The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-16

fhe armistice with Germany was pro-
claimed today by President wilson,
who also announced its terms at d
.oint session of congress.
The terms herald the end OF the
war because they take from Ger
uaany the power to renew It.
inst before he went to the capl-
.fo7 the president in a proclamation
addressed to his fellow countrymen
SAID:
.aThe armistice was signed this
morning. Everything for whlch
america fought has been accomplish
sad.5 il viii now be our, fortunate duty
to assist by example, by sober, friend
II counsel and by material aid IN the
establishment of just democracy
throughout the world"
Stripped of it's malicious power, the
military autocracyr its masters driven
rs exile. stands before the worlds
court Of justice, having subscribed to
terms Of surrender which proba5 bly,
viii be recorded in history as the
most drastic and complete ever meas
ured out to defeated foe.
Reading of the full text Of the
terms discloses measures the United
states and the allied governments
have taken to guarantee that Ger
many.s acceptance shall not be
scrap Of paper, and to insure the de-
struction Of the military caste which
once could secretly and Of its single
choice disturb the peace Of the world.
When President Wilson concluded
his exchange Of notes with Prince
Max, then chancellor, administration
officials declared that if his course
did not bring about what they hoped
Would be more than an unconditional
surrender, it might bring about
revolution in Germany,
Pointing today to the Hohenzollern
dynasty, dethroned and .exiled, the
people's revolution sweeping Ger
many and the terms Of the armistice,
these. officials felt their predictions
amply fulfilled.
Having lifted the yoke of militar-
ism from the peoples of the centrai
empires the allies now turn to tasks
of humanity and mercy to bind up
their wounds and feed the hungry,
meanwhile seeking to guide them to
. place in the family Of nations from
which they can take a part in assur-
ing that another such 1,500 days OF
blood and horror need never come
again.
Evacuation, reparation and restitu-
fion are the keynotes Of the arms
tee.
Here are the principal things Ger
nlaay must do, or, powerless before
the victorious allied armies, will have
done for her:
Immediate evacuation Of Alsace-
Lorraine, Belgium, Luxembourg, Rus
sia and Roumania, without further
destruction or harm to inhabitants.
The occupation by American and
allied troops of all the countries on
the west bank of the Rhine.
Then, further, creation Of neutral
zone in a strip Of territory on the
east bank Of the Rhine, 80 kilometres
(about 20 miles, wide extending from
Holland half way down to the Swiss
border and 20 kilometres wide FOR the
remainder
Meanwhile. as guaranty Of good
faith, the occupation by American
and allied troops Of Mayence; CoblenZ
and Cologne, the principal crossings
OF the Rhine, with 80 kiioIaetre ra-
dius about the bridgeheads.
On the eastern front all German
troops are to be withdrawn from ter
ritory which before the war belonged
to Russia, Roumania or Turkey.
Then the German war machine
must aisarm. The principal portions
Of its navy must be handed over;
arms, munitions and engines Of war
numbered by the thousands are to be
taken from the army.
American and allied prisoners are
to. at once be repatriated, without
reciprocal action by the associated
governments, and the thousands Of
wretched civilians dragged off into
to be returned.
The provision for compensating the
occupied territories for the horror
wrought by the invaders is contained
in a simple repatriation
for damage done"
= AS a step to restoring the map
lines. the treaties of Brest-Litovsl
which laid Russia prone, and Of
Bucharest, which plundered Rou-
mania, must be abandoned. Money,
securities, precious metals and other
valuables looted from the invaded
countries must be returned in trust
to the allies until the conclusion OF
peace.
In the west. the railways of Al
sace-Lorraine, the valuable stores Of
iron and coal, all the stores and sup |
plies in Belgium, with arms and ar
naments, must be handed over.
In the east, the Black sea ports |
must be evacuated, the warships tax
en- by Germany from the Russians
must be surrendered; in the Baltic.
forts and defenses barring the way at
the Categatt must be delivered, and
there must be free access to the sea
sor the allies.
The allied blockade is to remain
meanwhile German mer-
chant ships are to be delivered for