The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-16

Washington, Oct. 14.-Turkey's
long delayed note asking, like Aus
tria and Germany, that President
Wilson take in hand the restoration
of peace, was received today at the
State department.
there may be no possibility of mis-
understanding that the president
should very solemnly call the atten-
ton of the government of Germany
to the language and plain intent Of
one of the terms of peace which the
German government has now accept
ed. 1t is contained in the address OF
the president delivered at Mount I
Vernon on the Fourth of July, last.
1T is as follows:
..The destruction of every arbi- !
tary power anywhere that can separ-3
ately, secretly and of its single choice, |
disturb the peace Of the world, or ii
it can not be presently destroyed, at
least it's reduction to virtual impo-
tency.'"
.The power which has hitherto con-
trolled the German nation is Of the
sort here described. It is within the
choice of the German nation to alter
it. The presidents words just quot
ed naturally constitute condition.
precedent to peace, if peace is to
come by the action of the German
people. themselves. The president
feels bound to say that the whole
process of peace will, in his judgment,
depend upon the defniteness and the
satisfactory character Of the guaran-
tees which can be given in this fun-
damental matter 1t is indispensable
that the governments associate"
against Germany should know beyond
a peradventure with whom they are.
dealing.
1.-The president will maksaeep be
1.-The president will make sepa
rate reply to the royal and imperial
government of Austria-Hungary. =:
Accept, sir, the renewed assur-.
ances of my high consideration"
(Signed) Robert Lansing"
/ Frederick .Odelin,
Charge dAffaires, ad interim, in
charge Of German interests in tbs
UnlteQ SIaIcS. -
One outstanding point which does
not appear. in the presidents note. a:
point. on which the world has been
asking questions, can be answered to-
night.
When the president declared that
the wrong done to France when
Germany took Alsacc-Lorraine shaa,h
be righted he meant that Alsace:L Or
raine should be returned to France.
Those who contend that the pres3-
den's decision arranges the situation
for som ething. more than an uncon-
aitional surrender base it on the ar
gument that he has now passed the
stage where he might have accepted
Il surrender Of the German military
and naval forces and left the Hohen-
zollern autocracy on it's throne.
Mr.. Wilson, according to this view,
aow finally has informed the German
people that if they want. peace the;:'
can only attain it by getting rid OF
Inc kaiser and his system.
An armistice. it is true, might come
first and the details of the downfall
Of the German autocratic govern
ment uight be arranged later.
But this is what an armistice
would entail:
First, a stop to the atrocities on
land and sea and the systematic de-
struction and devastation in the wake
| OF the retreating German armies
then. the disarmament OF all the Ger
hn nf <%<; ;r
arms and munitions at points to be
chosen by the allied military conf
manders. Then the occupation b:
allied forces Of certain German cities
Or strongholds of strategic import
fance Probably also the occupation
of all the submarine bases and 4
turning over ct the German fleet, IN
short, it will entail a taking from
Germany of everything with which
she might break her word to an ar
1nistice.'
From that point the United States
and the allies might proceed to dis
pose of what remained Of kaiserism (
the German people have not done it
before, as President Wilson in his
note plainly invites them to do.
While nowhere in the note does
the president join openly with the
entente statesmen in the demand thai
''the chief criminals must be deliver
ed up for trial. the presidents cofi-
hdants point out that he plainly SUBJ
scribes to the doctrine that the guilt
Of bringing on the world war is per
sonal
1t will be noted that the presidea.
completely rejects the German sug
ges,ion for a mixed commission to
arrange an evacuation and reminds
the nilitarists that they will accept
tho terms laid down by Marshal Fcch
ano. the associated commanders: that
they will have no part in framing
them He makes it plain that he does
not accept the new German govern
nent headed by Chancellor Maxi
milan as anything less autocratic,