Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-10-17
'SIMONDS SAYSDANCER
OF BECOMING CONFUSED
WAR EXPERT OF OPINION FOCH
Is MAN TO DECIDE ON
HAV.TING

There is an imperative necessity
at this time to recognize certain
facts unmistakably. We are in grave
danger of having the whole situation
befogged to our great injury and
Germany's enduring benefit, if We
permit ourselves to be confused.
First OF all. an armistice is not in
any way related to the making OF
peace terms. 1t is purely and simply
an inquiry Of beaten contestant for
statement of those conditions on
which he can obt>:n freedom from
further punishment. 1t is thus a mil
ltary matter purely and simply. 1t
is In substance, this statement by
the enemy: Il have been beaten.
What must l do to escape further
thrashing?"
Above all else an armistice is not
a truce. A truce is an agreement
between two unbeaten contestants
to suspend military operations, either
pending the negotiating OF peace or
for time covered, for example, by
some holy day, as in the wars of an
earlier period.
A truce presupposes equal ability
on both sides to resume a conflict.
which has not yet reached a point
where either can claim the right to
impose conditions upon the other.
WHEN AN ARMISTICE.
Now, the response to an armistics
must be based upon the military
circumstances which exist. In sub
stance. the party approached through
its military agent must in the nature
of things say: II will not permit you
to escape the consequences of your
defeat. / will not let you have time
to reorganize your armies or reach
new and better positions of defense"
And if the request for an armi-
stice is made of a civil government.
that government. in the nature of
things, can do no more than consult
the military chief whose business
it is to deal with military matters and
consult him as to what guarantees
are Indispensable to the retention OF
the advantages already acquired as .
result of his military successes.
There is not the smallest question
of peace terms SO far a the whole
business OF seeking and granting an
is concerned.
The answer of the military ex-
ecutive must be based upon what he
knows to be the minimum guaran-
tees which can establish and protect
his military situation. In the case
Of Bulgaria Genral D'Esperey told
the allied governments that only sur
render and rehabilitation Of the Bull
gar armies would suffice.
EQUALLY FINAL.
The answer of Foch will be equally
final. He has won a great victory.
He is exploiting this victory and our
armies are advancing from the sea
TO the Mouse. Cessation of HOSTILE
ties now can only be permitted il the
Germans are willing to accept those
which translate into i'm
mediate fact what is bound to be the
eventual consequence of recent mill
tary achievement.
In all of this there is no room for
any discussion of the terms Of peace.
Let us put aside all this pestifer-
Gus talk about peace terms at this
stage of the game. If We fail to do
this We shall presently be led away
from the main facts, Just as the Ger
man hopes. The terms of peace are
to be framed by the nations allied
against Germany, in conference. They
cannot be framed in advance of q
submission of Germany. We cannot
decide what conditions we intend to
impose upon Germany. while Ger
many is still in position to resist all
terms.
Germany is either beaten or she is
not beaten. . If she is beaten then
she must submit.
If she is not beaten there is ne
way Of making her'submit except by
beating her. The proof Of her sub
is her consent to comply
with those conditions which are es-
sential for the preservation OF our
military advantage gained upon the
battle field. II she won't comply
with the conditions of an armistice.
she won't comply with the conditions
Of any allied peace conference.
If Germany is engaged in another
peace offensive. designed to divide
her enemies and thus to escape the
of her present defeat;
il she is acting in bad faith, then our
only protection is our army and our
generals. And We cannot know
she is acting in good or bad
faith until she indicates her willing
ness to accept conditions predicatea
upon military defeat.
There is only one man in the
world qualified to fix the terms Of
the armistics which Germany has
asked for. and that is Marshal Foch.
1t is his department and only his.
President Wilson has a right to de-
bate with Germany as to the good
faith of her proposal.
If We discuss peace terms before
We establish our victory, we may lose
the victory. II we abandon the mil
itary task before it is completed,
We may have ii all to do over. We
have beaten the enemy. He has
asked for an armistice. The only
possible is one that does not
imperil our military success. and the
only Judge of what will not imperN
our military success is Marshal Foch.
His business is to make peace possi-
BILE.
In sum. an armistice is not
peace negotiation. Ii is the submis-
sion of a defeated opponent to the
will of his victor expressed in mill
tary terms. 1t is not a truce, which
is a prelude TO compromise and to .
negotiated peace. 1t is nothing more
nor less than the exploitation of q
success. not by pursuit ana
further punishment, but by the VOL
untary agreement of the enemy -
permit the victor. without further re-
sistance, to achieve the ends he
would inevitably. achieve by purss-
ing military operations.
The German has asked for an arm
istice. Let him have it; but in the
name of all that is worth while in
this world, let him not have any
thing else. We are not yet at the
point of recognizing human society.
We have barely reached the point
where We can, IL we act wisely, pro-