The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-15
PRESIDENT WILSON'S
REPLY>TO GERMANY
No Arrnistice until Germany Stops
Irhuman Practices

Washington, Oct. 14-The text of
the Presidents answer follows:
"The unqualified acceptance by the
present German government and by a
large majority of the Reichstag of
the terms laid down by the President
of the United States of America in
his address to the Congress of the
United States on the Sth of January,
1913, and in his subsequent ad-
dresses, Justifes the President in
making frank and direct statement
of his decision with regard to the
communications of the German gov
ernment Of the United States and the
allied governments, and the President
feels it MS duty to say that no ar
rangemelt can be accepted by the
government of the United States
which does not provide absolutely
satisfactory safeguards and guaran
tees of the maintenance of the
present military supremacy of the
armies of the United States and the
allies in the field.
''He feels confident that he can
safely assume that nothing but this
will also be the judgment and decis-
ion of the allied governments.
"The president feels that it is also
his duty 10 add that neither the gov
ernment Of the United States nor, he
is quite sure, the governments with
which the government of the United
/ JT,,I+1I 10 I11I
gerent, will consent to consider an
armistice 70 long as the armed forces
! of Germany continue the illegal and
inhuman practices which they still
persist III.
! cat the very time that the German
government approaches the govern
ment Of tic United States with pro
| posals Of peace, its submarines are
engaged IL sinking passenger ships at
sea, and not the ships alone, but the
very boats in which their passengers
and crews seek to make their way to
safety; and in their present enforced
withdrawal from Flanders and France
/ the German armies are pursuing a
course Of wanton destruction which
has always been regarded as in direct
violation of the rules and practices of
civilized warfare. Cities and villages
| if not destroyed, are being stripped OF
all they contain, not only, but often
of their very inhabitants. The ma
tions associated against Germany can
not be expected to agree to a cessation
of arms while acts of inhumanity
spoliation and desolation are being
continued which they justlp looh
upon with horror and with burning
hearts.
at is necessary, also, in order thai
there may be no possibility of mis-
understanding, that the Presiden
should very solemnly call the atten
ton of the government of German.
to the language and plain. intent o
, one of the terms of peace which th'
German government has now accept
ed. 1t is contained in the address 0
: the President delivered at Noun
Vernon on the Fourth of July last.
at is as follows: "The destruction
of every arbitary power anywher
that can separately, secretly and 0
, it's single choice disturb the peace o
the world; CT, if it cannot be present
ly destroyed, at least its reduction t
virtual impotency. The power whic
= has hitherto controlled the Germa
nation is OF the sort here described
1t is within the choice of the Germa
: nation 20 alter it. The President
words just quoted naturally const