The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-24
Reply On Way to Berlin.

Reply On Way to Berlin.
The presidents reply to the latest
German note has gone on its way to
Berlin 1t waas delivered to Frederick
Oederlin, the Swiss charge here. last
night at o'clock and soon afterward
was on the cables in plain English.
no time being lost to convert the pres
ident's uncompromising sentences in
to code. Apparently the exchanges
which had been in progress between
Washington and the allied capitals
since the wireless version of the Ger
man communication was picked up
Monday terminated late in the after
noon. enabling the president to reply
just IL hours after the official text
had been delivered.
Assurances of the present. authori-
ties at Berlin that they represent the
German people, that they accept the
conditions of peace he has laid down
and that the German armed forces on
land and sea will observe the rule of
civilized warfare, accepted by the pres
ident only as changing the situation
sufficiently to warrant him in formal
ly submitting the questions involved
to the nations with which the United
States is associated in the war. In
doing this without mincing words, he
tells these authorities and through
them the German people that the only
acceptable guarantee of their words
must be submission to terms of an
armistice that will make it impossible
for Germany to renew hostilities, that
the kaiser still holds the power to con-
troll the empire and that until he and
his autocrats are out, surrender and
not peace negotiations must be de-
manded.
Next Action Concerted.
While this ultimatum is sinking
home in Germany, the allied govern
ments will be preparing for the next
move, which lies with them acting in
harmony with the United States. First
there is to be determined as the presi-
dent asks. whether the allies are will
ing to affect peace on the conditions
enunciated by him and accepted by
Germany. If they do the question of
an armistice will be submitted to the
military advisers of all the belliger-
ents and when the necessary condi-
tions to render the German military
machine powerless for harm have
been formulated the program will be
forwarded to Berlin.
One point that those in the conf
dence of the president emphasized to-
day is that the president and the
United States government now are
through with separate dealings with
the German authorities. The whole
situation is before the co-belligerents
and the future announcements will be
of the United States and the allied
governments acting in concert.
President Wilson's reply to Ger
many was sent broadcast to the world
from the Arlington naval radio towers
last night after the official text had
been put on the cables. If not picked
up directly by the great German sta
tion at Nauen. it undoubtedly was re-
layed from other points in Europe in
time to reach Berlin this morning.
Armistice Terms Discussed.
Discussion centered here today on
the probable terms of armistice which
may be formulated by the allied and
military advisors after the allied gov
ernments have considered the Ger
man proposal transmitted by Presi-
dent Wilson.
1t was generally assumed by army
officers that the president already
had ascertained the willingness of
the allied governments to submit the
matter to the military men.
The military opinion is that Mr..
Wilson has expressed the basic idea
upon which an Immediate armistice
can be reached. The terms to render
the German military power on land
and sea absolutely impotent must be
worked out by the supreme war coun-
Gil.
Since an a-mistice on allied terms
means an end OF the war attention
also must be given to rehabilitation
Of the German army in itself long
process since the great force could
not be turned back to civil life over
night.
Machinery Already Exists.
The machinery for formulating
terms already exists. The military
and naval boards OF the supreme war