Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-14
1ondoncrs Parade Streets,
Parks and Public Places
in Their Sunday Best
0FF1CIALS ARE ACTIVE
Northcliffe Vigorously OPP.
poses Armistice, Calling Ger
man Reply Evasion
BY the Associated Press

I|tne CFoWuS nau an almost feStlNe aspect.
y They exhibited the general spirit of the
people of Paris. Such cheerfulness has
y long been unknown here.
The people believe peace is near and
that II IL peace with victory. Thou
sands Of Sunday idlers paraded through
whitehall and gathered apout the
government buildings, awaiting the
latest news. None was more cheerful In
q these crowds than the hundreds of Of
hcers, soldiers and sailors. with con-
tingents Of Americans. Belgians and
/, French always present Never were the
5 military forces more evidently popular.
The reproduction of a ruined French
village In Trafalgar square where war
bonds were sold during the last week
was surrounded by thousands all day.
Government ices were unusually
active. A. J. Balfour. Secretary of
state for Foreign Affairs; Anurew Bonar
Law, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
Lord Robert Cecil. assistant Secretary
OF state for Foreign Affairs. were at the
foreign office early In the morning.
Later Mr.. Balfour and a1r. Bonar Law
H. motored to Premier Lloyd Georges
country home tor lunch and for a con-
ference. As he left his office Mr. Bal
four beamed upon the newspapermen in
the corridor. but had nothing to say.
The speed of the German reply Is
Indicative of the anxiety the Germans
feel for the safety of their rapidly re-
treating army" said Nscount North
ciiffe TO an Associated Press repre-
sentative.
You Will remember al the time they
were being questioned about the Lusl-
tania, they played for delay. delay, de-
lay he continued. Now they are
lighting to gain days. even hours. AS
| read their reply. it is neither candid
nor Straightforward. II consists of eva
sons.
These evaslons are made for the pur-
pose of unbalancng the minds of simple
folks In Allied countries and for the
purpose of convincing the discontinued
section OF the German people that the
Allies will not accept what is declared
by them TO look Ike reasonable offer
of peace.
Germany Doesn't Comply
1.-The character of the answer shows
the atmosphere of equvocation in
which the German Government lives and
moves. Germany, in fact, only declares
herself ready to comply. She does not
comply She has not accepted the Presi-
dents terms She only says-untruly-
that those terms have been accepted
you will remember that in 1870 the
Germans. when they had the great
French army enveloped at Sedan, de-
clined to give an armistice. Bismarck
said:
'Germany desires to promote the re-
7 establishment of peace The best means
Of assuring it is to deprive France of
her army
'if my American friends will looh
At the maps OF their newspapers today
T they will see that Marshal Foch is
rapidly driving the Germans into a
gigantic Sedan, not the Sedan of the
1870 type. for the number of retreating
Germans represents hundreds as COM
pared with tens of Marshal MacMahon's
army In 1870.
III we grant an armlstice we shall
be providing material for "A great pro-
lougation Of the war. II we leave the
matter to Marshal Foch he will end the
war. Bulgaria Is out. Turkey Is going
out Austria Hungary is on the verge
of revolution.
THE combined efforts Of Americans,
associated with the armies of France,
Great Britain. Italy and Belgium, will
end this struggle and put stop TO any
possible recrudescence of the war"
Public Expectant
The public eagerly awaits some state
ment of the Governments policy in the
present happy crisis and some interpre-
tatt0n of events. from British stand
point, Is expected. Thus far Berlin and
Washington have monopolized the diplo-
matte stage. with the Governments as
nociated with the United States SEEM
ingly interested spectators. The people
expect Great Britain and France and
their Allies TO share in the next chap
ter. An Allied conference can be easily
-.
has just arrived in London and the
Serbian Premier is also in the city
Discussion of the meaning of the Ger
man terms used in the reply to President
& Wilson is heard everywhere. There is a
desire for a more specific basis for peace
negotiations-if negotiations are to be
held--than has as yet been advanced
Two leading questions are whether the
Allies will embark upon commission 10
arrange for an evacuation of Allied ter
ritory still In German hands and how
far German assumption that all the Al
lies will stand together on President
wilson's platform is warranted.
The submarine warfare ana the dispo-
sition OF Germany's colonies are details
Of peace which seem to interest the
British public most. There was a gen
eral expectation that Germany would
couple demand for a withdrawal of thu
Alties from ner colonies with an oHer tC
eyacuate Allied territory
In the meantime the much advertised
characterization OF Germany keeps pace
with the great retreat OF the German
armies
Dominant Note Of Disirust
The London newspapers are publish
ing numerous interviews with leadinl
men of all classes of public life on tn
German reply TO President Wilson. Th
dominant note throughout these Is dis
trust OF Germany's good faith. with he
lief that she Is intent only on savin
her armies from inevitable destruction
and robbing the Allies OF the fruits o
+ victory.
~ r. p. O'Connor, speaking at Whitfield
Tabernacle yesterday. declared 1t wa
impossible TO approach the subject o
peace with. cool mind in view OF IN
horror and rage excited in every Irish
M mans and every Engishman's mind b
fhe wholesale murder OF women and ehil
dren and other innocent civilians In tn
ainkinG OF the Leinster The Allies, h
1ecIared. must apply 10 Germany tina
force and those terms which alone woul
xukrsDtee the world from a repetitio
~ her crimes against II. and an armis
" {Ic< should not be allowed which woul
+ 1onvcrt a disastrous defeat and perhap
Wholesale surrender Of the Germa
Tnies on the battlefield into leisurel
tH6 safe guaranteed retreat. for tina
&11id enable the new race OF militarist
~ claim that they had led Germany nc
n 1efeat but to victory.
1ere should be reparation for IN
8n<ktion Germany has caused in =