El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-22

THIS newest note of Germanys indirect evasive
as eoui7oca and as unsatisfactory as its predecessors
Whatever else the German government has lost il has not
lost the trick Of wriggling out Of tight places.
The note not say whether Germany does or does
submit to the American armisce demands. It de-
tends Germanys submarine warfare denies the
lions Of inhuman methods of warfare appeals (this is
really remarkably to the United States approve of
demand ieconcabe with the honor of the German people,
seeks convey the impression that somehow other
Germany has been demoeraiZed The reply is signed by
Dr.. Sof who shows himself to be as clumsy a hsr-
assed German dplomatist his thumbs caught in the
crack can be.
There several things of much interest this note.
In the first place, the appeal not to demand Of Germany
anything irreconciable with Germanys honor doubtless
"Pease do not demand that Germany make IN
conditional surrender" This has been the chief point made
by the American and allied press and by the Of
people Of all allied nations whenever their opinions have
been expressed Germany is apparently willing to do
thing in the way of peace making if ngorous surren
der involved There is another concession Germany not
yet ready to make and that viii appear later.
The note seeks to justify Germany's submarine war
fare and denies German submarines have at any time
sheed eboats This cheap effort at lying, for there
scores Of well authenticated cases, backed up by af
da7its of submarines sheling Heboats and killing the
helpless people in them by gunfr OF sinking the hteboats
and leaving the hapess victims to drown Germany pro
poses neutral commission investigate these reported acts
ruthlessness that is DONE what the commission viii
report viii shock the civilized world almost much as the
Bryce report on atrocities N Belgium
But though denying that Germany has been guilty of
brutal and pratical acts at sea- the German note an
cease 1orJhW1tn attacks
upon passenger vessels, though stating that for
technical may be impossible to transmit the or
der Immediately every single submarine This means,
means anything that notwithstanding that Germany
considers Ubost attacks passenger vessels right and
honorable Germany is willing to abandon honorable
principle for the sake Of expedency Parentheeay It
should be noted by every thoughtful reader, that exe
dsncy still governs every German official act and that the
pattern is constantly altered TO fit the cloth
There is one straightforward paragraph:
an accepting the proposal for the evacuation Of ocou
pied territories Germany thus agrees to evauate oou
pied teroes) the German government has started from
assumption that the procedure Of this evacuation ana
of the conditions Of an amsce should be left to the udg
Of the military advisers and that the actual stand
ard Of power on both sides field has to form the
basis for arrangements safeguarding and guaranteeing this
standard"
Thus Germany submits to the dictum laid down BY
president Wilson in the connection but does It II
such way that the home folks reading the note in their
papers viii doubtless have idea that this IS proposal
original with Germany
Germany is trying to get away from the necessity Of
getting nd Of the HohenEoern dynasty and the military
ruling caste This is the point referred TO above It shows
very plainly in the section reading:
@As fundamental condition for peace, the president
prescbes the destruction of every arbitrary that
can separately secretly and Of its single choice dis
tub the peace Of the world To this the German govern
ment replies:
stherto the representation Of the people in the Ger
man empire has not been endowed with an influence on
the formation of the government.
@The representation did not provide for concurrence
of representation Of the people IN decisions OF peace and
var These conditions have Just undergone funda-
mental change. government has been formed II
complete accordance with the wishes (prncpe} OF the
representation of the people, based equal universal Sc
cret direct franchise.
be leaders of the great parties of the reichstag
members of this government In the future government