New-York tribune., 1918-10-27
Entire Country Feels Ger.
tain of His Answer to Re-
quest for Armistice
Presidents Notes
Bothered Paris
Feared That Continued Cor
respondence Would In
lure Allied Cause
Especial Dispatch to The Tribmne)


Copyright 1918 New York Tribune Inc)
PARIS, Oct. Wilson's reply to
the third German note is regarded by
far the most satisfactory of the three
he has pcnned.
There has hitherto been an appre-
ciably strong feeling on the part of
the average unofficial Frenchman that
it was not necessary or desirable for
Wilson to embark on or continue any
kind of diplomatic conversation with
Germany. Speaking generally, the mil
itary position of the Allies is regarded
here as being now so absolutely unas-
sailable that it is felt to be unthink-
able that the Allies could grant any
other terms to Germany short of un-
conditional capitula tion.
There has been a distinct feeling of
alarm lest Wilson's notes should re-
suit in compromising the extremely
strong position in which the Allies now
stand, both militarily and diplomatic
cally.
The feeling of the vast majority here
this morning was that the Presidents
reply would take the form of plain
straightforward refusal to continue any
kind of conversation in view Of the
shuffling and ambiguous nature Of the
last German note.
French Are Disappointed.
1t may be frankly stated that there
is feeling of disappointment that
! President Wilson should have con-
sentcd, even with the unmistak kably
stern qualifications he has attached to
his consent, to pass on the German re-
quest for an :s:m!stice to the Allies
Unanimous opinion here in unofficial
circles is that the Allies have no rea-
son whatever to grant the German
prayer for an armlstice and that there
is every reason why they should not
Foch it is argued, has Germany at
his mercy. Speaking from a military
standpoint. Germany Is in her death
agony and it is only a question of a
reasonably short time before she will
be compelled to "throw up the sponge"
and accept any kind of terms the Allies
may consent to give her.
"Why should we consider any ques-
tion of armstce since it can only be
to benefit Germany, even if it is grant
ed merely as d preliminary to uncon
ditional capitulaton? is the question
on the majority of French tongues.
Apart from this aspect. Paris is de-
lighted at the firm manner in which
President Wilson has handled the en-
cmy in his reply.
locI Is Supreme
H., hoe boc, old
plainly that her present rulers are
stencil in the nostrls of the whole
world; that if the German people do
not get rid of them and put decent
/ men in their places the Allies will 90
! it for them; that until this is done
there can be no question of peace
negotiations, and that the only terms
the Allies will consider will be those
of unconditional .capitulation.
The President has put the matter in
such a manner that not only military
leaders in Germany, but the whole
people. cannot fail to understand his
meaning The question of an arnistice
can be settled only by Foch, and all
| France is unanimous as 70 what his
answer will be. The question of peace
can be settled only by the German
people themselves, if they were pre-
pared to throw the Kaiser and the
military leaders overheard once and
for all and decide to govern them
selves on democratic lines in the
future.
Wilson's reply, as Paris sees it, has
revealed to the German people, as by
lightning flash. the awful situation