Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-09

Sir / have the honor to aCknowl- |
edge, on behalf of the president, your |
note Of October 9Th, enclosing the |
communication from the German |
government to the president; and / |
am instructed by the president to re- !
quest you to make the following |
Communications - tie imperial Ger
man chancellor:
Before making reply to the re- |
quest of the imperial German gov
eminent and in order that that re- |
ply shall be candid and straight |
forward as the momentous interests !
invoked require the president Of the
lpfted states deems it necessary TO
assure himself of the exact meaning
of the note of tho imperial chancellor
Does the imperial chancellor mean
that tho imperial German govern
ment accepts the terms laid down by
the president in his address to the
congress of the United states on the
Sth Of January last and in subsequent
addresses and that its object in enter
ing into discussions would be only to
agree upon the practical details OF
their application?
1.-THE president feels bound to say
with regard to the suggestion Of an
armistice that he would not feel at
liberty to propose cessation OF
arms TO the governments with which
the government of the United States
Is associated against the central pow
ers, so long as the armies of those
powers are upon their soil; the good
faith of any discussion would mani
testify depend upon the consent of the
central powers Immediately to with
draw their forces everywhere from
invaded territory.
THE president also feels that he is
| justified in asking whether the i'm
| perial chancellor Is speaking merely
| for the constituted authorities Of the
| empire who have so far conducted
| the war. He deems the answer to
| these questions vital from every point
| of view.
Accept, sir, the renewed assur-
| ances of my high consideration,
ROBERT LANSING"
"Mr. Frederick Oederlin, charge
| d'affaires of Switzerland, ad interim,
in charge of German interests in the
United States"
Associated Press dispatches last
night announced that the president
would not make a curt and peremp-
| tory rejection of the offer nor bluntly
demand an unconditional surrender
now because the American govern
ment did not propose to fall into the
trap of supplying the German mill
| tarists with q means of bolstering up
their argument that the Germans are
fighting a defensive" war and that
the announced objects of the allies
are only to destroy them
| D..te IN an
That is precisely what President
Wilson has avoided. He has met
what the allied diplomats regard as
trick with a move which will expose
| it, If u trick il be. He has called
upon the German government for evil
| dence of its good faith and should it
not be forthcoming he has left with
| German leaders the problem of eX-
planning to their own people already
clamoring for peace. why they arc
not willing to accept II.
From that point the president
passes to another which will develop,
as the exchange proceeds. whether
the United States and the allies will
| deal, except on the battle field. with
the German government as at present
constituted. The president tells the
| chancellor that he feels he IS 'justi-
| lieu Ill dShllS NlleliiGl lllt IlllDGilul
chancellor is speaking merely for the
constituted authorities of the empire.
who have, so far, conducted the war;"
This will develop whether Macmillan
speaks for the, German mlitarists,
whom the president has denounced
as unworthy of any trust and who re-
lgarded treaties as scrap of paper"
or whether he speaks with the force
of the people of a nation. This is re-
garded as probably the most import
ant part of the presidents commune
cation, fraught with potent possbili-
ties of the most far reaching effect in
Germany, where an active allied
propaganda has been making rapid
Roadway in awakening the German
people to the necessity of assuming
the responsibilities OF their own gov
eminent and making their own peace,
1t is regarded as possible, if not
indeed likely that the German mill
tarist leaders hoped for a curt and
defiant answer with which they could
has robbed them of that opportunity
drops of blood for fNs protection
of the Fatherland," anN with other
rolling phrases in which the German
official announcements abound.
The unanimous opinion among
diplomats is that the president by a
carefully studied. most skillful reply
rally their people to give their last
IL they desired it, and has sent to the
German people themselves a new
message that the United States and
the allies desire nothing more than
ga reign of law, based upon the con-
sent OF the governed and sustained
by the organized opinion of man
kind"
1t was freely conceded that hasty
reading Of the presidents answer
might not at first satisfy some who
hoped for flat rejection of any
terms but an unconditional surrender.
But the government is confident that
as the presidents communication is
carefully digested its full import
grasped, its almost inevitable effect
realized, and it's possibilities for
weakening the German military party
on its home grounds comprehended,
il will be seen that the Npresident
chose a very deep but direct method
of developing an answer for all time
to the question. do the German peo-
pie want peace?
] An armistice while the invaders
remain on violated soil is already re-
jected Germany snow must state
whether she accepts a reign of law
based on the consent of the govern
ed" or whether she wants to nego-
tate about one; she must say wheth-
er the appeal for peace comes from
the beaten militarists who began a
war for world domination or from a
| war ridden people ready to make a
peace lasting.