The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-16

Washington, Oct 14.-Turkey's
long delayed note asking, like Aus
tria and Germany, that President
Wilson take in hand the restoration !
of peace, was received today at the
State department.
there may be no possibility OF mis-
understanding that the president
should very solemnly call the atten-
ton of the government of Germany
to the language and plain intent OF
one of the terms of peace which the
German government has now accept
ed. It is contained in the address Ct
the president delivered at Mount
Vernon on the Fourth of July, last.
1T is as follows:
".The destruction of every arbI-
tary power anywhere that can separ-"
ately, secretly and of it's single choice,
disturb the peace of the world, or II
/ it can not be presently destroyed, at
least its reduction to virtual lmpo-
! tency.'"
.The power which has hitherto con-
trolled the German nation is OF the
sort here described. 1t is within the
choice of the German nation to alter
it. The presidents words just quot
ed naturally constitute a condltlon
precedent to peace, if peace is 10
come by the action of the German
| people themselves. The president
feels bound to say that the whole
process of peace will, in his judgment,
| depend upon the definiteness and the
satisfactory character of the guaran-
tees which can be given in this fun-
damental matter. It is indispensable
that the governments associate"
against Germany should know beyond
a. peradventure with whom they are
dealing.
1.-The president will maksaeep be
1.-The president will make sepa-
rate reply to the royal and imperial
government of Austria-Hungary.
| Accept, sir, the renewed assur-
ances of my high consideration. y
| (Signed) Robert Lansing"
Frederick .Odelin, -
Charge. d'Affaires, ad interim, in
charge ofaGerman interests in the
I United States. -
| One outstanding point which does
not appear. in the presidents note, a
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 Asace-IIorraine shoalld
be righted he meant that Alsace:Lor
raine should be returned to France.
Those who contend that the presi-
den's decision arranges the situation
for something more than an uncoil-
ditional surrender base it on the ar
sument that he has now passed the
stage where he might have accepted
surrender Of the German military
and naval forces and left the Hohen-
zollern autocracy on it's throne.
Mr.. Wilson, according to this view,
now finally has Informed the German
people that if they want peace the
can only attain it by getting rid OF
fine kaiser and his system.
An armistice. it is true, might como
first and the details of the downfall
Of the GermaH autocratic govern
ment might be arranged later.
But this is what an armistice
would entail:
First, a stop to the atrocities on
land and sea and the. systematic de-
struction and devastation in the wake
of the retreating German armies
then, the disarmament OF all the Ger
man forces and the deposit OF their
arms and munitions at points to be
chosen by the allied military COM
manders. Then the occupation b.
allied forces Of certain German cities
Or strongholds of strategic import
ance. Probably also the occupation
of ali the submarine bases and a
/, turning over Of the German fleet, N
short, it will entail a taking from
Germany of everything with whic.,
! she. might break her word to en- az
nistice.
From that point the United States
and the, allies might proceed to dis
pose of what remained Of kaiserism Z.
! the German people have not done it
before, as President Wilson in his
note plainly invites them to do.
While nowhere in the note does
the president join openly with the
entente statesmen in the demand thai
'the chief criminals must be deliver
ed up for trial" the presidents con-
fdants point out that he plainly SUBJ
scribes to the doctrine that the guilt
Of bringing on the world war is per
sonal.
1t will be noted that the presidea.
completely rejects the German sug-
gestion for a mixed commission to
arrange an evacuation and reminds
the rnilitarists that they will accept