New-York tribune., 1918-10-23

proposing q delay until he can recover
his strength.
Senator Lodge speaks as the ranking
Republican member of the Foreign Re-
lations Committee Of the Senate, which
would have to consider any peace
treaty before it could be ratified. He
also speaks as the leader of The minor
ity party in the upper house, the only
| house that has TO do with foreign re-
lations.
Reed Scoided Republicans
1t was Senator Reed, who is ,pitler.
ing III his sarcasm ior any one who
could be deceived by the German move.
who last Monday, after many Repub-
lican Senators had spoken their
thoughts about the futility OF talking
to the Germans when we ought to be
lighting them with every ounce of our
energy, scolded the Republicans for
thinking for one moment that Presj
dent Wilson would consent to q peace
parley before the American troops had
driven the Germans back over the
Rhine
"No one but the veriest fool will be
deceived" said Mr.. Reed.
Prediction. Are Absent
Even the Cabinet meeting to-day
failed to bring out the usual food of
predictions as to just what the Presi-
dent was going to do. The capital is
very much at sea as to the exact course
to be pursued. 1t is believed, on rather
good authority, that there Will be no
further move, beyond perhaps a mere
acknowledgment, until the German re-
treat shall have carried all Central
Power troops back behind their own
frontiers.
1t was the opinion in certain Admin.
istratlon circles to-day that President
wilson's answer would be one Of two
alternatives - an etfectual closing OF
the incident, which was thought to he
improbable, or reminder to Germanv
OF her solemn promises and engage
ments, required as preliminary of any
consideration of her proposal. with the
statement that III acting upon Ger
many's request the United States will
zealous]y examine ali the acts of the
German government and of it's mill
tary advisers, assuring Germany finally
that should she be proved guilty of bad
faith the only possible peace for her
henceforth would be oneNdictatcd after
hnr tr,to I.
defeat.
Brandegee Regrets Notes
II regret exceedingly that the Pres-
dent allowed himself to be drawn into
the correspondence which he is con-
ducting with Germany" Senator Bran
degee, of Connecticut, said. 81 do not
consider as of great Importance what
Germany says under her present stress.
ii she wants peace all she has to do is
u stop fighting. | do not approve Of
a negotiated peace, or peace the con-
ditions of which are TO be fixed BIZ
Germany.
"America's only condition should be
Germany's unconditional surrender.
ne OBSTRUCTION or surrender of the
Icutonic armies and navies is the onlv
guarantee OF a secure and endurins
peace.
IF Germany has set up new gov
ernmcnt and that new government de-
cllnes tt surrender its army and navy,
thcn favor continuing the war against
mat new government. There Will be
no change Of heart in Germany as long
as its army is able to keep the field.
II Germany is allowed to take it's army
back into Germany and keep its navy
ana then peace is made Germany will
boast that she is invlncible.
Fight Would Be Draw
"She will say that she was able to
fight the world in arms for four Years
without being whipped, and that in
all that time no foe had ever set foot
uron her soil. Under these circum-
stances Great Britain, France. Ttalv.
Belgium and the United States would
not dare to demobllize their armies or
navies. The fight would be draw.
In other words. the war would be lost.
The President may lay down as
many conditions as he peases and the
astute jugglers of Berlin will probably
accept them all-on paper.
"Ihe only condition they will not
as yet accept is the only one which
will satisfy America and the Allies. |
and that condition the President has