The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-12

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as TO the reasons which impelled the
cblcf executive TO m, Ike his appear
ance SO unexpectedly before congress
again t. enunciate the aims of the
United States and it's cobelligerents, II
was stated authoritatively that, in the
opinion of President Wilson, the
psychological moment had arrived
when it was absolutely necessary to
make a strong effort to counteract the
evil effects of German duplicity and
double dealings upon the Russians
who had been charged to meet the
trained German negotiators 1t is felt
that no efforts should be spared to
prevent a resumption from Brest- Lit
ovsk negotiation by the Russians
without earnest but friendly admoni-
ton by the allies and America Of the
terrible dangers to which she is ex-
posed.
The president assumed in his mes
sage TO congress that these negotia-
tions have been brokn off. Yet it is
felt in official circles here that, alarm
cd at the irritating effect upon their
own people of the sudden withdrawal
Of the longed for peace with their
eastern neighbor from whom they had
confidently expected to draw vast
supplies of food and raw material with
which to relieve their sufferings, the
Germans will make q supreme effort
TO entice the Russians to resume tho
conferences by abating their first ex-
treme demands or by presenting them
in fresh and specious language CAL
culated to cover their real meaning.
Another reason for today's address
is found in the necessity of makinc
some reply to the request OF Leon
Trotzly. the Bolsheviki foreign min
lister. that America and the entente
allies join the peace conference. Ger
many having made it condition OF
any peace agreement that Russia
should bring her cobelligerents into
the negotiations. Not having recog-
nized the Bolsheviki regime as the
Russian government. the only feas-
ible way OF communication with il
appeared TO be through public
enunciation of American war aims,
following the example of Lloyd
George. 1t will be necessary to the
success OF this purpose that circula-
tion of President Wilson'S address
shall be effected in Russia to which
end the full text of the speech was
sent by cable and wireless to all the
principal capitals of the world
Probably in spite of the drastic Ger
man censorship rules. designed to
keep the German people in ignor-
ance Of the truth. the substance of the
address also will leak across the Ger
man frontiers from neutral neigh
boring States and thus strengthen
the hands of the German Socialistic
parties in the struggle with the Pan
Germans and the military party.
There are intimations though no Of
fetal admissions, that President VIII
son and the British premier spoke
with full understanding as to what
was tn be said and that the president
who said, today. there is no confus
ion OF counsel among the adversaries
of the central powers" made his ad-
dress supplementary to that Of the
british premier.
Lloyd Georges speech was prepar-
ed before the abrupt termination of
the Brest-Litovsk negotiations and ne
took rather hopeless view of Rus
si2's future, declaring that 'ir Rus
sia acts independently we can not
help the catastrophe"
President Wilson is much more
optimistic and hopeful Of the awaken
ing OF the Russians to the dangers OF
the pitfall which Germany has dug
for them.
Some slight differences in TIN,
statement of the aims Of Germany's
enemies today as compared with pre-
ceding utterances OF President Will
son and even of the recent declara-
tions of Lloyd George are noticed but
1t is stated these arc unimportant and
not designed in any way to affect or
weaken the general principles laid
down as the basis for any peace that
might be considered. One instance is
the use Of the term "evaucation and
restoration" by President Wilson in
regard to BELGIUM instead Of res
tOration and reparation This "rac