Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-10-09
WILSON LIKELY
TOTELL conn., 4 in.s2 1. !:
HIS PEACE VIEWS
President Will Await German
Reply Before Taking Def
ilite Action.
YESTERDAYS MESSAGE
WAS ONLY INQUIRY
Entente Diplomats Are Pleas
ed That Curt Reply Was
Not Given Proposal.
By Carl D. eroat.

United Press Staff Correspondent)
Washington, Oct. 9.-President Will
son will probably go before congress to
cast further light upon the position he
took in his inquiry to the German
Prince Max, as soon as the latter re.
plies.
The White House viewpoint on the
Wilson query was elueidated thus:
The enquiry does net bind President
Wilson to any special course.
1t is distinctly an enquiry, not re-
ply to Prince Max's peace offers; and
it will clear way for the president to
make fitting reply as soon as he
knows for certain whether Germany
wants peace on his terms or is merely
making an insurance peace move.
Particular attention was called to the
fact that among the presidents peace
terms are complete freeing of Russia,
Belgium, occupied France and repara-
ton of the wrongs Of Alsace- Lorraine.
Also there is distant emphasis upon
the fact that self-dctermination shall
BE- the governing factor in territorial
aignments.
The president felt that curt answer
would have served as ammunition to the
feuton war lords to stimulate the peo-
pies of Germany and Austria to fresh
efforts under the guise of self-defense.
What Germany Knows
AS the matter now stands, Germany
knows clearly that complete evacuation
ef occupied territory must be the pre-
iiminary to any peace move. The ter
snan leaders are told they must show
their true eOlOrs, not alone to the world,
but to their own people.
1t became known that the president s
declaration for evacuation Of occupied
territories before an armistice did not
contemplate the evacuation of Alsace
Instead, it meant evacuation Of invaded
territories and the intention, as shown
by the presidents fourteen peace terms,
to leave the righting Of the wrong done
France to be determined in the final
peace conference.
1t was said by high authority that
this "righting" was open to the inter
probation of the return of Alsace to
France.
During the afternoon President Will
son visited Secretary of State Lansing
and remained in conference with him
and with Chief of Staff March for a
considerable time.
The significance of the military
mans presence there was not entirely
ciear, but speculation was that the pres
ident was considering the military as
pects of the future should Germany de-
cline a general evacuation.
Diplomats Endorse Reply.
Diplomats here were frankly fearful
that a curt demand for surrender would
have bolstered up German morale, en-
couraging the Teutons to fight harder
under the plea that they were battling
for their existence. The allied eonsulta-
tions developed the idea that short,
sharp reply would cause unrest or sus-
plcion among the labor and Lansdowne
elements abroad. Such an answer it was
fSlt, would not meet the approval Of
groups who perhaps might fail to see
the evident insincerity Of the German
naneuver
At the same time it was believed
that the president had given "real
punch to his remarks by making the
demand for evacuation as peace pre-
liminary. This goes farther than any
demand to date and even those who