The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-24
WILSON ANSWERS NOTE
Germany Has Not Yet
Established Govern
ment By People.
WARNING is GIVEN
Armistice, If Granted,
Must Place Allies In
Position to En-
\ force Terms.

Washington, Oct. 23.-Pres-
ident Wilson, in a message to-
might to the German govern
ment wherein he uses the word
surrender" for the first time,
Says that "the nations of the
world do not and cannot trus:
the word of those who have
hitherto been the masters Of
German policy
If the United States and the
entente allies deal with these
persons-'the military masters
land the monarchial autocrats
of Germany at this time the
demand will be surrender. he
adds. Peace negotiations are
impossible with them, tie lie
clares.
Distrust-the same universal
distrust that the world felt
when the German note became
public-is the keynote of the
presidents message.
He announces he will com
municate Germany's request
for an armistiee to the military
advisers of the United States
and the allied governments, but
he makes plain that it will be
acceptable to the United States
land the allies only under the
most stringent conditions. No
fchances will be taken.
In the same breath. almost. the
! pscsident explains that his transmits
sion Of the correspondence to the al
Hes carries only a suggestion that IL
they are disposed to effect peace upon
The terms and principles indicated,
that the question CT an armistice be
considered. and additional precau-
tions are taken by him in this regard.
The terms OF an armistice must be
OF such a nature. he declares. to
/ give the allies and the United States
tho power to safeguard and enforce
| the details Of peace,
The president minces no words in
addressing Germany. He tells her she
/ IL distrusted and ne repeats with an
| INFINITE detail that carries the full i'm
! port OF his distrust the solemn and
explicit" assurances she has made to
! accept his terms OF peace and also
her explicit" promise to observe the
! humane rules OF civilized warfare on
/ both hand and sea.
He shows that he has not been
trapped by the sham democracy with
which Germany sought. in her mes
sagc, to picture a new era or regime
| to the world He explains that we have
no guarantees that her widely adver-
tised reforms at home exist at this
time or are in mpiation.
He admits that future wars may he
brought under the control Of the
German people, but In forceful terms,
which indicate the manner in which
he accepted Germany's explanations
+ OF her reforms. he points out that the
present war is not under the control
| OF the German ueople.
He tears the mantle OF hypocrisy
from the German note and reveals it's
authors as the Same murderous band
OF outlaws who plunged the world
into war. There can be no mistake
~ to his intent. He mentions the
King of Prussia az one with unim-
paired power. who stu controls tho
policy of the empire. ~
Every word the president has ut
tered against autocracy is recalled by
the biting language he uses in this
message against the same scourge. In
his New York address he declared
that we do not think the same
| thoughts or speak the same langu-
age", and tonight he reaffirms this
expression by the use of the word
surrender" as applied 10 autocracy.
Nothing can be gained his mes
sage closes. by leaving this essential
thing unsaid..
The Presidents message which
|upon completion WAS dispatched inn
mediately to the car itals Of the al
ilied nations was made public at
o'clock tonight.
At the same line Joseph p. Tu-
multy, the presidents secretary. made
public q letter from the President to
| Secretary of War Eaker in which both
/ The navy and war are congratulated
Ion the ansportatscn of more than
Ifvo million soldiers overseas.