New-York tribune., 1918-10-24
The Peacem,ker

The Peacem,ker
In the midst of victory the President
~ assumed the role CT peacemaker.
With the country beg. ming to ring
vy,;h 4 demand that correspondence cease
tc,vvrn the United States and the Hun
c,l the subject of armist ce and peace, he
unexpectedly ends it by deliver. .ng Ger
many's case to the Allies. The enemy
= informed that his request for an ar
Iu.sticc, preliminary to peace negotla-
fions, has been submitted to the Allied
governments, with suggestion for fa-
Tor;,blc acton, provided they themselves
four alies) are prepared to consider peace
ON the basis of Mr.. Wilson's conditions.
Germany has officially accepted Mr..
Wilson'S conditions. The Allied govern
mcnts have not.
The Presidents reply to Germany is
perhaps the strangest diplomatic docu-
mcnt of the whole war SO far. Of it's
nossIte consequences, immediate and
deferred, no cne can pretend at once to
speak adequately. Comment, therefore,
must be limited to the text.
On what he character zes as the "sol-
cmn and explc.t assurances of the Ger
man government" that it unreservedly
accepts his terms Of peace, that it begs
only to discuss the details of their ap-
Yicaton and that this is the wish and
purpose of the Reichstag and an over
wheming majority of the German peo-
pe and, moreover, on the "exp.ic.t prom
se of the present German government
that the humane rules of war will be OBJ
served, ne consents to take up the ques-
-icn of an armistice with the Allied gov
ernments.
He stipulates that the armistice shall
De one that VIII make it impossible for
Germany to renew hostilties or thwart
any arrangements that are entered into
"AN~Ss
That is strong enough.
But he goes on Immediately to say. in
effect, that the so.emn assurances of the
German government are worthless, be-
cause 1t is evident that the German peo-
pie have no means of ccatrol.ing the
military authorities and that the power
Of the kaiser-called the King of Prus-
sia--over the policy of the empire is un-
impaired
He adds that it is his duty to saw.
without any attempt to soften what
may seem harsh words, that the nations
of the world do not and can not trust the
word of these who have hitherto been
masters of Germany's policy"
This Immediately follows the assertion
that the Kaiser is still in control of thai
policy.
The point seems to be that by submit
ting to an arm.stice that will leave Ger
many powerless to renew hostjGties the
halSer-c~ ntroled people can convince
the world that they accept in good faith
The terms and principles of peace laid
down by Mr.. Wilson.
The concluding sentences are very re-
markab.e. They are these: IF it 1.-The
government of the United States] mn.+
deal with the military masters and the
monarch-cal autccrats of Germany now
or if it is likely to have to deal with
them later in regard to the internation-
al obligations of the German Empire
1t must demand not peace negotiations
out surrender Nothing can be paineA
by leaving this essential thing unsa:d"
We do not understand thee sentences
All that we see clearly is that the Allies
are asked to consider Germany's request
Tor an armistice as a prelude to peace
negotiaticns on the basis of Mr.. Wilson's
terms and principles, which specify free
vrade, free seas and unconditional eco
nomic equality among nations, including
Germany, as Germany believes, and
omit TO mention reparati,n or punish
ment. These terms and principles are
acceptable to Germany. We believe