The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1918-10-19
PRESIDENT WILSON'S RE-
PLY TO GERMANY MEETS
WITH AMERICAN APPROVAL

There can be no armistic so long
as the German army is on allied
soil, and so long as the German
soldiers continue the inhuman prac-
tices which they still persist in.
"Sir-In reply to the communica-
tion of the German government
dated the 18th inst, which you hand
cd me today, / have The honor to re-
quest you to transmit the follow
ing answer:
1.-The unqualified acceptance by
the present German government and
by as large majority of the Reich
stag of the terms laid down by the
President of the United States Of
America in his address to Congress
of the United States on January 8,
1918, and in his subsequent ad-
dresses justifles the President in
making a frank and direct state
ment of his decision with regard to
the communication of German gov
ernment of October 8 and ~, 1913.
1T must be clearly understood
that the process of evacuation and
the conditions of an armistic are
matters which must be left to the
judgment and advice of the military
advisers of the Government of the
United States and the Allied Govern
ments, and the President feels it
his duty to say that no arrange
ment can be accepted by the Govern
ment of the United States which
does not provide satisfactory safe
guards and guarantees of the main
tenance of the present military SUI
premacy of the armies of the Unit
cd States and the Allies in the field.
He feels confident that he can
safely assume that this will also be
the judgment and decision of the
Allied Governments.
THE President feels that it is also
his duty to add that neither the Gov
ernmen of the United States. nor he
is quie sure, the Governmentes
with which the Government of the
United States is associated as bel
ligerent will consent to consider an
armistice so long as the armed for
ces of Germany continue the illegal
and inhumane practices which they
still persist in.
AT the very time that the Ger
man government approaches the
Government of the United States
with proposals of peace its suDma-
rines are engaged in sinking pas
senger 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 with
drawal from Flanders and France
the German armies are pursuing a
course of wantOn destruction which
has always been regarded as in di-
rect violation of the rules and prac-
tees of civilized warfare. Cities
and villages, if not destroyed are
being stripped of all they contain
not only, but often of their own
inhabitants. The Nations assoclat-
ed against Germany cannot be ex-
pected to agree to a cessation of
arms while acts of inhumanity,
spoilation and desolation are being
continued which they justly look
upon with horror and with burning
hearts
1t is necessary, also. in order that
there may be no possibility of mis-
understanding, that the President
should very sOlemnly call the at
tention of the government of Ger
many to the language and plain in
tent of one of the terms of peace
which the German government has
now accepted. 1t is contained in the
address of the President delivered al
Mount Vernon on the Fourth of July
last.
ut is as follows: The destruction
Of every arbitarary power anywhere
than on separately, secretly and
of its single choice disturb the peace
of the world; or, if it cannot be pres
emily destroyed, at least its reduc-
tion to virtual impotency.'