Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-10-17
Germany's Tricky Peace Move Is
Baked by President Wilson'S
Diplomacy.
ARMIES OPPOSE ARMIsTlcE
cambraI Captured and HUNS pesen
sive Line Smashed. Compelling Gen
eraI Retreat-Yanks Success
fuI IN champaone-8eirut
Occupied by the French.
BY EDWARD W. plcKARp.

Prince Max of Baden, the new Inn
perial chancellor OF Germany, re-
questing President Wilson to arrange
for an s:armistice and subsequent dis
crssion OF peace terms, and stating
that Germany accepted the presidents
Ia points as a basis for the neg0tla-
mons. evoked three separate and dis
tinct replies. President Wilson an
swAred that he could not suggest an
armistice while the German armies
were outside the boundaries Of Ger
many. and then asked whether the
German government accepted the
terms laid down by him and whether
Its object in entering discussions was
only to agree upon the practical de-
tails of their application; Furthermore,
he wanted to know whether the chan
cellor was speaking merely for the
constituted authorities of the empire
who have so far conducted the war.
The people of nll the allied nations,
soldiers and civilians alike, answered
Prince Max with tremendous shout
of Unconditional surrender"
Marshal Foch responded with one Of
the most powerful attacks of the al
lied armies, capturing the important
city Of Cambral, smashing 2O.mile-.
vide breach through the Hindenburg
line. md forcing back the German
armies all along the line from yerdun
to the sea.
-M--
Nearly all authorities agree thnt the
cliancellor's proposal was insincere
that the request for an armistice was
made merely to give the military COM
lnand a chance to reorganize the shat
tered armies, and that Prince Max
knew the suggestion for peace con-
! ference, as he made 1t, would be re-
| iected, giving him the opportunity to
! say to the people Of Germany: ~ have
| offered to end the war on the enemy's
| own terms and he refuses. The Ger
! man nation now must nnitedly fight
! on.'
| AT first there was some disappoint-
,nent because President Wilson did
rot reject the, German proposal swift
| ly and bluntly, but little considera-
I tion has convinced almost everyone
that he cvaded trap and by his di-
1 rect questions put the German dip
lomats in a position of the utmost diff
Guilty. At the same time he left the
| door open for ultimate negotiations,
| tfter Germany has accepted his Ia
points and given full guarantees. As
| Tor the arInistice. he did not agree to
that even were the German armies to
he withdrawn from all occupied terri.
tories. recognizing the fact that the
declaring of an armistice is up tc
the military commanders. The presi-
dents note was fully approved. prob.
tbly in advance, by tile allied govern.
ments, and was given the highest
praise ny the press in England and
France as well as America.
H. ANY agreed cessation of fighting al
this time, short Of the abjcct snrren.
der of the central powers would bit.
4 terly disappoint the soldiers of the
/ allied armies and the people who are
backing them up Foch's forces have
the Germans on the run, and IL they
are permitted to follow up the Huns
on their retreat toltbe Meuse they will
destroy a large part of their effective
ness and capture probably half of theii
material. On the other hand an armis
4 tice would permit the Huns to retire
within their borders with their armies
4 intact and prepared to maneuver effec
4 lively behind their shortened and pow
crfully fortified lines. Animated By
a spirit, NOT Of vindictiveness. but OF
retributive justice, the men Of the al
bed armies cel that no peace should