Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-10-24
TENT OF WILSON'S REPLY
TO GERMAN GOVERNMENT

! WASHINGTON. d. c., Oct. ga
| The text of the statement to the Ger
| man government follows:
The secretary of state makes pub
lie the following:
II have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your note OF the 22G
I Transmitting communication under
date of the Goth, from the German
government and to advise YOU that
! the president has instructed me to
reply thereto as follows:
| Having received the solemn and
explicit assurance of the German gov
eminent that it unreservedly accepts
the terms of peace laid down in his
address to the congress of the United
States on the Sth of January. 1918,
and the principles o. settlement enun
ciated in his subsequent addresses.
particularly the address of the 27th
of September and that it desires to
discuss the details of their applica-
ton and that this wish and purpose
emanated not from those who have
hitherto dictated German policy and
conducted the present war on Ger
many's behalf but from minister
who speak for the majority of the
reichstag and for an overwhelming
majority of the German peoples; and
| having received also the explicit.
promise of the present German gov
eminent that the humane rules OF
civilized warfare will be observed
both on land and on sea by the Ger
man armed forces. the president OF
the United States feels that he can
not decline to take up with the gov
ernments with which the government
, of the United States is associated the
question of an armistice
"He deems it his duty to say again,
however. that the only armiStice he
would feel justified in submitting for
consideration would be one of which
should leave the United States and
the powers associated with her in d
position to enforce any arrangements
that may be entered into and to
make a renewal of hostilities OH the
part of Germany impossible. The
president has therefore transmitted
his correspondence with the present
I German authorities to the govern
ments with which the government or
the United States is associated as a.
belligerent with the suggestion that
if those governments are disposed
to effect peace upon the terms and
principles indicated, their military
advisers and the military advisers OF
the United States be asked to submit
to the governments asSociateC
against Germany the necessary terms
of such an armistice as will fully pro-
tect the interests of the peoples in
volved and ensure to the associated
governments the unrestricted power
to safeguard and enforce the details
of the peace to which the German
government has agreed. provided
they deem such an armistice possible
from the military point of view.
Should such terms of armistice be
suggested. their acceptance by Ger
many will afford best concrete evi-
dence of her unequivocal acceptance
OF the terms and principles of peace
from which the whole action pro-
ceeds.
"The president would deem him
self lacking candor did he not point
ont in the frankest possible terms
the reason extraordinary safeguards
must he demanded. Significant and
important as the constitutional
changes seem to be which are spoken
OF by the German foreign secretary
in his note of the Goth of October,
IL uOtS lOl appeal Nits'' NV pm ~
of a government responsible to the
German people has yet been worked
out or that any guarantees either ex-
list or are in contemplation that me
alterations of principle and of prac-
= tice now partially agreed upon will
: be reached. Moreover. il does not
, appear that the heart of the present
I difficulty has been reached. II may
80 fnt, have hHpn
S brought under the control of the
= German people. hut the present war
has not been: and it Is with the pres
- ent war that We are dealing
5 "'E is evident that the German
= people have no means Of command
;. ing the acGuiesccnce Of the military
{ authorities of the empire in the non
p ular will: that the power Of the king
{ of Prussia to control the policy or
L the empire is unimpaired; that the
+ determining initiative still remains
= with those who have hitherto been
n the masters of Germany.
Feeling that the whole peace
OF the world depends now on plain
speaking and straightforward action.
tho president deems IL his duty 80
g say without any attempt TO soften
u what may seem harsh words, mat
u the nations of the world do not and
= cannot trust the word of those who
have hitherto bcsu the ma ters or
German policy and 20 poin. our once
moro that I'm concluding peace and
nttempting To undo the infinite IN
&c iuries and Wius'ices Of this war
tho yoverrmcnt OF ho United states
a cannot danl with my hut veritahle
: ,,t,, f.- ftyes of tho German peC-