Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1918-10-19
DECLINES TO agree
TO AN ARMISTICE
PRESIDENT DESIRES TO KNOW If
PEACE MOVE is SINCERE,
OR A PRETENCE.
PUT UP TO GERMANY
President in Answer Leaves Peace
Door Open But Justifies Proiong'
ing War and Using Force to
Utmost Limit.

Washington President Wilson has
met Germany's peace note with a
move which, at one stroke, will de-
velop whether her proposal is sincere
or merely a pretension, and if a pre-
tension it be, fully justify for all time
before the world the prolonging of the
war with force to the utmost, force
without stint or limit. At the same
time the president has left wide open
the door to peace.
AS the full significance of the presi-
dents diplomacy is disclosed it be
comes evident that he has left open
the way to peace and at the same time
! left the militarist leaders in a way
that will lead to peace or confront
them with an embarrassing situation
in their own countries.
Declining to propose an armistice
while the armies of the central pow
ers remain on invaded soil, the presi-
dent Tuesday called upon the German
| chancellor to state, as an absolutely
necessary preliminary to reply from
the entente allies and the United
|
principles of peace as repeatedly laid
down, or merely proposes to accept
| them "as the basis of negotiation and
whether the chancellor merely speaks
for the German military masters con-
Quoting the war or the whole German
people.
The text of the communication hand
ed to the charge of Switzerland at
Washington Tuesday by Secretary
Lansing follows:
Sir: I have the honor to acknowl-
edge, on behalf of the president, your
note of October from the German
government to the president, and | am
| instructed by the president to re-
| quest you to make the following COM
munication to the imperial German
| chancellor:
| 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 im-
perial chancellor mean that the i'm
periaI German government accepts the
terms laid down by the president in
his address to the congress of the
| United States 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 tkeir application?
Part 2. The president feels bound
to say with regard to the suggestion
of an armistice that he would not feel
at liberty to propose cessation of
hostilities to the governments with
which the government of the United
States is associated against the CEN
tral powers so long as the armies of
those powers are upon their soil. The
good faith of any discussion would
manifestly depend upon the consent of
the central powers Immediately to
withdraw their forces everywhere
from invaded territory.
"The president also feels that he is
justified in asking whether the i'm
perial chancellor is speaking merely
for the constituted authorities of the
empire who have so far conducted the
war He deems the answer to these
questions vital from every point of
view
Accept, sir, the renewed assurances
of my high consideration
ROBERT LANSING,
"Mr Frederick Oederlin, Charge DAFT
flares of Switzerland, Ad Interim, in
Charge of German Interests in the
United States"
The text of the note forwarded by
the imperial German chancellor,
Prince Macmillan, to President VIII
son, through the Swiss government,
follows:
.'Tne German government requests
the president of the United States to
take in hand the restoration of peace,
acquaint all the belligerent states of
this request, and invite them to send
plenipotentiaries for the purpose of
opening negotiations.
II dcCepIs Inc program set IoFIu Dy
the president of the United States in
his message to congress on January s
and in his later pronouneements, es-
pecially his speech of September 81 :
as basis for peace negotiations.
With view to avoiding further
bloodshed the German government re-
quests the immediate conclusion of an
armistice on land and water and il the
air."