The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1918-10-19

Only four days elapsed after the trans
mission of President Wilson s reply to the Ger
man chancellOr's peace proposal before wire
less dispatch, sent out into the atmosphere from
Nauen the great German wireless station. was
picked up and forwarded to official diplomatic
sources IN Washington, purporting to give the
text Of Germany's answer to President Wilson's
inquiries. Forty eight hours from that time
Wilson S final answer was on the cables
Germany's Apparent Acceptance of Peace
Terms
Germany's wireless dispatch received on Oc-
tober II, Confirmed later by the official text
seemed, on it's face, a complete acceptance of
President Wilson's terms. It read:
In reply to the questions Of the President of
the United States Of America the German gov
ernment hereby declares:
The German government has accepted the
terms laid down by President Wilson in his ad-
dress OF January the eighth and in his subse-
quent addresses on the foundation Of per-
manent peace of justice Consequently, it's OBJ
ject in entering into discussions would be only
to agree upon practical details Of the appli-
cation of these terms. The German government
believes that the governments Of the powers as
soclated with the government of the United
States also take the position taken by President
Wilson in his address,
Inc GERMAN government, IN accord with the
Austro-Hungarian government for the purpose
OF bringing about an armistice, declares itself
ready to comply with the proposition of the
president in regard to evacuation.
The German government suggests that the
president may occasion the meeting Of mixed
commission for making the necessary arrange
ments concerning the evacuation
The present German government. which has
undertaken the responsibility for this step to-
h.,
and III agreement with the great majority of the
reichstag. The chancellor, supported in all Of
his actions by the will Of this majority speaks
IN the name OF the German government and Of
the German people,
"Berlin, October II, 1918.
SOLE, State Secretary Of Foreign Office -
Before sending this reply Emperor William
had summoned the sovereigns of all the German
federal states to Berlin for consultation. such
conference being unique in the history Of Ger
many. The North German zeitung says that
the note was carefully considered by the war
cabinet consisting of the chancellor the vice
chancellor and secretaries, without portfolio,
and that an answer was agreed upon after.
conference with the supreme military command.
Germanys reply was SO surprisingly acQui-
escent IN tone that the suspicion Immediately
arose that the House of Hohenzollern. which had
kept the entire civilized world in foment for
more than four years and had caused the enac
ton OF carnage and ruthless destruction on
scale never before witnessed in it's history. was
attempting to save, by crafty diplomacy, that
which she was no longer able to hold bv force
of arms
One writer says that it means that "either
Germany is on the verge Of moral and physical
collapse or she hopes to gain much more bv an
immediate armistice than by deferred peace -
He goes on to analyze the situation thus:
- Ii the former is valid the restitution of A
sace-Lorraine, the loss Of Prussian Poland and
the remuneration Of the three Russian provinces
three OF the fourteen Wilson stipulations--
would not matter. moral and physical bank
rupt has no choice anyway If the latter it |
may be thought the better policy to conserve
and preserve what is left Of Germany's strength I
and resources for future contingencies In this I
event, the entente must see to it that a probable
or possible peace breaker be perpetually bereft
OF the means of breaking the peace
" 1t IS well to bear in mind that the German |
m1lItarsts have one thing-just one in their
favor IN the eyes of the Germans Germany. to
date has not been invaded. The Kaiser has
boasted the Germans at home have been spared
scenes OF carnage. That in the estimation of
the Prussian people may be sufficient prestige
not to depose the Hohenzolerns, although the
venom IN Hohenzollernism NAV be extracted bv
the lnslstence of President Wilson -
Another writer analyZes the three supposed
concessions Of the note as follows:
l. Germany says it will accept our four
teen peace points, but it will enter into discus
slons to agree upon practical details Of the ap- /
plcatlon OF those terms Acceptance to dis
cuSs practical details is practically identical
with the acceptance as basis Of the original
German note Neither means anything in the
months of sharp and INSCRIPTIONS bargainers
until backed up by definitions and guarantees.