The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-10-17
WILSON'S ANSWER TO GERMANY

WILSON'S ANSW EEK To GEkMANl
Washington, Oct. 14.-Presiden
Wilson has answered Germany's peac,
proposal with decision which moi
only fulfills the expectations Of sup
porters Of the diplomacy, but also dis
pells the fears of those who predicted
he would substitute victories at arm.
with defeats ut diplomacy.
No peace with kaiserism, autocracy
must go; no armistice can even be
thought of while Germany continue,
her atrocities on land and sea; one can.
not be considered unless il fully is die.
tated by the allied commanders in the
field in such terms as absolutely pro.
vide safeguards and guarantees that
Germany's part will not be "scrar
of paper" this, in few words, is the
presidents answer.
II it does not bring a capitulatior
which may be more than an uncondi.
tional surrender, allied diplomats and
American officials believe il may cause
a revolution in Germany.
Beyond question it speaks for the
entente as well as the United States
The dispatch Of the presidents reply
was forwarded by the issue of the fol-
lowing statement by Secretary Tu-
multy:
The government will continue to
send over 100000 men with their sup
plies every month and there will be
no relaxation of any kind"
Quite outside of the formal phrases
of a diplomatic document, that was
President Wilson's word TO the world
that he had no thought of stopping the
fighting at this stage. The senate
chamber rang with applause of SEN
ators as the presidents answer was
read few minutes after it had been
announced at the state department.
Senator Lodge. the presidents chief
critic in his course until today, issued
a statement expressing his gratifi-
cation at the presidents decision.
Opinion throughout Washington was
unanimous in approval.
The official text which will convey
the presidents decision to the Ger
man government and, more important,
TO the German people, was delivered
today by Secretary Lansing to the
charge of the Swiss legation who has
been acting as the intermediatory. It
was given out publicly by Mr.. Lansing
at the state department at six o'clock
this evening.
One outstanding point which does
not appear in the presidents note, n
point on which the world has been
asking questions can be answered to-
night. When the president declared
that the wrong done to France when
Germany took Alsace-L Lorraine should
be righted, he meant that Alsace- Lor-
raine should be returned to France.
Those who contend the presidents
decision arranges the situation for
something more than unconditional
surrender base it on the argument
that he has passed the stage where
he might have accepted a surrender
of the German military and naval
forces and left the Hohenzollern
autocracy on its throne.
Mr.. Wilson according to his view
has finally informed the German
people that If they want peace they
can only attain it by getting rid Of
the kaiser and his system. An
armistice, it is true, might come first
and the details of the downfall of the
German autocratic government might
be arranged later. But, this is what
an armistice would entail:
First: A stop to atrocities on land
and sea and the systematic destruc-
ton and devastation in the wake of
the retreating German armies.
Second: The disarmament of all the
German forces and the deposit of their
arms and munitions at points to be
chosen by the allied military command
ers.
Third: The occupation by allied
forces of certain German cities or
strongholds of strategic Importance.
Probably also the occupation of all the
submarine bases, a turning over of the
German fleet.
In short, il would entail taking
from Germany of everything with
which she might break her word to
an armistice.
From that point the United States
and the allies might proceed to dis
pose of all that remained Of kaiserism
il the German people have not done
II before. rs President Wilson in his
- l.