French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-10-31
WILSON REFERS PEACE
PROBLEM TO ALLIES; HE
VIRTUALLY ASKS SURRENDER
Utmost Safeguards Demanded; Says
World Cannot Trust German
Rulers

eminent that he has transmitted 1t:
correspondence to him seeking ar
armistice and peace to the allies with
the suggestion that if those govern
ments are disposed to effect peace up
on the terms and the principles ind1-
Gated, their military advisers and the
military advisers of the United States
be asked to submit the necessary
terms OF such an armistice as will full
~ protect the interests of the peoples
involved and enforce details of the
peace to which the government has
agreed.
The statement follows:
1.-THE secretary Of state makes public
thefollowing:
From the secretary of state to the
charge de afaires ad interim, in
charge of German interests in the
United States:
The Presidents Reply.
Department of State, October %,
1918.
"Sir:
81 have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your note of the 22nG,
transmitting a communication under
government and to advise that the
liza 4AAoIA LIZ ~ AOP4J
thereto as follows:
Having received the solemn anG
explicit assurance of the German gov
eminent that it ~unreserVedly accepts
the terms of peace laid down in his
address to the congress of the United
States on the Sth of January, 1913, and
the principles of settlement enunciac-
ed in his subsequent addresses, part1-
cularly the address of the 9th of Sep
TENDER, and that it desires to discuss
the details of their application anG
that this wish and purpose emanateG,
not from those who have hitherto die
tated German policy and conducted
the present war on Germany's behalf,
but from ministers who speak for the
majority of the reichstag and for az
overwhelming majority of the German
people; and having received also the
explicit promise Of the present Ger
man government that the humane
rules of civilized warfare will be OBJ
served, both on land and sea by the
German armed forces, the president OF
the United States feels that he cannot
decline to take up with the govern
ments with which the government OF
the United States is associated, the
question of an armistice.
Al11CS -huSI hCmdlu III IONNEO
He deems it his duty to say again,
however, that the only armistice ne
would feel justified in submitting for
consideration would be one which
should leave the United States and the
powers associated with her in a posi-
tfon to enforce any arrangement thai
may be entered into and to make a
renewal OF h1stilitieS Oh the part OF
Cnrr1 nv STnnnCCIh1n 6Nl N-ArS14ys
has therefore, transmitted his cores
pondence with the present German
authorities to the governments with
which the government Of the United
States is associated as a belligeren:
with the suggestion that if those GOV
ernments are disposed to effect peace
upon the terms and principles indica;-
ed, their military advisers and tnc
military advisers OF tie United States
be asked to submit to the governments
associated against Germany the neces-
sary terms Of such an armistice as will
fully protect the interests of the peo-
pies involved and ensure to the asso>
ciated governments the unrestricted
power to safeguard and enforce the
details Of the peace to which the Ger
man government has agreed, provided
they deem such an armisGce possible
from the military point of view.
Should such terms OF an armistice DC
suggested, their acceptance by Ger
many will afford the best c0Hcrets
evidence Of her unequivOcal accept
ance Of the terms and principles OF
peace from which the whole action
proceeds. -l~+~3
Nations Cannot Trust Hun Rulers
? The president would deem himself
lacking in candor did he not point OUT
in the franIIest possible terms the rea-
son why extraordinary safeguards
must he demanded. Significant a2G
important as the constitutional
changes seem to be which are spoken
of by the German foreign secretary j.
his note CT the 10th Of October, il does
not appear that the principle Of a
government responsible to the Ger
man people has yet been fully work
ed out or that any guarantees either
exist or are in contemplation that tLe
alterations of principle and Of prac-
tice now partially agreed upon will be
permanent. Moreover, it does not ap-
pear that the heart Of the present DIFF
HcIlty has been reached. It may be
that future wars have been brought
under the control Of the German Deo-
PFC DiC lie III CoCLiJ Wal. HAS uOI DSSu,
and it is with the present war thai
we are dealing. It is evident that the
German people have 10 means of com,
manding the aCquiescenCe Of the mill.
tary authorities Of the empire in the
popular viii; that the power OF tbs
king Of Prussia to control the pOlicy
of the empire is unimpaired; that the
determining initiative still remains
with those who have hitherto beer
masters Of Germany, Feeling that tne
whole Of the world depends now or
plain speaking and straightforward
action, the president deems it his dE.
ty to say, without any attempt to sOf
ten what may seem harsh words, tina
the nations of the world do not ant
cannot trust the words of those who
have hitherto been the masters o
German policy and to point out once
nor that in concluding peace and at
tempting to undo the infinite injuries
and injustices Of this war the govern
ment Of the United States cannot dea
-S&I. 49, I,L ~-sA