The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-13
ALLIES REFUSE TO M0DIFY ARMISTICE
WILSON PROMISES
GERMANY HELP IN
GETTING SUPPLIES
President Sends ReaSSuring
Message to People in Reply
to Appeal From Chancellor
Ebert Regarding Distress.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 49,
President Wilson has sent a
reassuring message to the peo-
pie of Germany in reply to the
appeal from Chancellor Ebert.
He promises to aid Germany
in the matter of food supplies
and in relieving distressing
want.
The reply was sent today by Secre-
tary lansing through Minister Sulzer'
of Switzerland, who delivered yester-
day Ebert's. request for lnterVenIIOn e.sInrn
by the president to mitigate the rear"
fil conditions" threatened through en-
forcement OF the armistice terms.
It saws steps are to be taken at once
to organize relief work in the same
systematic manner it was carried out
in Belgium, but that the president &C.
Sires to be assured that public order
will be maintained in Germany and
that an equitable distribution OF Iooo
can be clearly guaranteed g.
Secretary Lansing's note to the SWISS
minister, dated Nov. II, follows:
II have the honor to acknoWIeuse ny
Transmitting to the president the text
Of a cable inquiring whether this, gov-
ernnent is ready to send foodstuIis
into Germany without delay. if public
order is maintained in Germany ana
an equitable distribution of 1000 IS
guaranteed .,,
II should be grateful if you would
transmit the following reply to the
German government:
Allies Agreed.
"'At a Joint session Of the, two two
houses of congress on Nov. IL, the
president of the United States an
nounced that the representatives Vi
the associated governments IN the su-
preme war council at Versailles nave
by unanimous resolution assured the
peoples of the central empires that
everything that is possible in the cir
cumstances will be done TO supply tnen
with food and relieve the distressing
want that is in so many places threat
ening their very lives; and that steps
are to be taken Immediately to organ
ize these efforts at relief in the same
systematic manner that were organ
lied in the case of Belgium. ...-.t
'F'urthermore. the. president ex-
3 pressed the, opinion that by Ine use use
pires, it ought presently TO be possible
10 lift the fear of utter misery from
,eaheit sSspressed Qpi1la tons azld set
their minds and n snefEles lree 10r tiie
great ana hazardous tasks OF pplitical
1 iconstructicn which now face them on
'%,accordingly, the president now di-
rects me to state that he is ready to
consider favorably the supplying OF
foodstuffs to Germany and to take up
the matter Immediately with the allied
governments, provided he can be as
sured that public order Is being and
will continue to be maintained In Ger
many, and that an equitable distrtbu, :,
tion of food can be clearly guaranteed.
Accept, sir, the renewed assurances
of my highest consideration, n,s1ncn
This message was sent in response
to the following message from Minis
ter SulZer: s.s...-s. o,
by direction of my government /
have the honor to transmit the follow
ing cable:
requests the president of the United
States to inform the German chancel-
ior Ebert, by wireless, whether he
may be assured that the government
of the United States is ready to send
foodstuffs without delay If public or
der Is maintained in Germany and an
equitable distribution of food is guar
anteed.'
Messages from high sources in Eu-
rope are reaching President Wilson,
urging that he personally attend the
great peace conference that will settle
finally the issues growing out of the
war The president, 1t was said to-
day, has given no indication Of how
he regards the suggestion, though some
Of those usually well informed believe
he has an open mind on the subject
and may give it consideration.
Members of the presidents official
family are understood to be strongly
advising against the step on the ground
that it would involve useless risk and
it would accomplish nothing that could
not be accomplished through delegates
= fhe president might select to represent
America at the peace table, and with
whom he could keep in constant touch
hN "a hle and WinelRSS