The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-13


 to be restored to the Turks on the same conditions presumably as those , OH which Germany was to restore Bei- gium.
 POLITE TO WILSON When 1t came to the Italian de- mands, Count Czernin simply said that certain offers had been made before the war and that they now were with drawn. So far as the Slavonic popu- lation of Austria is concerned, it was simply polite statement to President Wilson and the others that it was none of our business to inquire. There was not single definite question dealt With where Czernin did not present the most definite refusal to discuss any terms which might be regarded as possible terms of peace and, when you come to the German reply it is very difficult to believe that yon Hertling could be even serious in some of the demands he put forward What was his answer to the allies very moderate demands? His answer was that Great Britain was to give up her coaling stations throughout the world. l confess, think that was the last demand Germany ought decently to have put forward
 LONDON
 London, February 12.-Great promin- ence is given in this evenings newspa- pers to the speech made yesterday in Congress by President Wilson. and their lengthy comment they compare it with Emperor Williams reply to the burgo- master of Hamburg in which the Em- peror declared that the victory of Ger man arms must be recognized. The Westminster Gazette. after re- viewing the Presidents arguments, says: ;'The Kaiser with the glorification of his army has had his reply For the moment, at all events. he and his chancellor seem to have forgotten the .Re1chstag resolutions of six months ago. It remains to be seen whether those who passed the resolutions are willing to revert to the spirit of Prus- sianism implied in Chancellor yon Ifert- llngs speech, and openly avowed in the Kaiser's message of yesterday"
 Commenting on President Wilson's ref erence to the address Count Czernin. the Austro- Hungarian foreign minister, in which the President found a very diff ferent note" the Westminster Ga zette says it remains to be seen whether Count Czenin will be able to maintain his attitude whether we will have to deal with enemies whose stand point still is accurately represented by a Kaiser resolved to make the world submit to the victorious Germany army
 The Pail Mall Gazette says the fundamental issue between Germany and the entente allies was never more address, and the newspaper whole-heart- edly endorses the Presidents declara- tion against peace of patches"
 The Globe considers the Presidents speech, shows there is as yet no hope of accord in the views of the entente nations and the central powers, and despite the conciliatory tone of his ad- dress the newspaper adds, that fact is obviously as clear to the President as to ourselves
 The Star, which has been a severe critic of the report of the Versailles con- ference. cannot reconcile the report with the Presidents address. The newspa- per says:
 MT. Wilson speaks in the language of democracy. The Versailles report is written in the iargon of old, secret diplomacy Secret treaties must be re- pudiated. Our government must come in- to the open and range itself with America. If this government has neither the moral courage nor the will power to break away from the foul past. then let us have clean government that will do so British democracy is at one with American democracy in determination not to live in world governed by intrigue and force
 PARIS
 Paris, February 12.-"The entente allies will approve the laws formn- lated in President Wilson's message says the Temps in an editorial today dealing with two striking items of news--the declaration of peace made by Leon Trotzky the bolshevik for eign minister and President Wilson's reply to Count Won Hertling, the Ger man imperial chancellor, and Count Czernn, the Austrian foreign minis ter.
 "Mr. Wilson's programme in welding together the economic and territorial |stipulations," the newspaper says. impels Germany's directors to accept a just peace for they fear boycott after the war which would ruin them. Trotzky's gesture encourages them to prolong their war of conquest through the possibility of obtaining provisions in Russia"
 The Temps comments on each of the four principles laid down by Pres ident Wilson, saying the first implies that the entente allies cannot recog- nize any arrangement imposed by vio- lence or trickery which pretends to regulate the status of eastern Europe as an isolated matter. The newspaper accepts the remaining three principles fully, saying the third is a condemna- tion of the theories held by Germany and her allies which regulate the des- ( z