The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-19
SUMTER, S. C., SATURDAY OCTOBER 49, 1918 VOL
YELLED IN DOUBT.
NEWS FROM GERMANY INDEFI-
MITE AND CONTRADICTORY.

Official Report Available
From London, Paris and Holland
Say President Wilson's Terms Have
Been Accepted.
Washington, Oct. 16.-Tonight's
news of Germany is everywhere re-
garded here as the shadow Of great
events being cast before them.
There is in Washington no official
word that the kaiser has abdicated;
or that he has been overthrown; or
that Germany is ready to accept all
Of President Wilson's terms. Off
cials and diplomatists, cautious and
conservative by nature and. practice
regard with incredulity the intima-
tions that one OR all of these things
happened. OF course, they all hope,
they have; they Ill know that one or
all of them are inevitable.
The official opinion in the capital
tonight is that coming Of these
things is timed only by the unknown
degree to which the German military
power has been broken. There may
be more information on that point III
the chancellories of England, France
and Italy than there is in Washington
When President Wilson's reply TO
the German peace proffer went fortn
Monday night it was predicted mere
that if it did not bring a complete ano
unconditional surrender Of the MILL
tary autocracy the German people
themselves would force one. Pres.-
dent Wilson's words were plain m
yitation to the German people to take
such step and intimated that there
would be no peace with kalserasm.
The coming hours Will snow no"
the leaven has worked. The int1na-
tons in today's dispatches from Lon
don, Paris and Holland suggest the
progress of the ferment. Most slgnl-
ficant of all is regarded the report
from Holland by way of London that
Germany will Immediately reply TO
President Wilson accepting all MS
terms and asking only guarantees Tor
the interests of Germany and the Ger
man people. When the reply does
come President Wilson's only course
will be to forward it to the cobelllg-
erents. The guarantees for the inter
ests of Germany and the German
people do not intervene as an obstacle
if guarantees are thought of IN SIN
cere terms If they are put forth as
another vehicle for a quibble, an op-
portunity for diplomatic evasion and
tricaery, or a negotiated peace they
-,,;l1 ,,ooot only one reply.
If they mean guarantees for the
integrity and sovereignty Of the Ger
many which is rightfully German al
ways taking in the determinations OF
the human beings concerned, no OBJ
stacle is foreseen. If they mean tina!
guarantees for the rights of the Ger
man people to live their lives under
a peaceful responsible government
which does not menace the life of the
world, President Wilson's utterance
on the subject, officials think, already
have given the answer. If Germany
accepts all his terms and attaches the
condition of such guarantees it IS con-
sidered that hardly less could be ex-
pected Of her.
Guarantees for the interest Of Ger
many involving only Germans, it was
pointed out, are quite apart from the
self determination Of the oppressed
nationalities in Austria for which
President Wilson has pledged the
peace to secure opportunity for an
development.
There always is the possibility that
the conditions President Wilson has
alG down as the basis for peace al
ready have come about in Germany.
Diplomats noticed that Chancellor
Macmillan sent a note and that when
the president answered with an in
curry it was Foreign Secretary Solt
and not the chancellor who replied,
and that Solf spoke of the new gov
ernment which has been formed IN
Germany. 1t would not be without
precedent if the peace party in Ger
many actually was in possession o.
an imperial refsript of other secret
acts renouncingl power Of the
kaiser and his party, when the reply
to President Wilson's inquiry was
sent. It would not be without prece-
dent if the negotiation was begun
with n1aneuver for the best possible
terms and holding back the last card
the downfall Of kaiserisn.
If the prerequisites for an armistice
are accepted, the arrangements will
be made, not by mixed commission
but by Marshal Foch and the cobel-
comanders. These, as has
been pointed out will be the means
Of taking from Germany every agency
with which she could break her
word if she would; the occupation by
allied forces OF such places rs Strass-
burg. Metz and Coblenz; turning over
to the allies of her fleet and subma-
rine bases; with the recall Of her
submarines which dispatches hinted
today she was ready to do, and the
surrender Of munitions of war. un-