The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-10-18
Germany's Tricky Peace Move Is
Baked by President Wilson's
Diplomacy.
ARMIES OPPOSE ARMISTICE
Cambria Captured and Huns Defen-
siVe Line Smashed, Compelling Gen.
eral Retreat-Yanks Success
full In champagne-Beirut
Occupied by the French.
BY EDWARD w. PlcKARp.

BY EpWAHO w. PiCkARD.
Prince Max of Baden, the new inn
perial chancellor of Germany, re-
questing President Wilson to arrange
for an armistice and subsequent dis
cussion Of peace terms, and stating
that Germany accepted the presidents
Ia points as a basis for the negotia-
tionS, evoked three separate and dis
| tinet replies. President Wilson an
| swered that he could not suggest an
armistice while the German armies
were outside the boundaries of Ger
many. and then asked whether the
, German government accepted the
terms laid down by him and whether
its object in entering discussions was
only to agree upon the practical de-
tails of their application; Furthermore,
lie wanted to know whether the chan
cellor was speaking merely for the
constituted authorities of the empire
who have so far conducted the war.
The people of all the allied nations,
soldiers and civilians alike, answered
Prince Max with tremendous shout
of Unconditional surrender"
Marshal Foch responded with one of
the most powerful attacks of the al
lied armies, capturing the important
city Of Cambrai, smashing a 20-mile-
wide breach through the Hindenburg
line, and forcing back the German
armies all along the line from Verdun
to the sea.
Ia
Nearly all authorities agree that the
chancellor's proposal was insincere !;
that the request for an armistice was
made merely to give the military COM
mand a chance to reorganize the shat
tered armies, and that Prince Max
knew the suggestion for a peace CON
ference, as he made it, would be re-
jected, giving him the opportunity to
say to the people of Germany: II have
offered to end the war on the enemy's
own terms and he refuses. The Ger
man nation now must unltedly fight
on"
At first there was some disappoint-
ment because President Wilson did
rot reject the German proposal swift
ly and bluntly, but a little considera-
ton has convinced almost everyone
that he evaded trap and by his, d.
rect questions put the German dip
lomats in position of the utmost diff
Guilty. At the same time he left the
door open for ultimate negotiations,
tfter Germany has accepted his IA
points and given full guarantees. As
for the armistice, he did not agree to
that even We're the German armies to
he withdrawn from all occupied terri
tories. recognizing the fact that the
declaring Of an armistice is up to
the military commanders. The presi-
dents note was fully approved, prob
tbly in advance, by the allied govern
ments, and was given the highest
praise by the press in England and
France as well as America.
Any agreed cessation of fighting at
this time, short of the abject surren-
der of the central powers. would bit
terly disappoint the soldiers of the
allied armies and the people who are
backing them up. Foch's forces have
the Germans on the run, and if they
are permitted to follow up the Huns
on their retreat TO the Mouse they win
destroy large part of their effective
ness and capture probably half of their
material. On the other hand an armis-
tice would permit the Huns to retire
within their borders with their armies
intact and prepared to maneuver effec-
lively behind their shortened and pow
crfully fortified lines. Animated by
a spirit, not Of vindictiveness, but of
retrlbutive justice, the men of the al
lied armies feel that no peace should