The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1918-10-18
A RUsE TO ESCAPE

IL Inc uu6 1GdIldu uGuS u Lie JOSS
hun is not traceable in the socalled
reply of Prince Max, then we have
lost our power of distinguishing be-
tween the thorn and tn. rose.
At this particular tina the kaiser's
coalition and apparently are in for
the most damnable licking Of any
army in the history of the world, and
his old friend and compatriot, the
foundation and life OF his war ma
chine-Diplomacy-is expected Co
step in the breach and extricate his
dunder-headed generals and their
hitherto willing followers 4rom the de-
feat that is all-apparens to William
the Last.
We do not al .nis writing know
the opinion of President Wilson as
regards the peace acceptance by
Prince Max, but we fail to see augnt
else but an effort to get time-time
to safely withdraw to the Rhine and
there find ample excuse for treating
his agreements as scraps of paper"
We do not believe the world is
ready to accept anything from Ger
many other than a forcei, Unreserved
and complete surrender to the mill
tary authorities of the allies if we
DO not expect to have Germany dowl
on US again as soon as she can re
coup.
The New York Hera'i dubbs the
reply as more evasious." and goes
on to say:
Germany will evacuate France and
Belgium on conditions those condi-
tons being preliminary negotiations
i'll a neutral country and as an assur
anoe that German territory, inclUd-
ing Alsace-Lorraine and Polish Prus-
STA, will not be demanded" Nor will
Germany withdraw in the meanwhile
from Russia and Roumania.
Failing compliance on the part of
the entente with something of this
kind the Cologne Gazette declares
that Germay must fall back on its
militarism. which has Ions proved the
shield which guards Prussia and Ger
many"
There is as much chance of the en-
ente consenung to any preliminary
negotiations without evacuation of
invaded territory as there is of at
tempting the invasion of Mars. Presi-
dent Wilson made this fairly clear in
his reply to the chancellor through
the Swedish charge d'a6airs
Pending receipt of the chanoeuor's
reply, it can be made clear to the Col
ogle Gazette that the allies care
naIght for Germany's militarism.
They know that the enemy is already
defeated and in headlong flight, and
that what he is desperately striving
for now is to save as many men and
guns as he can. They also see him
behaving hike a wild ,east, running
town and country and dragging men.
women and children after him into
slavery They see him numbering un.
der circumstances of revolving bar
barity their peOple-civ 'lians as well
as soldiers and sailors on the high
seas. and the yare mora determined
than ever to beat him to the dust and
punish him until he squeals for mer-
cy.
Speaking for the soldiers of Ameri-
ca and for the American people. It
can be said without fear of contra3ic-
ton that with them the dominating
thought is that there may be inflicted
on the beast the full punishment
which is his due. American soldiers
are in France not merely to defeat
the hun and drive aim out Of France
and Belgium, but to pursue him into
his own country and there compel
him to drink the cup of bitterness %
! the dregs. And the American people
are strongly supporting their fighting
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