Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-20
REPORTED REPLY
CALLED AN insult.
eermany's Alleged Stand on
U-Boat and Other Cruel
ties Scorned Here.
TO GET scANT NOTICE

In one high ofncial quarter last
night the reported German reply to
the Presidents note. In which Ger
many IL said to hold that submarine
activities cannot be ended and that
there should be an Investigation" OF
the alleged erueltiss on land vac
characterized a. an insult. not
replY."
What President Charged
President Wilson IN his note saAd:
The President feels that 1t 10 also
eminent Of the United States. nor. he
IL sure, tho governments with which
the government Of the United States
is associated rs belfigerents. will con-
sent to consider an armtstice SO long
! a. the armed forces Of Germany con-
tees which they still persist in.
AT the very time that the German
government approaches the govern
ment Of the United States with pro-
posals OF peace ito submarines are
at sea- and not the ships alone. but
the very boats in which their pas
sengers apd crews seek to make their
way to safety: and in the present en-
forced withdrawal from Flanders and
Frnnoe the German armies are pur-
suing . course Of wanton destruction
which has alwaye been regarded as
In direct violation Of the rules and
PRACTICES Of civilized warfare.
arc not only beinS stripped of all they
contain. but often Of their very tnhab-
itAnts.
"The nations associated against
Germany cannot be expected to agree
] to a cessation Of arms while acts OF
iph ,,p, Mi y q ana noQOla tiOn
arc being continued. which they justly
look upon with horror and with
burning hearts."
Not Expected to Merit Reply.
II the forecast Of the forthcoming
German note Is As indicated and II IT
lays stress upon the foregoing point
| covered by the Presidents remarks. 1t
il believed here that, no matter In what
other way the note may express &C.
quioscence in the President's terms, 1t
will be deemed 20 unsatisfactory as not
even to merit a reply.
Il was believed In official circles last
night that GeFmAny's insistence upon
submarine activities and her refusal to
admit the cruelties practiced In the re-
treat and to Ahate them would be con-
Of Fundamental principles insisted upon
by President Wilson and the associated
governments.
There was not the remotest idea
among officials last night that q note
Of the character thus forecast would
the allies Withholding their hand In the
blows now being dealt
No Direct Information Here-
! Beyond press dispatches from
Switzerland saying the new German
note would be dispatched last night.
the State Department had no tnttma-
ton whatever OF the time or the ma
ture Of tho German response to the
President Oficials heard without
comment Of the report that Germany
would accept President Wilson's con-
ditions generally" with reservation
tinue to the end Of the war.
About the State Department this
was regarded as an indication that the
Berlin government, without concedtng
the surrender that 1t has been told
must precede. an arrnistice, would seek
to continue diplomatic discussions. in
the hope Of eventually weakening the
position of her enemies and winning
the earnestly desired negotiated peace.
Complete Acceptance Necessary.
It was reiterated that only = COM
plete acceptance will satisfy the United
States and the allies, and that an ef-
fort by the Germans to evade tho Is
sue probably would cause the Presi-
dent promptly to refuse to continue the
correspondence.
In the report that the new note
would contain q defense Of submarine
warfare as a retAliatory measure the
prospect was seen OF an attempt to
reopen this whole questionable ques-
ton which brought the United States
into the war. Such an attempt would
be regarded here simpy as another
evidence OF the failure Of the Germans
to understand or acknowledge the basis
Of tho American objection to theL' kind
Of warfare.