The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-12-26
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
President Sails for France, But
Does Not Tell Specifically
What He Plans to Do.
WILL BE WARMLY WELCOMED
Trial of Former Kaiser for Murder
Seems ACKNOWLEDGMENT and
Spartacus Group Fighting
Ebert's Government for
Control in Germany.
Bv EDWARD w. PIcKARD.


With the cheers of thousands of
civilians and returning soldiers ring
ing in his ears, President Wilson sailed
away for Europe on December a. on
his mission of world peace-making. AS
the good ship George Washington
made it's way out of New York harbor
all the shore batteries and war vessels
joined in the presidential salute and
off quarantine the steamship met its
convoy, the battleship Pennsylvania
and five destroyers. 1t was pleasant
coincidence that the presidential party
met several transports thronged with
American troops just sent home from
England and France.
Mr. Wilson, it was expected, would
land at Brest about December II and
proceed at once to Paris, where the
residence of Prince Murat has been
prepared for him. The other delegates
and most of the rest of the large party
will be housed in the Hotel Crillon.
The president is assured of warm
and even enthusiastic welcome in
France, Great Britain and Italy. His
arrival in Europe will be scarcely less
welcome to the people of what were
the central empires. The governments
of those states, distracted and dishev-
elled, look to Mr.. Wilson to mollify
the entente powers and obtain for
them less rigorous peace terms than
the crimes of the Teutons have de-
served. Whether he will be able to
accomplish this, or even will attempt it,
remains to be seen. The president has
not taken into his confidence the con-
gress or the people of America, pos
sibly because he could not guess, prior
to conferences with the representatives
of the entente nations, how far he
might dare to go in the way of human
itarianism. They are willing and eager
to confer with him on all matters and
doubtless will defer to his judgment
in many things, but they have their
own very certain ideas as to the treat
ment that should be accorded the Ger
man nation and people.
One of these ideas is that the ex-
kaiser must be put on trial for murder
and, if found guilty-the ''if" might as
well be "when"-must be adequately
punished. The best legal authorities
of England and France agree that Will
liam can be extradited from Holland,
and there is no doubt that in any
event enough pressure could be
brought to induce the Dutch to give
him up. From the beginning Of the
war the English and French have de-
termined that William should ultimate
ly be brought to justice personally,
and there is ample reason for the de-
preston from which the deposed ruler
is said to be suffering at Amerongen.
The former crown prince, who, by the
way says he has not yet renowned
his rights to the throne, may also be
put on trial. He, in his Dutch retreat,
has been telling how he and his father
were forced into all their outrageous
actions by the military clique and
Bethmann-H olweg. He also tries to
shift to others the blame for the ter
rife defeats his army sustained.
Ia
Another. fixed intention of the en-
tente powers is to compel Germany to
pay to the limit of her capacity. Her
ability to make financial reparation for
the damage her armies have done is
undoubted. The measures to be adopt
ed by the allies are yet unsettled. Ger
many's state-owned mineral, coal and
potash deposits and railways alone are
worth vastly more than the claims of
the allies will amount to, and it is not
unlikely that those will be seized. In
money the country is almost as rich
as it was before the war.