The Raymer enterprise., 1918-10-17
Germany's Tricky Peace Move Is
Baked by President Wilson'S
Diplomacy.
ARMIES OPPOSE ARMIs1|cE
Cambrai Captured and Huns Defen.
slve Line Smashed, Compelling Gen.
erai Retreat-yanks Success
fuI In chsmpaone-6eirut
Occupied by the French.
BY EDWARD W. PIckARp.

Prince Max OF Baden, the new i'm
perial chancellor Of Germany, re-
qIesting President Wilson to arrange
TOR an armlstlce and subsequent dis
eussion Of peace terms. and stating
that Germany accepted the presidents
IA points as basis for the negotia-
tions, evoked three separate and dis
tlnct replies. President Wilson an
swered that he could not suggest an
armistlce while the German armies
were outside the boundaries OF Ger
many and then asked whether the
German government accepted the
terms laid down by him and whether
its object In entering discussions was
only 10 agree upon the practical de-
tails of their application furthermore.
he wanted to know whether the chan
cellor was speaking merely for the
constituted authorities OF the empire
who have so far conducted the war.
The people Of all the allied nations.
soldiers and civilians alike. answered
Prince Max with tremendous shout
Of Unconditional surrender"
Marshal Foch responded with one Of
the most powerful attacks of the al
lied armies. capturing The important
city Of Cambria. smashing a 20-mile-
wide breach through the Hindenburg
line. and forcing back the German
armies all along the line from Verdun
to the sea
-
Nearly all authorities agree that the
chancellor's proposal was insincere !:
that the request for an armistice was
made merely to give the military COM
mand chance to reorganize the shat
tered armies, and that Prince Max
knew the suggestion for a peace con-
ference. ms he made It. would he re-
.sected. giving him the opportunity to
say to the people Of Germany: Il have
offered to end the war on the enemy's
own terms and he refuses. The Ger
man nation now must unltedly fight
on"
At first there was some disappoinf-
ment becanse President Wilson did
rot reject the German proposal swift
~ and bluntly. but little considera-
don has convinced almost everyone
that he evnded trap and by his d.
rect questions put the German dip
1Omats In position Of the utmost diff
rulty. At the same time he left the
Door open for ultimate negotiations.
&ftcr Germany has accepted his IA
boints and given fun guarantees. As
JOr the nrmlstice. he did not agree to
TINT even were the German armies to
" Withdrawn from all occupied terri
tories, recognizing the fact that the
1eclarlng Of an armistice is up to
fne military commanders. The presi-
dents note was fully approved. prob
tbIy In advance, by the allied govern
1urnts. and was given the highest
pFaise by the press in England and
Xfnnce as we'll as America.
IA
Any agreed cessation of fighting at
}l(Is time, short Of the abject surren-
III Of the central powers, would bit
f1riy disappoint the soldiers Of the
nf1ied armies and the people who are
b&ekIng them up Foch's forces have
~ Germans on the run. and II they
~ permitted to follow up the Huns
u their retreat to the Meuse they will
dkstroy large part Of their effective
nrss and capture probably half Of their
T1nterial. On the other hand an armIs-
~ would permit the Huns to retire
xjfhin their borders with their armies
1I8nct and prepared to maneuver effec-
f&eay behind their shortened and pow
SH<Hliy fortified lines. Animated by
! S4lrit, not of vindlctiyeness. but OF
ts(sibutsve justice. the men Of the al.
aIon armes feel that no peace should