The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-10-17
PRESIDENT REJECTS
HUN PEACE Offer
Universal Demand is for Uncon-
ditional Surrender
MILITARY RULE MUST END
Before the United States and Her
Allies Will Negotiate with Ger
man Government on Peace
Terms.

Terms.
A second peace offer from Ger
many, dated Oct. 18th, presented
to President Wilson on Monday,
is as follows:
"In reply to the questions of
the President of the United States
of America, the German govern
ment hereby declares:
"The German government has
accepted the terms laid down by
President Wilson in his address Of
January eighth and in his subse-
quent addresses on the founda-
ton of a permanent peace of JUS
tice. Consequently its object in
entering into discussion would be
only to agree upon practical de-
tails of the application of these
terms. The German government
believes that the governments of
the powers associated with the
government of the United States
also take the position taken by
President Wilson in his address.
The German government in ac-
cordance with the Austro-Hun-
garian government, for the pur-
pose Of bringing about an armis-
tice, declares itself ready to com
ply with the propositions of the
president in regard to evacuation.
The German government suggests
that the president may occasion
the meeting of a mixed commits
sion for making the necessary arr
rangements concerning the evac-
uation. The present German gov
ernment, which has undertaken
the responsibility for this step to-
wards peace, has been formed by
conferences and in agreement
with the great majority of the
reichstag. The chancellor sup
ported in all of his actions by the
will of this majority, speaks in
the name of the German govern
ment and Of the German people"
To this, the president, on Mon
day afternoon, made the follow
ing reply:
"The unqualified acceptance by
the present German government
and by q large majority Of the
reichstag of the terms laid down
by the president of the United
States of America in his address
to the congress Of the United
States on the 9Th day Of January,
1918, and in his subsequent adj
dresses, justifies the president in
making frank and direct state
ment of his decision with regard
to the communications of the
German government of the 9th
and 18th Of October, 1918.
"It must be clearly understood
that the process of evacuation
and the conditions Of an armistice
are matters which must be left to
the judgement and advice of the
military advisers of the govern
ment of the United States and the
allied governments, and the presi-
dent feels it his duty to say that
no arrangement can be accepted
by the government of the United
States which does not provide alb
solute satisfactory safeguards and
guarantees of the maintenance of
the present military supremacy
of the armies of the United States
and the allies in the field.
"He feels confident that he can
safely assume that this will also
be the judgment and decision of
the allied governments.
"The president feels that it is
also his duty to add that neither
the government of the United
States nor, he is quite sure, the
governments with which the
United States is associated as
belligerent will consent to con-
[roncludad on na0a 0l