The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-22
HUNS MUST ASK


when he denounced her murderers.
She would like to induce neutrals to
verify things which already have been
verified thus to gain time and pro-
long the conversation.
Berlin vainly waited for improve
Tnent in the military situation. Then
Won Hindenburg brought bad news to
Berlin, which consequently set forth
in its reply a more ardent desire for
an armistice.
Ii is possible that President Wilson
will make no reply. In case he does,
France is utterly confident of his de-
cision.''
France Has Say.
New York. Oct. 22..Allied occupa-
tion of Germany for at least three or
four years is an essential condition of
any beginning of permanent peace, ac-
cording to Stephane Lausanne. MEM
Der of the French high commission in
the United States.
Max Will Talk.
Berne, Oct. 21.-Prince Macmillan,
the German imperial chancellor will
speak at a plenary meeting of the
refchstag on Tuesday, according to
Berlin advices. Debate on general
policies will follow. 1t is expected
that it will last for two or three days.
View With Distrust.
London. Oct. 22.-Newspapers al
most without exception view the Ger
man reply to President Wilson with
irnpatience and distrust. Germany
still impenitent," is the caption on the
editorial of the Chronicle, which dis
misses the reply as obviously inaccept-
able. The Graphic is more optimistic
and says Verbally the Germans are
getting slightly nearer the point of
view upon which the allies mean to in
sist'
1.-THE Niger in the woodpiIe," in the
German reply. according to the Ex-
press, is the desire "fOr an armistice
based on an elaborate estimate of the
vital forces as they are today" This
the newspaper says is a "disingenuous
twist of the Wilson conditions" and
continues:
I'VE dare not consent to a suspen-
sion of hostilities unless we can obtain
before July to an enemy who is broken
and beaten to his knees"
Only an Admission.
The Berliner Tageblatt speaks thru
out of the guiding principles and
says the whole German concession
consists merely of an admission that
the question of Alsa ce-Lorraine and
Poland are now international ques-
tiOns. 1t protests against the appeal
for freedom by Prussian Poles and
says "only a completely defeated Ger
many could agree to separation of the
eastern marshes from Prussia
Elsewhere the Tageblatt says that
there can be, after all. no harm in dis
cussing any questions at confer
ence tables"
There is abundant evidence that the
Germans rely upon keeping Alsace-
Lorraine by a manipulated plebescite
and on keeping Prussian- Poland by
putting together all parts of Prussia
in which Poles live and then arguing
that the Polish population does not
constitute a majority of the whole
area.
This appears quite clearly from the
leading article in the Frankfurter
Zeitung. which states:
The main point of the coming
peace negotiation does not lie in AL
sace-Lorraine. We feel ourselves much
too closely united with the German
people of this German land to be able
to doubt now, when faced by the
choice, 1T would choose between that
and France. But in the east in Pol
and, probably lie tremendous perils
The Polish appeal permits itself to in
terpret the thirteenth point of Wilson'S
thesis in the sense that all territories
that were formerly Polish are to be
united in a uniform Polish state with
its own seacoast-''
This Interpretation is false at
would be intolerable for Germany be-
cause, thinking only of the Poles and
not at all of Germans. it would actual
lyz exclude the right of self determine
ton of the German nation and would
cripple hopelessly our people and its
future"
IT concludes by declaring that
Prussian Poles must be satisfied with
reforms OF the "PruSsian Polish pol
ICY"
The whole trend of the German
press shows that the German scheme
/ is to persuade the allies into negotia-
tons by the pretense of accepting
their terms and then use the occasion
by attempting to Great dissension to
Germany's advantage Both designs
are doomed to failure.
German Press Optimistic.
Copenhagen. Oct. 22.-The German