The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-01
President Completes Task as Intermediary for Armis-
 tice Plea of Germans
PEACE PROGRAMME
 NOT YET FRAMED
Purely Military Phases Worked Out, But Certain Questions Remain to Be Dealt With Before Final
 Fixing of Terms

Washington, October 31. President Wilson cleared up today his task as intermediary for armistice and peace pleas of the central powers, just as press dispatches were bringing the news of Turkeys surrender and of events foreshadowing an early collapse of Austro- Hungarian arms.
 Formally as well as actually the whole question of the conditions upon which the war may end now is before the Amer ican and allied representatives in Paris. The next step probably will be the de- cision of those representatives on armis- tice terms, unless before this is reached Austria follows the example of Bulgaria and Turkey and capitulates in the field before the great drive that is cutting her forces to pieces In Italy.
 PROGRAMME NOT COMPLETED
 It may be stated that, while the armis- tice programme which the Germans await may not differ essentially from predic- tions that it will include surrender of the German navy and submarines, dis armament of the German armies and oc- eupation of German strongholds the framing of the programme has not been completed and any informal announce mcnts are premature. Exchanges between the American and allied governments as well as discussions among the repre-
 
 ress. It was intimated today that the purely military phases of the problem had been worked out in advance by the supreme war council, but that unhurrieo deliberations are necessary to dispose of certain questions involved in the making of permanent peace which must be dealt with in finally fixing terms of an armts- tice.
 NOTE SENT TO ALLIES
 Secretary Lansing made public during the day note handed to Ambassador Riano, of Spain, informing him that the Turkish request that he propose an armis- tice and peace negotiations, delivered by the ambassador October 14, had been transmitted by the President to the gov ernments at war with Turkey Later the secretary announced that the last Austrian communication supporting a similar appeal with acceptance of the
 
 subject nationalities. had been forwarded to America's co-belligerents. Minister Ekengren of Sweden, in charge of Aus trian interests, was so informed verbally, the President apparently having decided that it was unnecessary to send the writ ten reply he was reported yesterday to be preparing.
 This leaves one note unanswered, that of count Andrassy, the Austrian for eign minister, asking Secretary Lansing to intervene with the President for fla rDrable action on Austria's request Since the President already has acted MT. Lansing probably will make no reply.
 SATISFACTION EVIDENT
 Great satisfaction over the days de- velopments was evident everywhere here American and allied military men ex,- pressed the opinion that the only uues- tion now is whether Germany will seek to delay the inevitable by fighting desperate defensive campaign alone, or accept the surrender terms now being framed.
 With Turkey and Bulgaria out of the war and the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus in the hands of the allies Germanys hold on the east is broken. Guard duty Is the work left for the mill itary forces the allies may consider nec- esary to keep there. For the allied navies there remains the job of captur- ing or wiping out the German con trolled fleet on the Black sea- No one believes that will take long.
 NO OFFICIAL NEWS
 Officially neither the Washington gov- ernment nor the allied embassies had been informed of the days events. Only through press dispatches did they learn of the fall of Turkey. and they had no information through their own channels of the reported action of the Austrian commander on the Italian front in ap- plying directly to General Diaz, the Ital- ian commander in chief, for an armis- tice
 President Wilson spent large part of the afternoon al the state war and navy building in the offices of Secre- taries Lansing and Baker. He walked over from the White House soon after word came of Turkeys collapse, but there were indications that his talk with OPEN NQSTRI