Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-10-24
Germany, Admittedly Defeated,
Is Now Squirming to Pre-
vent Utter Disaster.
GREAT CIVIL upAEAvAl ON
Austria and Turkey Ready to QUIT
Huns, Forced by Allies. Begin Gen.
eral Retreat From Belgium
Still Resisting Fierceiy In
Champagne.
BY EDWARD W. PicKARD.

Squfrming, dOdging. walling, the
German imperial government seemed
Last week to be OH Its last leg. Thick
and fast came the r,mOrs OF nncon-
dition;ll surrender and of the abtllca-
tiOn OF the kaiser, and though these
were uncQnfirmed or contrAdicted as
fast as they came out, enough Au-
fhentic news seeped through the veil
of secrecy to show that things were
iE Il desperate state In Germany. It's
peace trap was sprung harmlessly by
President Wilson when, In reply TO
what at first glance looked like full
acceptance of his terms, he fold the
government fiatly that only absolute
cepitulation would be considered and
that the allies would not listen at all
while the Huns occupied allied terri
tory and continued to perpetrate out
ragas on land and sea. Any persons
who may have had doubts concerning
| the frmness Of the presidents will and
purpose were ioyfully reassured. and
| the answer created CONSERVATION In
Berlin. The German press admitted
| that it was great blow to their rising
| hopes Of peace. and the ruling minds
of the empire began to try to find
| some other way OF escape from tlie
| J.esperntesttuatlon. As n preliminary,
| some democratizing amendments to
the constitution were adopted or pro-
| posed. notably one taking from the
| emperor the right to declare war. The
power Of the 1unkers was sapped. to-
4 gether with that OF their war lord.
There was. indeed, evidence that II
4 civil uphenvai Of extraordinary pro-
! portions was beginning which, even
more than the great military reycrses,
would bring on Il debacle for Germany.
The governments. the fighting forces
and the civilian peoples of all the nj
He'd nations made it absolutely plain
that Germany could moi obtain the
.reace without humiliation" which II
Is seeking Nowhere among them il
i found any sentiment of pity for either
the brutal soldiery that has ravished
4 the earth or the people who have sup
ported and rejoiced over the inhu-
manity of the armed forces. The de
mand for exact Justice Is universal
outside the lands of the offenders. II
Il would not be in the LEAST surprising Il
the prediction made in These columns
many months ago were fulfilled. name
4 ly. that one Of fhe conditions Of peace
will be that Germany surrender the
kaiser and other instigators and per
netrators of fIigltf,ilness for persona
punishment With this spirit prevail
ing among tie n0w victorious allies
4 what chance has Germany for peace
without humiliation.
The abdication OF the kaiser, which
after all would be but Incidental, was
that lie intended TO Step down in favol
of Prince William Frederick, oldes
son Of tle crown prince, who IS onl.
twelve years old.
E
President Wilson delayed his reply
Z to the peace proposals of Austria-H Hun
gary and Turkey, probably in ordel
that the truth abont their hopeless sit
uution might soak info their minds
and reports showed they were realiz
ing the facts and beginning to act &c
cordlngly The breakup of the dna
kingdom became more imminent. th,
Hungarians openly declaring their in
tenton to separate from Austria, th'
y Poles. Croats and Bohemians boldly com
Ing out for Independence. The govern
ment made dispairing plans to eholt
the empire together In the form Of
confederation Of the various nationali
Hes but this did not seem to interes
ne peoples who have suffered 70 lonl