Middletown transcript., 1918-02-16
WILSON WARNS
CENTRAL POWERS
Answers Hertling and Czernfn
BY Declaring It War Of
Emancipation.
ADDRESSES THE CONGRESS
Shows willingness to Give and
Take Somewhat.

Washimton.-Therec can be no peace
based upon the German position out
lined by Count Won Hertling, the Ger
man chancellor, in his recent address
to the Reichstag committee, President
Wilson today told joint session OF
Congress.
The President reiterated in the
strongest language that the German
position makes for continuation of the
war. The Austro-Hungarian attitude
Is directly the opposite Of that of Ger
many, the President declared, and he
praised the address of Count Czernin,
but made it plain that Germany's con-
troll and dominance of Austria has pre-
vented Austria being as frank as it
must be. .....
The Presidents address follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
On the 9Th of January l had the
honor of addressing you on the OBJ
jects of the war as our principle con-
ceived them. The Prime Minister of
Great Britain had spoken in similar
tones on the 5th of January. To these
addresses the German Chancellor re-
piled on the oath and Count CZernin,
for Austria, on the same day. It is
gratifying to have our desire so
promptly realized that all exchanges
of view on this great matter should
be made in the hearing of all the
world
Count Czernin's reply, which is d.
rected chiefly to my own address of
the eighth of January, is uttered in a
very friendly tone. He finds in my
statements sufficiently encouraging
approach to the views of his own gov
eminent to justify him in believing
that it furnishes basis for more de
tailed discussion of purposes by the
two governments. He is represented
to have intimated that the views he
was expressing had been communi-
Gated to me beforehand, and that I
was aware of them at the time he was
uttering them, but in this l am sure
he was misunderstood. had received
no intimation of what he intended to
say. There was. of course, no reason
why he should communicate privately
with me. am quite content to be one
Of his public audience.
HertIing's Reply Confusing.
Count Won Hertling's reply is,
must say, very vague and very confus-
ing. 1t is full Of equivocal phrases
and leads it is not clear where. But
it is certainly in very different tone
from that of Count Czernin, and ap-
parently of an opposite purpose. It
confirms, I am sorry to say, rather
than removes the unfortunate impress
sion made by what we had learned of
the conferences at BrestLitovsk. His
discussion and acceptance Of our gen
eral principles lead him to no prac-
tical conclusions. He refuses to apply
them to the substantive items which
must constitute the body of any final
settlement
He is jealous of international action
and of international counsel. He &C.
cepts, he says, the principle of public
diplomacy, but he appears to insist that
It be confined, at any rate in this case,
to generaliities and that the several
particular questions of territory and
sovereignty, the several questions upon
whose settlement must depend the ac-
ceptance of peace by the % states now
and settled, not in general council, but
severally by the nations most imme-
diately concerned by interest or neigh
borhood. He agrees that the seas
should be free, but looks askance at
any limitation to that freedom by in
ternational action in the interest of
the common order. He would with
out reserve be glad to see economic
barriers removed between nation and
nation, for that could in no way i'm
pede the ambitions of the military
party with whom he seems constrain-
ed to keep on terms.
"He seems constrained to keep on
terms Neither does he raise objec-
lions to limitation of ornaments.
That matter will be settled of itself,
he thinks, by the economic conditions
which much follow the war; But the
German colonies, he demands, must
be returned without debate He will
discuss with no one but the represen-
tatives Of Russia what disposition shall
be made of the peoples and the lands
Of the Baltic provinces, with no one
but the government of France the con-
ditions under which French territory
shall be evacuated, and only with Aus
tria what shall be done with Poland.
In the determination of all questions
affecting the Balkan states he defers,
as ! understand him, to Austria and
Turkey; and with regard to the agree
ments to be entered into concerning
the non-Turkish peoples Of the pres
ent Ottoman empire, to the Turkish au-
thOrities themselves After a settle.
ment all around, effected in this
fashion, by individual barter and con.
cession, he would have no objection, if
RUSSIA OUT OF. WORLD WAR.