New-York tribune., 1918-10-25
Washington Assumes Will.
son Has Entered Into
Agreement With Allies
Forts Will Surround
All Enemy Country
Military Men Feel Presi-
dent Knows Exact De-
mands Of Army Chiefs

WASHINGTON, Oct 24.-~(By The
Associated Press. s.)-Discussion centred
here to-day on the probable terms
mulated by the Allied and American
military advisers after the Allied gov
ernments have considered the German
proposals transmitted by President
Wilson. 1t was assumed by army Off
GERS that the President already had
ascertained the willingness Of the AL
lied governments to submit the mat
ter to the military men.
Military opinion here is that Mr.
Wilson has expressed the basic idea
upon which an immediate armisticc can
be reached. The terms to render the
military pow on land and sea abso-
lutciy impotcnt must be worked out by
the Supreme War Council.
1t will be the mission of the mill
tary advisors to translate general prin-
clples into concrete terms of tCrtresscs
20 be occupied, submarine bases to he
placed under guard. muntion plants to
be dismantled and strategic rail lines
to be secured against German use.
Since an armisticc on Allied terms
means an end Of the war, attention
also must be given to demobilization
Of the German army, in itself a long
process, since the great force could
not be turned back TO civil life over
night.
Dissolution Machinery Ready
The machinery for formulation of
the terms already exists. The military
and naval boards of the Supreme War
Council at Versailles furnish the nat.
ural avenue for The assessing of the
views of the military leaders and
bringing them into harmony in q
definite statement of the conditions
upon which fighting could come to an
end.
Marshal Foch, as supreme COM
mander, and Generals Petain, Haig,
Pershing, Diaz and Gillian, the Belgian
chief of staff, are ex-otficio members Of
the army board, as the admirals COM
manding the four great navies-- Brit
ish, French, American, Italian-are ex-
officio members of the naval board
The President pre- poses that the
terms to be drawn up Iy these military
and naval agencies are to be submitted
to the respective governments asso-
ciated against Germany for ratification
before they are given to the German
government. The Supreme War Coun-
Gil, composed Of the premers Of the
Allies and Of President Wilson, prob
ably would pass upon the programme.
since it is only armistice conditions
and not peace treaties which arc to
be considered
Land Terms Appear Simple
AS to the terms themselves, the sit
uatlon on land, so far as the Western
front is concerned appears simple. To
make certain that the U-boat fleets arc
put out Of action. however, by any
terms except the surrender of the suh-
marines themselves appears more diff
hcult. Occupation of Helgoland might
serve to bottle up both the submarines
and the German high seas feet SO far
as the North Sea outlets are concerned
but there is another gateway, via the
klel Canal and the Skagerrak.
1t is regarded as obvious that occu-
patton of the Metz-Thionvile "Mut-
ter Stellung" as the Germans call that
great fortress, would be essential
Speculation in this connection has an
unusual interest here, since it is re-
garded as probable that the Germans
would, in any case, stipulate that
American troops take over the fortress
until final disposition of Alsace-Lor-
raine is determined Mt peace confer
ences
Holding the Metz-Thionville gateway.
supplemented possibly by occupation of
the Rhine fortress of Strasburg. some
officers think, would enable the Allef
-S'SSo NV why " UONll0uto the Gar
man forces on this front, but wou1d
give also an open road into GERMANY
itself should resumption of hostiljt;es
be threatened.
Evacuation Must Come First
Terms for the evacuation Of Belgium
and Northern France probably would
precede the statement of condition.
that must later he enforced alone tho
German Belgian frontier. 1t is believed
the Allied chiefs will propose definite
plan for the rearward movement of the
German forces under which the enc.
my's armies would successfully retire
The plan marked out, it is thourht
would provide for exposure of the Ger
man forces to flanking operations that
would cut them to pieces should anv
treachery be revealed
What fortresses on the German
Belgian frontier must later be re-