The sun., 1918-02-12
President Appears Unex.
pectedly Before Congress
to-. Read Message.
GIVES BASIS OF TERMS
Replies to Recent Speeches
of Won Hertling and
Count Czernin.
CRUSH RULE BY MILITARY
Calls Address of KaisOr'l
Chancellor every Vague
and Very Confusing"
GIVES BASIS OF TERMS
CRUSH RULE BY MILITARY
Sseciol DssssscA . Tn euS.

Ssecsl DssssscA y In, euS.
wAsHrNoroN, Feb. II. - President
Wilson. appearing unexpectedly before
Congress to-day. reaf'irmed the nation's
determination to crush military aus
tocracy at all cost. At the same time
he dealt a forcefui blow to German d..
plomacy now seeking to misrepresent
the real issues Of the war
The address was a reply to the recent
peace speeches Of Count Won Hertline.
the German Chancellor. and Count
Czernin. the Austro-Hnnsarian Foreign
Minister. The President emphasized the
radical difference between these two ute
terances. In striking manner he also
set forth the gap between the Imperial
German Governments position, as outs
lined by the Chancellor. and the position
Of the German people, as shown in the
German Reichstag resolutions Of lase
July.
The wedge which the President drives
between the German military party ana
the rest Of the world. including the Gsrs
man people. was thus set forth:
The tragical circumstance Is that this
one party In Germany II apparently
willing and able to send millions Of men
to their death to prevent what all the
world now sees to be just"
Attacks Won Hertling's Speech,
Count Won Hertlins's "very vague ana
very confusing" peace speech IA merci.
lessly dissected by the President. whs
noids 1t up to the scorn OF the German
and Austrian people As we'll as 10 the
world at large 1t can serve 40 NO basis
| out. A
On the other hand. Count Cxetnin,a
peace speech. which the President CON.
TasUs with the address Of the German
| chancellor. is accepted as At least shov.
ing tnat the Austrian statesman ''eeems
70 see the fundamental elements OF
peace with clear eyes and does not seek
TO obscure them"
The Presidents address Ia an invita-.
tion to Austria to take a more def,nita
position with respect to peace terms. the
door being plainly left open for rurther
advances from her.
The Presidents appearance before
congress came with little more than an
hours notice. 1t was generally believed.
however. some ofiicial notice undoubt.
edly would be taken by the United States
Government OF the peace speeche. IN
germany and Austria Hungary, the
friendly tone Of the Austrian Premiere
Speech which caused such bitter "a.
proach from tho German military partv
clearly calling for some recognition Sv
the President, as diplomats here pointed
out
Receipt Of the text Of Count cz.rn,n..
speech. as cabled by the American Min,
ister a; Berne. and the full text of
Count Hertlins's speech. as cabled by
the American Legation at The Hague
enabled the President to scrutinise the
exact Language used by these statesman.
With these before him the President lar
Friday resolved upon a reply and BE-.
gan the preparation Of to-day's ad.
dress. going over the points with Col
House and Secretary Lansing on Sat.
urday.
Door OF Peace Never Closed.
According to the view taken in ofbcial
and diplomatic circles there is no sixn
OF weakening in the Presidents address
nor does mean that he has opened the
door to peace any wider to the German
Government. Rather he has emphasized
the fact the door % peace has never
been closed by the United States, but no
thought OF peace In possible on the basis
which the spokesman for the German
military party advocated
The President, 1t was learned did not
consult tho Entente Allies before making
MS ADDRESS. But II was insisted there
was no necessity for this any more than
there would be necessity for Lloyd
George or Premier Ciemenceau to send
the President advance notification Of ad.
dresses they might wish to make on the
general peace policies as already agreed
on by the United States and the En-.
tente. Only In case Of a now departure
NurtN IN
consultation between the United States
and the Allies be deemed imperative.
While In offfcial and diplomatic quar-.
ters there was a disposition to let the
Presidents address speak for itself
there apparently was desire to
bring the extra Official negotiations"
as some observers have termed the
.peechmaking Of the chief statesmen OF
the nations at war. back to the funda.
mental issues. the settlement Of each
question on principles Of Justice, the ces.
sation OF the barter OF provinces and
peoples. the settlement of territorial
questions for the benent OF the popula.
tions concerned and finally the recoGnl.
tton of national aspirations as basis
Of permanent peace.
Another object OF the address, 1t in
suggested. was to serve notice in advance
that any peace treaties arising from the
Brest- -Lit0vsk conferences would not OF
necessity be regarded a. binding up6n
America or tho Entente ALLIES.
Provisional War Aims.
Ono point In the Presidents address
which came in for particular attention
| and which In the view OF some empha.
ased . oonciliatory policy. was the ref-
erence made TO the war aims outlined
by the President In his address on Janu.
ary g. and which the PreaidAnt to.Aav
described a. being this country's ''pros
visional sketch Of principles and Of the
way In which they should he applied"
'Sbe II quite ready" aid the Presis
| dent, ITO be shown that the settlements