Norwich bulletin., 1918-10-15

WEIGH IldS ulIuSTlO tuS German nation is of the sort here de- ! the German nation to alter it. The presidents words just quoted nat urally constitute condition precedent to peace, if peace is to come by the action of the German people them l selves. The president feels bound to say that the whole process of peace will, in his judgment, depend upon the definiteness and the satisfactory char acter of the guarantees which can be given in this fundamental matter. It is indispensable that the governments associated against Germany should know beyond a peradventure With whom they are dealing.
 The president will make sepa- rate reply to the Royal and Imperial government of Austria Hungary.
 Accept. sir, the renewed assurances of my high consideration.
 (Signed! ROBERT LANSING. "Mr, Frederick Oederlin,
 Charge D'Affaires. ad interim, in charge of German interests in the United States"
 One outstanding point which does not appear in the presidents note a point on which the world has been asking questions can be answered to- right.
 When the president declared that the wrong done to France when Ger many took lsace-Lorraine should be lighted, he meant that Alsace Lor- raine should be returned to France. Those who contend the presidents decision arranges the situation for something more than an uncondi- tional surrender base it on the argu- ment that he has now passed the stage where he might have accepted | a surrender of the German military and naval forces and left the Hohen- zolern autocracy on its throne. Mir. Wilson, according to this view, now has finally informed the Ger man people that if they want peace thep can attain it only by getting rid of the kaiser and his system.
 An armistice, it is thought, might come first and the details of the downfall of the German autocratic government might be arranged later. l But this is what an armistice would | entail:
 First, stop to the atrocities on | land and sea and the systematic de- struction and devastation in the
 wake of the retreating German ar
 mics. Then. the disarmament of all
 the German forces and the deposit of
 their arms and munitions at points i to be chosen by the allied military
 commanders. Then, the occupation
 by allied forces of certain German
 cities or strongholds of strategic i'm | portance. Probably also the occu- patton of all the submarine bases,
 and turning over of the German feet
 In short. it would entail a taking from Germany of everything with which she might break her word to an armistice.
 From that point the United States
 and the allies might proceed to dis
 pose of what remained of kaiserism
 ie the German people have not donr
 it before. as President Wilson in his
 note plainly invites them to do. While nowhere in the note does
 the president openly join with the En-
 tente statesmen in the demand that
 the "chief criminals must be detv-
 cred up for trial. the presidents con
 fidants point out that he plainly sub
 scribes to the doctrine that the gull
 of bringing on the world war is. per
 sonal.
 It will be noted that the presiden
 completely rejects the German sug.
 gestion for a mixed commission tC
 arrange an evacuation and reminds the militarists that they will accep
 the terms laid down by Marshal Foci and the associated commanders in
 that they will have no part in fram
 ing them. He makes it plain tha
 he does not accept the new German government headed by Chancellor : MaXimilian as anything less auto cratic, anything less a creature o
 German militarism, than it's prece. cessors, and warns the German peo : pie that unless they destroy it thu , allied armies will do so. Here, then. follow the words whicl proclaim with finality that the auto cratic government of Germany mus go, and plainly invite the German people to make the change which vii . bring them peace.
 : "The power which has hithert
 controlled the German nation" say l the presidents reply is of the sor : here described. It is within tn : choice of the German people to al 2 ter it." The presidents words jus s quoted naturally constitute a condi 2 tion precedent to peace, if peace i s to come by the action of the Germa 3 people themselves. The presiden l feels bound to say that the who g process of peace will, in his judg a ment. depend upon the definitenes n and the satisfactory character of tn
 l uiA dIlltSS WHICH Call De gwen Il = this fundamental matter It is indis l pcnsable that the governments asso g ciated against Germany should knov 7, beyond peradventure with whom the ,. are dealing.
 = This pronouncement, the president 0 friends say, fulfijls the predictions ( = thase who declared that when ht l asked Prince Maxinilian if he merel = represented the military leaders, wh h had been conducting the war, he wa
 laying the foundations to show ths | the new government of Germany . no. less autocratic than the others an t for a final statement to the Germa . people themselves that nothing bl Y their autocratic government stand f between them and the peace whic e tkey so fervently desire. This, tt . presidents friends say, has been tt f whole theory of his diplomacy. = Although Germany is informed ths
 a separate reply will be made to tt n peace note of the Austro- Hungaria e government, it is known that for tt if present no communication will 1 2 sent either to Austria Hungary or 1 - Turkey, whose belated plea simils n to that of her allies reached the stai /. ,-f,, Aa N1,