Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-18
By ROBERT T. SMALL

Special Correspondent OF Inc 6reat fans trIoose'
Washington, Sept. L. The
storm of discussion stirred up by
the ~purported interview with Rud-
yard KipIing, In which the distln-
guished poet was quoted as having
said that america forced the
allies into making peace at the
first opportunity instead OF finish
inu 1t In Berlin" has beat back
upon Washington with an lnsistent
demand from all parts of the coun-
try that a narrative of what ac-
tualIy TRANSFERRED at the armistice
conference be made public.
Thus far, the war department
has been content to say only that
the statement was untrue in every
detail, and that 1t was England
and France which desired peace,
whereas Americas representative
at the armistice table thought the
war should proceed to a more de-
cisIve end.
The question as to who stopped
the war thus has supplanted the
one as to who or what started 1t.
Fortunately, the records as to the
stopping are clear. The writer Is IN a
position today to reveal the discussion
at the armistice table and to give the
text of the famous memorandum by
General Bliss which so often has beer
referred TO and which would have i'm
posed real humiliation upon the enemy
General Bliss objected to the soft
ness" of the French and British terms
Wilson Not Dictator
There is a popular supposition in
some countries - evidently England
among them-that President Wilson
dictated the terms of the armistlce
both to the allies and to the Germans
The truth is the president studlously
MISSED from the beginning that the
armistice would be concluded only il
the military advisers of the allied anc
associated governments deem 1t pos
sible from a military point of view" IL
Transmitting the German appeal for ar
armistice to the European allies, Pres
ident Wilson asked two questions:
@Regarding the peace, and in
view of the assurances gwen by
the chancellor, are the associated
governments ready to conclude
peace on the terms and according
TO the principles already made
public"
"Reuardinu the armIstice, and II
the reply to the previous question
Is In the affirmative, are the asso-
ciated governments ready to ask
their military advisers and the
military advisers Of the United
States to submit to them the nee
essary conditions which must be
fulfilled by an armistice such as
will protect absolutely the inter-
ests of the peoples concerned and
to assure to the associated gov
ernments unlimited power to safe
guard and impose the details OF
the peace to which the German
government has consented, provid-
ed always that the military ad-
yisors consider such an armlstice
possible from a military point of
view"
The Armistice Narrative
Now as to the narrative of the
armistice. The above correspond
ence was passed along by Premier
Clemenceau, Tiger of France, tt
Marshal Foch, the allied supreme
commander. Foch summoned Genera
petain. commanding the French army
Haig. commanding the British, anc
Pershing, commanding the American
forces. At this conference no voice
was raised for an armistice.
Sir Douglas Haig was the
first to speak. He stated the
British position calmly and
"The armistice should be con-
Guided" he said, land conclud-
ed on very moderate terms"
The British field marshal pointed
out with frankness that German re
sistance vas not broken; that the
armies had been Withdrawing, but
we're fighting bravely and retiring
in good order. Marshal Haig argued
that Germany should be given terms
which she could accept. He sale
the allied armies had been thinnec
out perceptibly in the hard fighting
of September and October, and that
reorganization all along the line was
necessary. AS to general terms, Sll
Douglas thought that if Germany
we're compelled to give up Alsace anG
Lorraine, TO evacuate Immediately al
occupied territory and to restore al
rolling stock taken from France anc
Belgium, these results would be evi'
dences of a complete allied victory
Haig for ConciIIatory Air
Geenral Haig thought a concilia'
tory spirit should be adopted so as
to prevent further ~prolongaton Of
the var
When the British commander fin.
ished this statement, Mr.. Foch leaned
toward General Pershing. Pershine
very promptly and properly said he
would prefer that General PetaiI
talk next for France. Then he would
state his own position.
The French external thought oil
protection from Germany immediate
IL found expression from General Pc
tain. Germany must not only vac.
uate all occupied territory but hei
arms must withdraw beyond the
Rhine, leaving the allies in posses
sion of the left bank, holding all thu
bridges. He further said that thu
German evacuation must be fas'
enough to prevent their removal o
sufficient war material with which t.
resume hostilities. They should give
up all their guns except carryin!
arms. at the same time delivering
5000 locomotives and 100000 cars.
When he finished the statement o
his terms, General Petain, with 1
shrug of his shoulders, said he re
garded them as essential but he dix
not believe the Germans would &C
cent