The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-02

London, Sept. NO sooner had
the full text of President Wilson's
rspiy to Pege ReHAatet's peace naes~.l
sage been printed In the Cologne Gas.
zette than there burst forth from
the leading German organs a storm
of resentment. Stung by the Ameri-
can executives assertion that the Ger.
man people are helpless, voiceless
tools in the hands of the autocratic
military caste. and feeling the eyes
Of the whole world fixed upon every
line OF comment, the chief makers
of public opinion in the empire has.
tened TO unite in a thunderous SUM.
mons to the German people to pre-.
sent wall OF granite to what ID In
terpreted as an effort to unloose re-.
volt within In order to make easier
the crushing OF the empire by armed
forces from without.
Storm Still Rages. u
The storm still RACES full blast This
socialist and radical papers have NOT
yet been heard from. Indications are.
however. that for the time being At
least, solid front will be made axainst
the presidents differentiation be-
tween the people and the government.
The motives for this concerted suounf~
er-drive" range from pique vanity To
the sincere cuuvtcttuu that rtrE sight
est WELDING go .rrsSsi,sa kAr
characterization will mean the down
fall OF the empire The sentiments
thus far expressed may be sunmar-
ICED thus:
I'VE know our present system q
wrong We want reforms and we
are going to get them, but not BY
the grace ct foreigners.
Erexy one OF the big journals that
poured out its bttterest doses Of in-s
vective against President Wilson OBJ
serves In the same breath that the
denocratszsrg changes in GERMANY III
governmental system are as sure to-
row.
Crux OF Situation.
Here then lies the crux Of the sifu-
alton the most serious paradox In q
nations psychological history: The
Germans reject with acrid unity
President Wilson's 'neddling' In their
internal affairs. But as one man they
agree that the very reforms which he /
stipulated as the sine qua non cone
dition for peace must come and will
come. In this national realization
clearer and stronger today than two
days ago, shrewd observers who haro
their ear to the ground for the Ar-
pearance OF peace tonight saw the
most hopeful omen recorded since the
1ateIui Gays OF august. 1914.
Who cares by what route democ-
racy enters the katser's realm" they
argue. President Wilson no doubt
with gladly take all the abuse that
can be showered by the aenselidatA A Z
founts OF German Journalistic vitrioI.
II. after relieving themselves OF their
wrath. the German press and people
proceed TO gain for themselves that 4
voice which MIR. Wilson says Thsy
must have II he with talk about I
peace. ss
The consensus In well infofmed
quarters tonight 10 that. despite "A s
appearances to the contrary. Priests
dent Wilson's reply to the pope hAa \
given the possibility Of peace tre<
mendoua lift.
Americas Answer Theirs
As Tor the entente allies the dAT8
brought new convincing proof fh1
America through fts president h&0;
defined their cauaes more clearly t&9Ms
could hHvs been dome by any of ~ u
incidentally II wAs made plain 44
day by Lord Robert CaclE thu kl
entente waa not In any WA1 ooM3Uae "a
~ President WIls0n y framtnu