The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-11-09


unconditional surrender and that Mr..
Wilson was losing ground by continu-
ing the diplomatic discussion with a
government with which, he very prop
erly declares, the United States cannot
negotiate. There was general appro
val of the latter part of the note, which
pronounced against any peace with the
kaiser, and the rest of it was praised
by those who saw in it a clever move
to ALLEVIATE the German people from
their military leaders. There was no
doubt anywhere of the rightness of the
presidents aims and intentions, but
many public men feared that his very
admirable detestation of war and his
fOndneSs for writing notes might lead
him into an embarrassing diplomatic
maze.
In reinsurance, it may be said that
no armStice and no peace will be ar
ranged that are not entirely to the sat
IDIflNtlOl VI Nltdl DlItullly anu
Italy, as well as the United States
and that these four allies have agreed
that Germany must be required to sur
render There will be no cessation of
hostilities on the part of the allies un-
til Germany not only evacuates Occu-
pied territory, but also gives substan-
tiaI guarantees that will prevent re-
sumption of fighting by her; and the
entente allies are determined that any
discussions concerning an armistice
shall take into full consideration the
sea power in which they are predOmi-
nant.
Ia
In his delayed reply to the note from
Austria-Hungary President Wilson in
formed Vienna that events had made
some of his famous fourteen points
out of date, notably that concerning
The autonomy Of the oppressed peoples
in the dual kingdom, since the United
States had recognized the independ-
ance Of the Czecho-Sl0yaks and the ma
tional aspirations of the Jugo-Slays.
Consequently he could not talk peace
with those points as basis. Then
followed an imperial manifesto an
nouncng the formation of federal
states in Austria-Hungary the setting
up Of state of their own by the Ger
mans in Austria; the creation of
sovereign state by the Slovenes, Croat-
ianS and Serbs without reference to
present political frontiers, and prog
ress by the Hungarians toward full i'll
dependence, With reports that they
were about to apply to the entente
governments for terms for a separate
armistice and peace. The empire Of
Charles was fast breaking up, and
there was the greatest depression in
Vienna, where famine threatens and
the authorities are poWerless. Conse-
Juently, according to dispatches. the
Austrian government is becoming
reconciled to the idea of unconditional
capituation
-@-
Again, and yet again, the unduly OPP
timistic must be reminded that, from
military point Of view, Germany is
still far from bong defeated Though
she is being forced to relinquish her
grip on Belgium and northern France,
she is conducting her retreat in order
and much in her own way. and though
losing much material and thousands
of men, is carrying off most of her
heavy guns and great deal Of her
supplies, destroying the bulk Of those
left behind. she still has about 100
divisions on the west front, 30 Of them
being in reserve, and with these, with
the men returned from hospitals and
with those coming of military age she
probably can hold out for many months
on her shortened front. The Huns are
falling back to successive lines of de-
Tense, pivoting on the positions north
of the Arg0nne and on the Meuse
heights aud with many thousands of
machine guns in strong positions are
making the advance of the allies as
difficult and expensive as possible. The
present government Of Germany seem
ingly doesn't intend TO give up the
fight without making desperate fin
ish, and toward the end of the week it
was said Ludendorff had drafted a
proclamation to the people exhorting
them to carry on the war to the utmost,
since the allies would not grant them
peace without humiliation.
--Hz-
All week long the Germans con
tipued their withdrawal from Belgium
sometimes moving rapidly and at 9TH
ers putting up a stouter resistance in
order to rescue some stores or guns
In being driven from the Belgian coast
sorle 5000 Huns We're forced across
~ holland border and were prompt
| ihffFaed ~ The Dutch. Haigs Brit
ish forces, ably seconded by the Bel