Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-15
cn. Maurice Notes Ring Of
Insincerity in Acceptance
of Wilson's Terms
GUARANTEES NECESSARY
Allied Armies Should Be So
Placed as to Present Re-
sumption Of War
By MAI. GEN. SIR F. B. MAURICE
Former Director OF Operations OF the
British Army.
Bpecisf Gable to Evening Public Ledger

Bpecisf Cable TO Evening Public Ledger
copprioht. 1918. bv New York Times Co.
London. Oct. Is.
q The reply OF the German Government
10 President Wilson is great step
beyond the acceptance of demand that
all Allied territory shall be evacuated.
II clears the air of suspicion that the
orieNai proposal was a dodge to get
their armies out OF an embarrassing
situation. One of the prime objects OF
the German general staff in this war has
been to wage Il on enemy territory, with
tho double purpose of saving their own
land from it's horrors and of carrying
out the principle which they have
adopted OF making war support war
. On this principle. they have from the
first exacted the very utmost from the
territories which they occupied. In the
forms OF fines. Of enforced contributions
In money and kind. of forced labor, and
not infreauently by sheer robbery. We
have all seen how systematic devasta-
.tion has preceded and accompanied
their retirements, according 20 plan.
Knowing. then. how they themselves
have acted and would act IL they were
IN the position of the Allies on entering
into Germany. It is unthinkable that
they would agree to the armies of their
enemies, backed by great and growing
superiority in the air, taking post every
where along their frontiers, II they con-
ceived II possible to continue the strug-
gle with any advantage to themselves,
There Is, then. to any one acquainted
with the German mind ring OF
sincerity about the last message signed
hy Doctor Solf which has been lacking
in all the earlier proposals from Ger
many.
Need Adequate Guarantees
For the time being the political situa.
tion dominates the military and may
3 Il continue to do 30, but there can Dc
I no question OF a cessation of hostilities
until adequate guarantees have beer
obtained that the terms which the Allied
governments decide to impose shall b'
carried out in spirit and letter. Wha
those guarantees shall be Is primaril,
a question for soldiers and sailors, TO
4 II A. essential that the Allied armies ant
d fieets be 60 placed as to make 1t impos
y sible for Germany to continue the wa
n II. at a later date, she refuses to accep
their terms
The position Is. II my memory serve'
me, without precedent. for never betor'
has a great nation Acknowledged com
/, plete defeat while her armies wer'
Z In her possession huge stretches
enemy territory.
To take three only of President VII
son's fourteen points, it is obvious tina
fhe pffer to evacuate Allied territory
while II IN, as l have said, an indication
+ Of cermany's sincerity, is not guar
antee TO France that Alsace-Lorrain
Viii he restored to her. Neither 4
vvithdrawai of German troops from Rus
ala A guarantee of the establishment
an independent Poland, nor the retire
ment from Belgium guarantee OF repa
ration 10 the great victim OF Germa
4 barbarity.
Leave Il to Marshal Foeh
The question OF military guarantee
70 be exacted will doubtless be left b
the Allied Governments mainly In TN
t hands Of Marshal Foch, who will hav
to Euide him Germany's own treatmen
Of the problem in 1871. She then. ha,
ing imposed her terms upon Francs
left large forces in occupation of spec
q fied French provinces to insure the
< observance These forces were grady
4 ally withdrawn as France paid to Gel
many the indemnity imposed upon he
X but the last German soldier did M
leave France until long after the wa
~ was over anu tIe last bou VI thc Se'
exacted was in the German treasury
NJ The sinking OF the Leinster is a tint
|a IN reminder to US that 1t is not only
question Of military guarantees but th'
y our sailors, who have borne througho'
\ incomparably the greatest share In II
n war at sea, should certainly have d.
y Gliding voice in this matter Germany
4 reouest for a commission to settle II
4 details Is in accordance with preceden
but It should be primarily a nav
= and military commission appointed
4 determine how and when the decisi,
"a OF the Allied Governments are to
carried out and necessary guarante
p 70 BE- secured 1t may be longer befo
y these complex questions are settled, al
y II cannot be assumed that hostilitl
u win cease until they are settled.
n At the moment operations on Il
western front are following the cour
Z which was anticipated. The Germal
n are attempting to, stand on the Sci
N and to withdraw their forces on eth
Y side of the salient which Sir Dough
81 Haig has created In their front. 1 dor
see that as yet there is any justiic
p tion for the opinion which has be-
expressed that the retreat of the Ge
e man armies from the Chemin -des- Dam
81 and st. Gobain massif is gravely me-
aced. II may be II Foch can stril
n again. at once. but in the meantime
'| n cortain that the German retreat mu