tide OF blood-not the
lood of soldiers only, but the blood of al
inocent women and children, also, and re-
the helpless poor; and now stands 4,
slked but not defeated, the enemy of
,ur- -ffths Of the world This power is
ot the German people II is the ruth
IS master Of the German people. II is
, business Of ours how that great peo- o
e came under its control or submitted al
ith temporary zest to the domination
its purpose; but il is our business TO
2 to i that the history Of the rest of
Ie world Is no longer left to its hand CO
ag-
To deal with such power BY way Of
ace upon the plan proposed BY his hoH-