The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-10-18
PRESIDENT REFUSES
.ARM|ST|CE TO HUNS
ENEMY MUST GET OUT OF OCCU.
PIED TERRITORY BEFORE cEs
sATIoN OF POSSIBILITIES
TRAP OF GERMANY is AVOIDED
Answer Cannot Be Used by Hun Junk
ers to Bolster Up War Spirit
President Asks Macmillan
for More information

Washington, Oct 9.-President Will
son has met Germany's peace note
with a move which will at one stroke
develop whether her proposal is sin
cere or merely pretension and, if pre-
tension it be, fully justify for all time
before the world the prolonging of the
war with force to the utmost, force
without stint or limit. At the same
time the president has left wide open
the door to peace.
The unanimous opinion among dip
lomats is that the president by a care
fully studied, most skillful reply, has
robbed them of that opportunity, if
they desired it, and has sent TO the
German people themselves new mes
sage that the United States and allies
| 1esire nothing more than "a reign of
.aw, based upon the consent of the
governed and sustained by the organ
ized opinion of mankind"
II was freely conceded that a hasty
reading of the presidents answer
might not at first satisfy some who |
hoped for flat rejection of any terms |
out an unconditional surrender. But |
he government is confident that as |
the presidents communication is care
fully digested, its full import grasped,
It's almost inevitable effect realized.
and its possibilities for weakening the
German military party on its home
grounds comprehended, it will be seen
that the president chose very deep
but direct method of developing an
answer for all time to the question,
10 the German people want peace?
Avoids Hun Trap.
Press dispatches had previously an
bounced that the president would not
make a curt and peremptory rejec-
ton of the offer, nor bluntly demand
an unconditional surrender now be-
cause the American government did i,
not propose to fall into. the trap of
supplying the German militarists with
1 means of bOlstering up their argu-
nent that the Germans are fighting a
defensive war and that the an
bounced objects of the allies are only
o destroy them. )
That is precisely what President
Wilson has avoided. He has met what
he allied diplomats regard as trick1
With move which will expose it, if r
trick it be. He has called upon the Ii
ierman government for evidence of II
is good faith, and should it not be
he has left with the Ger q
IAN leaders the problem of explain O
lg to their own people, already clam fl
ring for peace, why they are not will
lg to accept it.
From that point the president passes
} another which will develop as the
xchange proceeds, whether the Unit +,
i States and the allies will deal ex- D
apt on the battlefield with the Ger II;
ian government as at present cOnsti- =,
tied. The president tells the chan n
allor he feels he is justified in ask h;
e whether the imperial chancellor is
,eaking merely for the constituted au.
lorities of the empire, who have SC
r conducted the war; This will de-
,lop whether Macmillan speaks fol
e German militarsts whom the pres.
ent has denounced as unworthy OF
~ trust and who regarded treaties
scrap of paper" or whether he
leaks with the force OF the people of
e nation. This is regarded as prob.
ly the most important part of the
esident's communication, fraughf
TIL potent possibilities of the most
r reaching effect in Germany, where
active allied propaganda has been
iking rapid Roadway in awakening
e German people to the necessity
assuming the responsibility of their
N government and making their own
ace.
To appreciate its meaning, this part
the presidents answer must be con
Tered in connection with a portion {
his speech of September 81, in New ]
rk. in which he declared:
we are all agreed that there car /
no peace obtained by any kind OF |
rgain or compromise with govern 7
nts of the central empires, because I
have dealt with them already and !
We seen them deal with other gov I
lments that We're parties to this {
uggle,s at Brest Litovsk and Blu +
lrest. They have convinced us that /
y are without honor and they dc
intend justice. They serve nc r
'enants, accept no principles but r
ce and their own interests We +
mot come to terms with them r
ey have made it impossible. The r
man people must by this time be N
" aware that we cannot accept thu
ID of those who have forced this 2