Milford chronicle., 1918-10-11

mem Accepts Terms Laid Down in
His Speech and is Ready to Agree
on Details of Their Application.
President Wilson Informed the Ger
man government that before the Unit
ed states can discuss an armistice
German troops must withdraw from
all invaded territory.
He asked Chancellor MaXimillan
whether he represented the German
people or the authorities of the EN-
pire who are conducting the war
The presidents message was not a
reply, but in the form of an Inquiry.
The imperial German government is
asked whether it accepts the terms
laid down by the president in his ad-
dress to congress January and sub
seQuent addresses.
No answer to the Austrian peace
proposal is contemplated for the pres
ent. This was made known officially
The text of the presidents cOmmuni-
cation was as follows;
"Sir-I have the honor to acknowl-
edge, on behalf of the president your
note of October 8. inclosing the COM
munication from the German govern
ment TO the president; and ! am in
structed by the president TO request
you to make the following cOmmuni-
cation TO the imperial German chan
cellOr:
Before making reply to the request
Of the imperial German government,
and in order that that reply shall be
as candid and straightforward as the
momentOus interests involved require,
the president of the United States
deems it necessary TO assure himself
of the exact meaning Of the note OF
the imperial chancellor. Does the i'm
perial chancellor mean that the Inn
perial German government accepts
the terms laid down by the president
in his address to the congress of the
United Stated on the Sth of January
last and in subsequent addresses, and
that its object in entering into discus
sions would be only to agree upon the
practical details of their application?
"The president feels hound to say
with regard to the suggestion of an
armistice that he would not feel at
liberty to propose a cessation of arms
to the governments with which the
government Of the United States is as
sociated against the central powers
so long as the armies of those powers
A rfa rrr,nn tbafr coil
"rhe good faith Of any discussion
would manifestly depend upon the
consent of the central powers imme-
dlately TO withdraw their forces every
where from invaded territory.
1.-THE president also feels that he is
Justified IN asking whether the imperi-
al chancellor is speaking merely for
the constituted authorities of the en-
pire who have so far conducted the
war. He deems the answer TO these
questions vital from every point Of
view.
accept, Sir, the renewed assur
ances of my high consideration.
"ROBERT LANSING"
The President made a subtle maneu-
yer when in his message he inquired
whether PAlnce Max spoke for Ger
many'S war lords or was the peoples
mouthplece as well. If, as generally
believed in Washington. Germany's
peace offer was hypOcritical, the pres
ldent's answer is designed to put the
masters of Germany into a diplomatic
hole They must now accept Presi-
dent Wilson's peace terms as a whole
IN good faith or stand before the
world convicted of deceit.
His query as to the exact meaning
of Prince Max's proposal was inter
preted here as the result of allied
pressure for leaving the way open to
further TeutOn concessions.
His next paragaph-the predicted
refusal to deal with the Germans
while still on allied soil--was the dis
tinctively American response to the
German offer.
The official translation of the Ger
man note, as presented by Swiss
Charge d'Affaires Oederlin, was Civ
en- out at the White House, as follows:
"The German government requests
the president of the United States to
take steps for the restoration Of
peace, to notify all belligerents of this
request and to invite them to dele
gate plenipOtentiaries for the purpose
of taking up negotiations.
"The German government accepts as
basis for peace negotiations the
program laid down by the president Of
the United States In his message to
congress of January s, 1918, and in his
subsequent prOnOuncements, particu-
larly in his address Of September p,
1918.