The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-10-18
Foe Willing Evacuate Invade ed Territory As Prerequisite to
Armistice-Assers Bid for Peace Represents the
German People AS Well AS the Government.
FOE PEACE ANSWER NEEDS TO BE
EXAMINED AND FULLY CONSIDERED BEFORE
UNITED STATES VIEWS CAN BE STATED
Present German Government Which Has Undertaken Present
Peace Step Has Been Formed By Conferences and in
Agreement With Majority of Reichstag

Washngton-Ge reply to
President Wilson's inquiry, Interpreted
as il was after having been sent by
the greatest wireless towers at Nauen
and forwarded here in an official dis
patch from France, declares Germany
is ready to accept President Wilson's
peace terms, evacuate the invaded ter
ritory as a prerequisite to an arms
tice, and asserts the bid for peace rep
resents the German people, as well as
the government
Though on it's face. the text OF the
German note seems 70 be complete
acceptance of President Wilson's
terms, the people of the United States
and the Allied countries should be
cautioned against accepting it as
such a compliance with the Presi-
dents demands as will mean imme-
date cessation of hostilities.
At the first reading the text would
seem to answer, in a manner which
might lead to peace, all the questions
President Wilson asked of Chancellor
Macmillan in his inquiry which was
sent as a rejoinder to the German
peace note received here recently.
In this inquiry the President de-
clared he would not propose an arms
tice while troops Of the Central Pow
ers remained on invaded soil; he
asked whether Prince Macmillan ac-
cepted the terms OF peace as laid
down, or merely wanted to discuss
them "as a basis of negotiation" and
finally, he asked whether the chancel-
lor merely represented the militarists
who have been conducting war.
These inquiries the German govern
ment seems to answer in a manner
which at least has not closed the door
to peace. The evacuation Of invaded
territory pending declaration of an
armistice the answer accepts; 1t says
the terms of peace are accepted and
makes no further mention of basis
for negotiation" and declares the
German government as recently re-
constituted and the German people as
well.
Without any attempt to discount
what appeared to be, at casual read
ing. an acceptance of the terms the
President has laid down. officials here
were very positive as not accepting
the German note as a document
which means the end of the war. II
needs to be examined and fully con-
sidered before the views Of the Amer
lean Government can be stated.
g. do
eide that there is enough sincerity in
Germany's proposition to transmit 1t
officially to the Allies, as the German
chancellor requested, 1t should be
borne in mind that Great Britain,
France and the other Entente nations
must be taken into consideration for
decision then as to whether an arm
istice should be granted or discussions
undertaken to carry out the details
OF the application of President VIII
sons peace terms.
The greatest danger facing the peo-
pie of the United States, officials said
here, was that they might hastily con.
slider Germany's proposition as the
unconditional surrender which the CO.
belligerents demand, and relax their
efforts to continue the victories at
arms and carry over the Fourth Lii
berty Loan. On every side In official
quarters, it was stated that this view
of the situation could not be placed
before the public too strongly.
Conceding that possibly the pro-
posal for an armistic might he accent
ed and that the German acceptance of
President Wilson's peace terms might
be satisfactory, the question, in the
opinion Of officials and diplomats here
is: who is the present German Gov.
ernment?"
| II the present German Government
Is the government OF Hohenzollern
there seems no doubt here that the
German reply cannot be accepted.