Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-10-19

| be given in this fundamental matter
1t is indispensable that the govern.
| mentS associated against Germany
should know beyond peradvcnture
win whom they are dealing.
| Ihc President will make Il ScDarate
reply TO the royal and imperial gov.
crnment of Austria-llungary.
Accept, sly the renewed assurances
| OF my high considerations
(Signcd "ROBERT LANSING.
MI. Frederick Ocderlin. charge d 'af.
| ialres, al interim, i'll charge OF Ger.
man interests in the United States"
one outstanding point which does
not appear i'll the Presidents notc-a
point on which the world has been
asking questions can be answered to.
night.
When tho President declared that
the wrong done to France when Cor.
many took AlSacc-Lorrainc should he
rightcd, he meant that AlsaccL lorraine
. should be returned to France.
Those who contend that the Prcsi-
dcnt s decision arrangcs the situation
Tor something more than an uncou-
oltlonal surrender base it on the argll.
meht that he has now passed the stage
where he might have accepted q sur
render Of the German military and
naval forces and left the HohenZollern
autOcracy on its throne.
Must Get Rid of Kaiser If They
Would Have Peace.
MI wilson, according to this view.
has now finally informed the German
people that if they want peace thew
can only attain it by getting rid Of the
Kaiser and his system.
An armistice, it is true, might come
first and the details of the downfall
or the German autocratic government
might be arranged later. But this is
what an armistice would entail.
First, stop to the atrocities on land
and sea and the systematic destruc-
ton and devastation in the wake of
the retrcating German armies: then.
the disarmament of all the German
| forces and the deposit of their arms
ana munitions at points to be chosen
by the allied military commanders.
Then, the occupation by allied forces
or certain German cities or strong
holds OF strategic Importance. Prob
ABLY also the occupation of all tho sub
marine bases, Il turning over of the
German fleet.
In short, it will entail Il taking from
Germany OF everything with which she
might break her word to an armis-
tice.
From that point the United States
ana the allies might proceed to dis
pose OF what remained OF Kaiserism If
the German people have not done it
before, as President Wilson in his not @
plainly invites them to do.
While nowhere in the note does the
President openly join with the entente
statesmen in the demand that the
a n lev lx,> a.
FOR trial, the Presidents confidants
point out that he plainly subscribes TO
the doctrine that the guilt of bringing
on the world war is personal.
Must Accept Terms Made by Allied
Commander.
1t will be noted that the President
completely rejects the German Suggcs-
ton for Il mixed commission TO ar
range an evacuation and reminds the
mllitaristS that they will accept the
terms laid down by Marshal Foch and
the associated commanders; that they
Will have no part in framing them.
lie makes 1t plain that he does not nc
ccpt the new German government
headed by Chancellor Macmillan, as
anything less than autocracy, anything
less creature Of German militarism
than its predecessors, and warns the
German people that unless they de-
stroy it the allied armies will do so.
one OF the most Important points of
, ms note Is that in which he acknowl-
edges the present German govern
ment's unqualified acceptance of his
peace terms and then goes OH to show
!, that those terms provide specifically
for the substitution OF Il government
wholly responsible to the German Deo-
pie themselves for the present one
dominated by the German militarists.
Quoting his Mount Vernon speech of
July 4, the President reminds Germany
that his terms call for the destruction
OF every arbitrary power anywhere,
tnat can separately, secretly, and of it's
single choice disturb the peace of the
world; or if it cannot be presently de-
stroyed, at least its reduction to vir-
tual impotency." Here, then, follow
the words which proclaim with final
ity that the autocratic government of
Germany must go, and plainly invite
the German people to make the change
which will bring them peace.
THE power which hitherto has con
trolled the German nation" says the
Presidents reply, lis of the sort here
described. 1t is within the choice of
the German people TO alter it." The
Presidents words just quoted natural
ly constitute a condition precedent to
peace, If peace is to come by the ac,
ton OF the German people themselves
THE President feels bound to say that
the whole process of peace WILL in his
judgment, depend upon the definitcncss
and the satisfactory character OF the
guarantees which can be given in this
fundamental matter. 1t is indispen.
sable that the governments associated
against Germany should know beyond
peradventure with whom they are
dealing"
PRESIDENT Was Laying Foundation
For Attack.
This announcement, the President
friends say, fulfills the prediction OF
those who declared that when he ask
ed Prince Macmillan if he merely re
presented the military leaders who had
been conducting the war he was lay
ing the foundations to show that the
new government Of Germany is no less
autocratic than the others and for q
final statement to the German people