Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-23
FOE MUST BOW
TO MILITARY
NECESSITIES
CONTINUED From Page One.)

more accurate rendering of the Ger.
man.
When the charges work was done
Secretary Lansing had left his office
and an engagement was made for de.
livery of the note at 10 o'clock to.
morrow morning.
This incident in itself was pointed
to later as evidence that exchanges
between London, Paris and Wash.
ington have been proceeding since
the arrival of the wireless version
and that pending word from the war
council of what the military situa.
ton demands the president is in nc
hurry to know the exact verbal diff.
ference between the official and un.
official texts.
There also were reports that any
action might aw-it upon a diplo-
matte conference about to convene
in one of the allied capitals, but
these found no official confirmation
Cabinet Holds Long Session.
The usual Tuesday cabinet meet
| ing was in session all afternoon and
it was assumed that the German
note occupied its attention. No
member of the official family would
discuss whether he was taken into
the presidents confidence.
Those in official diplomatic and
congressional circles, who do not
pretend to have heard anything from
the White House on the subject are
confidently asserting opinions that
the Germans will draw an answer
from the president or that they will
not. One group, recalling that the
presidents reply to the request for
an armistice and peace negotiations
was characterized by him as a ode
cision," contend that this meant nc
further discussion of the issues in
volved would be tolerated.
The other view. held very general.
ly in official circles, is that a reply is
desirable from every standpoint, and
that it will be Forthcoming after full
consideration; and that it will dea
chiefly with the immediate problems
leaving aside for the future such
things as the German denials Of
cruelties and ruthless destruction
and doubts as to the genuineness oil
the self-proclaimed democratic re,
gime at Berlin.
Surrender Foreshadowed.
Whatever form any further
diplomatic exchanges may take, one
official pointed out tonight, after all
there is but one question. "Are the
Germans whipped?" If they are
whipped and ready to surrender
when attempts at bargaining have
failed, the surrender will come quick.
ly enough, as quickly as the men
who say they have superseded the
kaiser and the war lords in power
dare to let the truth sink home upon
the German public.
Some diplomatic reports support
the theory that they are restrained
from revealing the real situation
abruptly and taking peace at any
price only from fear Of more than q
political revolution.
Notes approaching gradually a
final capitulation serve to give the
German public the news in broken
doses and at the same time to take
every possible chance of finding a
loophole in American and allied har.
mony with the hope of avoiding IL,
timately throwing the German ma.
ton upon the mercy of its enemies
Austria-Hungary and Turkey were
scarcely mentioned here in today's
discussions of the situation, though
it was noted that the present Ger.
man communication says nothing
whatever about "in harmony with
our allies" 1t seems that both the
allies and Germany regard the
lesser central powers as virtually out
of the war, though the forces work
ing within their borders have lit.
tie more to do before surrender
comes. -~.
The belief that no trap will sue.
coed was reiterated everywhere. Al,
most the one thing stated and r.
peated on authority is that there will
be no relaxation of the great forward
movement of the allied and Ameri
can armies. nor any abstention from
attack upon the retreating foe ex'
cept upon the terms of the alliet
and American military leaders
Terms of evacuation, it is pointed
out, necessarily would be virtually
the, terms of an armistice, and If
the opinion of military men would
include breaking of the German wal
machine as an armed force and the
occupation by the Americans and The
allies of such strategic lines ant
strongholds as General Foch might
! deem necessary.