Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-28
ASKS FOR ALLIES' TERMS
Confined from rage On.

.
Cont'unes from rage One
OF the bulgarian armistice before bA.
anu knowing full well what TO ex,fect
Wnat appears to have happened js
.nat Germany received the Presidept's
"vte ny, saving that she must surrender.
ne niiltary' crowd and the resent
o.e'nment fought it out and the mill.
csry crowd was beaten. I.udendorff
apparently. would not listen tn f,,r,bar
u,scussions with a foe which had ali
,,saN N warned Germany that they must
Sn,s complete surrender. when
SoIIs reply was decided upon. J.udon.
uo.n u oHefed his resignation TO the
cepted. was az
III we assume that the German peace
oner Is trap. Ludendorff's resigna
.,oh cannot be explained, Let MS say
nas ,nu germany will receive Foch's
Terms, that Prince Max will assume o
heroic attitude and war of defense
VIII pegin. But war of defense with.
out I-'u1endorf, the Foch OF the Ger.
man machine?
Nosning short of the abdica ton OF
the Kaiser could mean as much as the
resignation of Ludendorff. and. In
truth. ~ is an open Question whether
tne elimination of the general does
not mean more in reality than would
the elimination of William HobenzoI.
lern. though. of course. the retirement
OF the latter would he drafistic and
produce both here and in Germany a
greater popular impression. But for
the last three years. the real master of
Germany has been the uuarterms ster
general who has Just quit his most
evidently because he has been over
ruled and Germany has a new master
The purpose OF the German note and
or Ludendorffs resignation seem to
have been TO assure the Allies that
they may. within reason count upon
a surrender. There was no occasion
to reply to the President until the
terms Of The armistice had been COM
nunfcated to Germany. unless for the
purpose OF telling him that no terms
which amounted to a surrender could
be considered.
But Germany, after being told that
she must surrender. replies by retir-
ing her former military master and by
saying mildly in effect we await the
communication of your terms
Sliding Scale Of TERMS
Diplomatically. there is something
to gain II Germany honestly desires
peace, by doing just what she had
done. by writing that the idea of sur.
TenUtT OOtS uQl IcNOlt IL IT ana DN re-
firing the greatest single personal
urce In the country making for fur
ther fighting. When YOU deal with an
adversary and think he really means
TO come to terms, YOU Of him very
nearly your rock bottom termc. IF
YOU expect him to reject them. you
choose not to reveal too much and ask
him more than you count upon get
ting. This note, the resignation of
Ludendorff. the reassertion that the
constitutional changes will mean com.
plete democratization, all aim to ge'
the best conditions, possible out of the
military advisers of the United States
and the Allies. The Presidents last
note TO Germany suggested sliding
scale of terms upon which hOstilities
might cease. dependent for its opera
ton upon evidences Of the attitude of
mind OF Germany.
This note and the accompanying
Ludendorff resignation are Exhibit A
of the present state of Germany's S
mind While the Allies are debating
armistiae terms. there will doubtless
be further exhibits Of Germanys state
Of mind. some of them perhaps as
dramatic as the resignation of the
brains Of the German military ma
chine.
AtIlI IOr uLlINIttu N1UuudICuN
The text of the reform bill, as pub
lished In Norwaerts and cabled from
Amsterdam, indicates a more complete
reorganization of the German Govern
ment than had been clearly promised
by the German notes. If that bill
passes: Germany will become what
england il, a limited monarchy. with
parliamentary government. with the
Chancellor responsible to the Reich
stag and perhaps to the Bundesrath,
and with the making and conduct of
war in command Of the Reichstag and
their servant, the Chancellor. When
such a government as that is formed
1t will be interesting to see wheth'l
q war lord like the present Kaiser wiz,
care to continue to be Kaiser
London, Oct. 81 II. y. SD-Generaf
Ludendorff, whose resignation has
Just been accepted by the Kaiser, will
head Il counter revolution In Ger
many, according TO q dispatch from
the Copenhagen correspondent OF the
Daily Mail today. German cOnserva-
tives during the past week started a
movement to have Ludendorn named
chancellor and then sign peace them.
selves. the Daily Mail dispatch added
By the United Press
Zurich. Oct. 2S.-German newspa.
pers predict that General Won Seckt
+ chief of staff to General Won Macken-
, Sen during the latter's Ruma MIA n
drive. will succeed General LudendorfY
as the head of the German armies.