The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-09
REPLY ISCHART
OF DIPLOMACY,
SAYS HITCHCOCK
Chairman of Foreign Rela-
tiOns Committee Ap-
proves Course.
" \
LODGE OPPOSES DEBATE
Insists President Should Have
Declined to Discuss the
Situation.

Special Despatch 10 THE Sun.
WASHINGTON, Oct. S.-The reply of
President Wilson to the latest Teuton
peace feeler was the general topic Of
discussion among the Senate leaders
tonight.
Senator Hitchcock tNeb.), chairman
of the Foreign Relations Committee
was convinced that to-day's step by
the President was one OF progress
and as such perhaps necessary in
order that the course of the United
States in the diplomacy OF war should
be as completely charted as in the
diplomatic mterchanges precedent to
hostilities.
THE Presidents preliminary answer
is we'll calculated to develop the ISSUE
said Chairman Hitchcock. "It will
prevent Germany from concealing or
Disgusting the real issue. I believe it
to have been a wise step on the part
of the President before replying to the
note Of Prince Maximilian to obtain
exactly the intention Of the German
Government before framing his reply
to the Princes communication.
Must Accept All Conditions.
The Interpretation / would put upon
the Presidents preliminary answ sr
would be that he intends to reject the
German overtures unless Germany ac-
cepts all the conditions heretofore laid
down and at once evacuates all occupied
territory. interpret 1t to mean with
regard to these evacuations German
! withdrawal from Belgium. France.
| Italy, Rumania and Serbia, and perhaps
also Russia, and that thereafter the
conference shall deal exclusively with
/ the details incident TO Germany's un-
qualified acceptance OF the conditions
laid down in the Presidents speech of
| January and subsequent supplement
tary conditions stated by him.
81 interpret the note also to mean
that by the use of the word accept the
President means Germany is to accept
the conditions variousy laid down by
him and not TO accept them simply as d
basis OF further negotiations
Senator Lodge (Mass.). Republican.
ranking minority member of the Foreign
Relations Committee, issued this statof
ment after mature deliberation:
II am keenly disappointed that the
President should at this stage enter into
discussion with the Imperial German
Government as he has done in the note
signed .by Mr.. Lansing. In his first and
second paragraphs he asks for further
information and INVITES further discus
sion 1t is true that in the last para
graph he inquiries whether Prince Maxi
milan of Baden represents merely the
constituted authorities of the German
Empire.
Can Represent Only the Kaiser.
Prince Macmillan is the Chancellor
of the German Empire appointed by the
Kaiser do not understand what he
can possibly represent except the con-
| stituted authorities which represent ~the
German Empire and the German people,
unless revolution has occurred of
which the world has as yet no knowl-
edge. To us he stands as the represcn-
tative of Germany and of the Kaiser.
Personally | adhere 10 this statement Of
the President in his speech Of Septem-
Der 81:
1--WE are all agreed that there can he
no peace obtained by any kind of bar.
gain or compromise with the Govern
ments of the Central Empires, because
we have dealt with them already and
have seen them deal with other Govern
Continued on SecoHd PGOs