The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-18
NEST ACCEPT THE TERMS VIE
son LAYS DOWN. e
Reply to Austrian Proposal, if Made.
Certain to Ernbody Condition.;
Contained in Presidents Baltimors
Speech Demanding Complete SUR
render Of Barbarians. =;

and triumphant force which shaaE
make right the law Of the world, ana
cast every selfish dominion down tS
the dust" ;-ss
That was the presidents statemenf3
then and it was reiterated today. it's
his answer now. s
No one doubts that it is the arr
swer of all the allies.
While Austria's proposal last nlgaf
from Amsterdam had not reachea
Washington in official form toniglaS
it is expected hourly through sefns
neutral-possibly Sweden--and IN q
is realized the long ileralded peaes
offensive upon which Germany Y
counting to arouse enough senrineH1
for peace among the people OF t1s
allied countries to compel an end9;ol:
the war on terms which substantiaHs;
" would preserve the Prussian dynass
ties.
The allied leaders recognize It sss;
sn effort by Germany to obtain t1ls
best terms possible. Ms
There will be no round table. corr
ference, no sounding out process, sueh
rs Germany proposes and such as sfls s
hopes will give opportunity probably
to deal with her enemies separately5s
If ary reply at all is made, It VIE
oe r.f,er an exchange Of views be-
~ cen the United. States and the ot1ss
er cobelligerents SO that reply fts.
all may be made in one. On evels!
side American officials and allied din
2omats it seems agreed that the Only
ground on which GERMANY may ha5ss
a conference is the acceptance OF thy
principles laid down by Pres.de,Ss
Wilson and which have been accepe
ed by ah the allies as their watclH
word. III
American officials have been no5
ing for some time the various steJH
that have led to the proposition fqx
q meeting at some neutral point eA
delegates from all the belligere1H
countries to enter into non binding
discussions with q syiesss sp nE1neanns
aBonf peace. = e
From. German and Austrian ofh-
Gals of high rank, from the German
emperor himself down to the vice
chancellor of Germany, within the
last fortnight have come public ut
terances, differing widely in thelr
tone and scope, but by singular coin
cidence each and all containing III
some place a declaration OF willing
ness to extend the hand of peace
they were coupled with denials of re-
sronsibility for the further continu-
ance of hostilities. Baron Burian, the
Austrian foreign minister, advanced:
the movement toward the peace Of.
er in his recent address to visiting
German Journalists, and the ideas h
then broached are now recognlZec
here as the foundation upon which
has been built the proposition whic',
Vienna now is presenting to the worlt
at arms in a formal way.
The Washington government 4!
ready has made up its mind ans
formed its own opinion regarding
Burian's plan and it can be stated
that even in the formal shape Ii
which it is now presented it is quit
as Objectionable as it was originally
and does not present a single point
upon which the entente powers an6
the United States are likely to agree
with the authors. Familiar notes O
insncerity and underlying siniste
purposes are heard by officers. III
the opinion of officials here the pri
mary object Of Baron Burian and the.
Germans who stand behind him is IT,
convince the Austrian and German
peoples that their governments real
ly desire peace. course made neces
sary by the highly dangerous and re
bcilious state Of mind in Germany.an(
particularly in Austria.
This could be accomplished speed
lily and effectively, it is pointed out by
the officials here, by an open declara-
ton Of full and unqualified accept
ance by Berlin and Vienna Of the IL
points laid down by President Wilson
as a proper basis Of peace. But thi'
would sound the death knell of Pan
Germanisnr; would mean the dis
gorgement Of huge tract of terri
tory, enormous indenlnities and valu
able special privileges and monopolie:
which the predatory central powers
have wrung from Russia, not to dwell
ul.nH the receSsation OF Alsace-Lor
raine whose wrongful seizure half
century ago. President Wilson ha:
declared. must be righted.
Another purpose to be served b,
such discussions as Baron Buria!
proposes. it is considered, has bee
detected and exposed in almost every
one Of the preceding German peac
moves. While the word discussions
has been substituted for the confer
enccs' originally proposed. official
here without the slightest hesitation
identify the purpose as anothc
round table" conference. such as q
Brest -Litovsk marked the ruin OF
Russia discussions. with I'll
the delegates assembled in one plac
and open to close personal influenc
and address. would not differ YER
much from q formal gathering arount
u table and in fact. might be more
SO it was declared today that tn
Cnited States would have none