Evening star., 1918-10-13
|F|ND [OOPHO[ES
| IN GERMAN REPLY
Many Senators 0utspoken in
Opposing Armistice on
Strength of Promises.
RELY ON THE PRESIDENT

The German answer to the Presi-
dents note Of inquiry addressed to the
imperial German chancellor, has
brought about ticklish situation. in
the minds of senator's who would dis
cuss the matter last night. While the
German answer appears on the face of
it to yield all, in reality. these sem
ators pointed out, that before any ne
gotiations are entered upon there
must be strong guarantees on the
part of the German empire that 1t
really Intends to carry out the terms
of peace laid down by the President.
Some Of the senators were outspoken
in their demand that no armistice be
entered into with Germany on the
strength of the promises contained in
the two notes so far received. They
strongly recommend that the Presi-
dent, in reply, set forth in detail the
terms on which peace could be made.
Say Notes Leave Loopholes.
The notes, they insist, leave loop
holes through which the Germans
may crawl and do not indicate an un-
conditional surrender. Once the Ger
mans are back on their own soil and
an armistice is declared. while the
representatives of the allies and CEN
trail powers gather about the peace
table, they will be in position to
rest up and rehabi1itate their armies
and to make themselves stronger than
ever. One senator insisted that a
peace SO made could not help being
at least a passive" victory for the
HohenEollerns.
Neither Senator Martin, the demo-
cratic leader, nor Senator Lodge, the
republican leader, would comment on
the German note last night. The
former said he made it a custom not
to discuss such matters which were
diplomatic in character, and the latter
said he certainly would not comment
on the note until he had seen the Off
cial text.
Senator Hitchcock's Comment.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska
chairman of the foreign relaef6fis COM
mittee, after having the note read to
him, said:
1.-The German terms can be accepted
II sufficient guarantees are given tIla,
the power which the emperor has
given to the reichstag is permanent
1t must be made sufficiently cleal
that before we agree to an armistice
that guarantee in a military sense
Is given. These guarantees must be
substantial, because we must be as.
sured that there will be no change ir
the attitude of the German govern.
ment after details are arranged. This
communication is a great improve.
ment over anything that has hitherto
come from Germany, and it indicates
the wisdom of the President. AS
said before, it can be accepted if suf
ficient guarantees are given"
Views Of Other Leaders.
Other senators allowed themselves to
be quoted as follows:
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia,
democrat:
II expressed on the floor of the Sem
ate my appreciation of the wisdom of
the Presidents reply to the German
chancellor. I am confident he will
handle this communication in way
which will strengthen the armies of
the allies and aid them to force a
satisfactory termination of the war"
Senator McCumber Of North Dakota
republican,:
"The German note was just what
was to be expected. The German gov
ernment could not have made any
other reply. It does not mean an un-
conditional surrender. But if an arm
istice should be entered into, the Ger
man armies. after evacuating the ter
ritory of the allies they now hold
would be in a position to strengthen
themselves, obtain q rest and become
stronger than ever, while the discus
sion was going on about the peace
table.
THE President in his addresses to
which reference has been made in the
German notes only mentioned terms
in a general way. It is the details of
those terms that are important, and
1t is the details which the German
government now proposes shall be
negotiated about the peace table.
Articles Rated tsInsumcient."
'The fourteen articles laid down BY
the President in his address of Janu-
ary are insufficient. No mention is
made in them of reparatfon which
must be made by Germany for cities
of France and Belgium she has de-
stroyed, the lives which she has ruth
1essly destroyed. Nothing was said
about the return Of Alsace-Lorraine
to France by Germany. Nothing was