The Greensboro patriot [October 17, 1918]

              THE GREENSBORO
*/. PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY.
*z.
fiSTA GREENSBORO, N. C, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1918. VOL. 97-NO. 83
RENT'S REPLY TO
[ANY'S PEACE APPEAL
He
I'iiem There will be No Cessation of Arms
While Germany's Acts of Inhumanity, Spoliation
nd Dessolation on Land and Sea Continues—
Kaiserism Must be Eliminated Forever— ,
No Thought of Stopping the Fight Un-til
Autocracy is Dead--An Uncon-ditional
Surrender Demanded.
I'ri'sidenl Wilson's reply to Germany's pence offer
Washington. Oct. 11,
ii-jilv io the communication of ilic German giivmi-
• li'ili instant, which you handed me today, I have the
.HI ID transmit the following answer:
ilitied acceptanee by the present German govcrnnieiu
i tjority of the Reichstag of file terms laid down by
ii HI ihe I'liiu'd States of America in his address to the
! iiited States on the 8th of January, 1SH8. and in
addresses justifies the President in making ;: frank
in of his decision with regard to the commnniea-lan
government of tlie ^i!i and 1-ih of October.
he
AUTOCRACY Ml'ST GO!
arlv understood that the process <>f evacuation
— of an armistice are matters which inns', be left to
il advice of the military advisers of the govcrnmpfi;
tes and the allied governments, and the President
io say llii'.i no arrangement can be accepted by the
I'nited States' which docs not provide absolutely
, guards and guarantees of the maintenance of the
of the armies of the United States and of the al-ii,
feels confident that In- ean safely assume that
- the judgment and decision of the allied govern-
FIRST STOP IMll'MANK PRACTICES.
lent feels that it is also his duty to add that neither
of the United Slates nor. he is quite sure, the govern
i the government of the United Stales is associated
it. will consent to consider an armistice so long as the
■ of Germany continue llie illegal and inhumane prac-icii
ihev still [iersist in.
JI'STLY liKGARDEI) WITH HORROR AND BURNING HEARTS
very time that the German government approached the
I the United States with proposals of peace its subma-
. >i ni sinking passenger ships at sea. and not the
lint the very boats in which their passengers and crews
heir way to safely; and in their present inforced with-landers
and France the German armies are pnrsuing a
nton destruction which has "always lieen regarded as in
' -'ii of the rules and practices of civilized warfare.
»illages, if not destroyed, are being stripped of all they
only that, but often of their very inhabitants. The
iated against Germany cannot In* expected to agree to
"cessation of niiiis while acts of inhum'anity. spoliation and desola-g
continued which they justly look upon with horror
"d*'i ing hearts.
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l BE DESTROYED OR MADE IMPOTENT.
• essary, also, in order that there may be no possibility
"landing that the President should very solemnly call
of the government of Germany to the language and
one Of the terms of peace which the German govern-accepted.
It is contained in the address of the Pres-
II Mount Vernon on the Fourth of duly last.
Mows: -The destruction of every arbitrary power
can separately, secretly and of its single choice dis-of
the world; or, if it cannot be presently destroyed.
lion to virtual impotency.'
which has hitherto controlled the German nation is
described. It is within the choice of the German na-
The President's words just quoted naturally con-lion
precedent to peace,* if peace is to come by the
iernmn people themselves. The President feels bound
whole process of peace will, in his judgment, depend
eness and the satisfactory character of the guaran-be
given in this fundamental matter.
NOW WITH WHOM WE ARE DEALING.
lispensible that the governments associated with Ger-iiow
beyond a peradventure with whom they are deal-
•The ident will make a separate reply to the royal and im-
:ii of Austria-Hungary."
the renewed assurances of my high consideration.
ROBERT LANSING.
0. Bderlin, Charge d'Affaires ad interim, in charge
i»( i, . ' ■ ■'■' interests in the United States.
rf„,i.. M-—> peace proposal with a decision which
not only fulfills the expectations ot the President openly join with the
supporters of his diplomacy but also entente statesmen in the demand
dispels the fears of those who pre- that the "thief criminals" must be
Reply Means.
■■ Oct. 14.—President
answered Germany's
ha5
dieted he would substitute victories
at arms with defeats at diplomacy.
Autocracy Must Go!
No peace with kaiserism! Autoc-racy
must go; no armistice can even
be thought of while Germany con-tinues
her atrocities on land and
sea; one cannot be considered unless
it is fully dictated by the allied com-manders
in the field in such terms as
absolutely provide safeguards and
guarantees that Germany's part will
not be a scrap of paper.
This in a few words is the Presi-dent's
answer.
May Cause Revolution.
If it does not bring a capitulation
which may be more than uncondi-tional
surrender allied diplomats
auu -merican officials believe it may
cause a revolution in Germany.
Beyond qmesWu it speaks for the
entente allies as well as the United
States.
The dispatch or the President's re-ply
was followed by the issue of this
formal statement at the White
House by Secretary Tumulty:
"The governnient will continue to
send over 250.000 men with their
supplies every month and there will
be no relaxation of any kind."
Xo Thought of Slopping Fight.
Quito outside of the formal
phrases of a diplomatic document
net was President Wilson's word to
the world that he had no thought of
stopping the lighting at this stage.
The senate chamber ring with ap-plause
of senators as the President's
nnswer was read a few minutes af-ter
it had been announced at the
state department. Senator Lodge.
iiio President's chiei critic in his
course, until -s-ied a state-ment
expressing his gratification at
the president's decision. Opinion at
the capital and throughout Official
Washington was unanimously in ap-proval.
The official note which will convey
the President's decision to the Ger-man
government and more impor-tant,
to the German people,Nwas de-livered
to-day by Secretary Lansing
to tin' charge of the Swiss legation,
who has been acting as the-intermed-iary.
It was given out publicly by
Mr. Lansing at the state department
at 6 o'clock this evening.
Milst Restore Alsace-Lorraine.
One outstanding point which does
not appear in the President's note—
a point on which the world has been
asking questions can be answered
to-night.
When the President declared that
the wrong done to Fiance when Ger-many
took Alsace-Lorraine should
be righted, he meant that Alsace-
Lorraine should be returned to
France.
Past the Bartender stage.
Those who contend that the Pres-ident's
decision arranges the situa-tion
for something more than an un-conditional
surrender base it on the
argument that he has now passed
the stage Where lie might have ac-cepted
a surrender of the German
military and naval forces and left
the Hohenzollern autocracy on its
throne.
Mr. Wilson, atcording to this view
has now finally informed the Ger-man
people that if they want peace
they can only attain it by getting rid
of the kaiser an- his system.
Stop Atrocities First.
An armist.--. it is true, m'
come first and the details of the
downfall of the German autocratic
government might be arranged later.
But this is what an armistice
would entail: First, a stop to the
atrocities on land and sea and the
systematic destruction and devasta-tion
in the wake of the retreating
German armies. Then, the disarm-ament
of all the German forces and
the deposit of their arms and muni-tions
at points to be chosen by the
allied military commanders. Then
the occupation by allied forces of
certain German cities or strongholds
of strategic Importance. Probably
also the-occupation of all the sub-marine
bases, a turning over of the
German fleet.
In short, it will entail a taking
from Germany of everything with
which she might break her word to
an armistice.
From that point the United States
and 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
note plainly invites them to do.
WUI "Cliief Criminals" be Executed?
While nowhere in the note does
delivered up far trial, the Presi-dent's
confidants point out that he
plainly subscribes to the doctrine
that the guilt of bringing on the
world war is personal.
No "Mixed Armistice-."
It will be noted that the Presi-i
dent completely rejects the German
suggestion for a adzed commission
i to arrange an evacuation and re-
| minds the militarists that they will
accept the terms laid dawn by Mar-shal
Foch and the associated com
manders; that they will have no part
in framing them. He makes it plain
that he does not accept the new Ger-man
government headed by Chan-cellor
Maximilian as any less auto-cratic,
anything less a creature of
German militarism than its prede-cessors,
and warns the German peo-ple
that unless they destroy it the al-lied
armies will do so.
One of the Strong Points.
One of the most important points
of his note is that In which he ac-knowledges
the present German gov-ernment's
unqualified acceptance of
his peace terms and then goes on to
show that those terms provide spe-cifically
for the substitution of a
government wholly responsible to
the German people themselves for
the present one dominated by. the
German militarists.
Destruction of Autocracy.
Quoting hie Mount Vernon speech
of July 4. the President reminds
Germany that his terms call for "the
destruction of every arbitrary power
anywhere, that ean separately. 6ec-retly,
and of its single choice disturb
the peace of the world: or if it can-not
be presently destroyed, at least
its reduction to virtual impotency."
Then follows the words which pro-claim
with finality that the autocrat-ic
government of Germany must go.
and plainly invite the German people
:o make the change which will bring
them peace.
, fnwnien People May Do It.
"The power which hitherto has
son rolled the German nation." says
the President's rc-p.-.c. •■;.; of the sort
here described. I: fs within the
choice of the German people to alter
it. The 1'resident's words just quot-ed
naturally constitute a condition
precedent to peace, if peace is to
come by the action of the German
people themselves. The President
feels bound to say that the whole
process of peace will in his judgment
depend upon the dejniteness and the
satisfactory character of the guaran-tees
which can be given in this fun-damental
matter. It i« indispensi-ble
that the governments associated
against Germany should know be-yond
peradventure wtta whom they
are dealing."
The Call For a Sliow-Down.
This pronouncement, the Presi-dent's
friends say. fulfills the .predic-tions
of those who declared that
when he asked Prince Maximilian if
he merely represented the military
leaders who had been conducting
the war. he was laying the founda-tions
to show that the new govern-ment
of Germany la no less autocrat-ic
than the others and for a final
statement to the German people
themselves that nothing but their
autocratic government stands be-tween
them and the peace which
they so fervently desire. This, the
President's friends say. has been the
whole theory of his diplomacy.
Foch and tlie Final Analysis.
When the President decided to
say that if an armistice should be
thought of. it could not be consider-ed
without imposing terms to guar-antee
the good faith of Germany and
provide for the maintenance of the
military supremacy, of the armies of
the I'nited State? and the entente
allies, he undoubtedly knew what
the allied war council, acting on the
recommendation of Marshal Foch
had decided upon as necessary guar-antes.
These now are understood to
include the occupation of Metz and
Strassburg and Coblenz the strategic
keystone.
What May Be Expected Meat.
The next move in the great inter-national
drama is no way expected to
take place in Germany while the
armies of the co-belligerents thunder
at her gates. Diplomatists are agreed
that what must come from Germany
now is action, not words. She may
offer to comply with the terms and
give up the guarantees which would
permit an armistice. From that
point the disposition of the autoc-racy
might be considered in connec-tion
with the terms of peace. Other-wise,
the opinion is unanimous that
the victorious armies of the United
States and the entente allies must
march on.
THE ALLIES CONTINUE
THEIR ONWARD MARCH
WHILK GERMANV IS SUING FOR
PEACE OCR BOYS ARE DRIV-ING
THEM TOWARD BERLIN.
The entente force In Belgium and
France continue successfully to drive
the enemy before them. In Belgian
Flanders the advance is somewhat
rapid but on all the sectors in France
the Germans are fighting with des-peration
to hold back their foes.
The great wedge that is being
driven by\ the Belgian, British and
French troops in Flanders now
threatens seriously the tenure by the
enemy of many positions in north
Belgium from the Lys river to the
sea, including his submarine and
other bases along the coast, while to
the south the Lille salient gradually
Is being enmeshed and ,doubtless
soon will receive attention from the
pincers, which are being oiled for
the task of reclaiming this important
tract of territory as far as Valencien-nes
for France.
Meanwhile the French and Ameri-can
forces are struggling valiantly
forward in their drive northward
'from the Champagne region in the
country over which the Germans
must effect a retirement to their
border in event of a final debacle. As
has been the case always since the
aft'enaive began, the Germans are
vigorously defending their positions,
using innumerable machine gun de-tachments
in endeavors to hold their
ground. Particularly vicious are the
counter thrusts that the Americans
are being compelled to sustain east
and west of the Meuse, where the en-tire
enemy front is threatened with'
immediate collapse should General
Leggett's men crash through the
line for material gains.
Nevertheless, bot'i the Americans
and the French ai j demanding that
their arms be served, and on various
sectors they are meeting with suc-cess.
In the Romagne sector further
■;ains have -been made by the Amer-icans
in the face of terrific artillery
and machine gun fire and the natu-ral
defenses and great systems of
wire enanglements which had to be
negotiated. Bad weather has fallen
over the sector, and the airmen have
been unable to give their usual bril-liant
assistance to the maneuvres.
To the west the French are slowly
closing in upon Rethel on their way
to Mezieres, being only two miles
distant from the town. West of
Grand Pre they have effected further
crossings of the Aisn. About 800
Germans were made prisoners in
this fighting.
In Flanders the British have taken
'he impoitcnt railway cjnte: A Mer.-
in. Thourout has fallen, and the
Thourout-Courtrai railroad has al-port
been won Numerous lawns
have been rectpteral try the allied
tones and la.si numbers of nrisc E-ors
.*-ve oeen taif'."!. Many guns a:
*• t.« fallen into he hards of the
allies. The capture of Thourout com-pletely
outflanks the German subma-rine
base at Ostend and brings the
allied troops within ten miles of
Bruges, whence the railroad line
runs northward to Zeebrugge, Ger-many's
other U-boat base on the
north sea.
Reports are to the effect that the
Germans are withdrawing what Is
left of their forces in the north,
both naval and military.
In Albania the Italians have occuf
pied the Austrian naval base of Du-razzo
on the Adriatic, while in Ser-bia
the allied forces are continuing
to press the enemy troops north of
N!sh.
QCARTER~MILLION~BEEGIAXS
MAKING WAY TO HOLLAND.
Washington. Oct. 15.—A quarter
of a million refugees are making
their way from Lille, Roubalx and
other Belgian towns near the front
lines to the Dutch frontier in an en-deavor
to escape into Holland. Mes-sages
received to-day by Chairman
Hoover, of the commission for relief
in Belgium said arrangements had
been made for food, clothing and
shelter upon tlfeir arrival at the
frontier.
Should the Germans In retreati>^
from Belgium seize the internal food
supply consisting of crops now ready
for harvest and the few remaining
dairy cattle, the situation, the mes-sage
said, would be serious. To meet
such a possibility the relief commis-sion
has shipped 180,000 tons ot
foodstuffs to Rotterdam in the last
month.
GERMANY'S REPLY IS
EXPECTED ANY MOMENT
WILL HE ABDICATE VOLUNTAR-ILY
OR WILL HE BE FORCED
OUT? IS ON ALL LIPS.
London, Oct. 16.6—Reuter's Lim-ited,
learns that the German reply to
President Wilson is expected to be
communicated immediately and that
it is likely to constitute a general ac-ceptance
of the President's condi-tions.
German Reply is Expected at Any
Time.
London, Oct. 16.—The German re-ply
to President Wilson's latest note
probably will be sent to-day, accord-ing
to news received here through
diplomatic channels from Holland.
It is expected that the reply will be
an acceptance of President Wilson's
terms with 6orae stipulation to the
effect that the interests of the Ger-man
people must be respected.
Abdication of the Tlwii Reported.
Amsterdam, Oct. 16—The Nieuwe
Rotterdamsche Courant which to-day
issued a special edition giving
the report that Germany had capi-tulated
and that Emperor William
had abdicated, has withdrawn Its
statement regarding. This step wa>
taken, the newspaper says, becaus*
it was unable to obtain any confir-mation
of the report.
News From Germany Regarded
Highly Important.
Washington, Oct. 16.—To-night's
news of Germany is everywhere re-garded
here as the shadow of great
events being cast before them.
There is in Washington no offi-cial
word that the kaiser has abdi-cated;
or that he has been over-thrown;
or that Germany is ready to
accept all of President Wilson's
terms.
Officials and diplomatists, cau-tious
and conservative, by nature
and practice regard with incredulity
the intimations that one or all of
these things has happened. Of
course, they all hope they have:
they all know that one or all of them
are inevitable.
The official opinion in the capital
to-night is that-the coming of these
things is timed only by the unknown
degree to which the German military
power has been broken. There may
be more Information on that point
In the chancellories of England.
France and Italy than there is In
Washington.
When President Wilson's reply to
the German peace proffer went forth
Monday night it was predicted here
that if it did not bring a complete
and unconditional surrender of the
military autocracy the German peo-ple
themselves would force one.
President Wilson's words were a
plain invitation to the German peo-ple
to take such a step and an ulti-matum
that there would be no peace
with kaiserism.
BRITISH, FRENCH. BELGIANS
TAKE OVER 10,000 PRISONERS.
With the Allied Forces in Bel-gium,
Oct. 15.—British, French and
Belgian troops in their offensive be-gun
yesterday in Belgium, have cap-tured
more than 10,000 prisoners
and have taken more than 100 guns.
Advanced allied troops have sig-nalled
that they are from six. to ser-en
miles inside t-.e German posi-tions.
Heavy rains fell in Flanders
throughout the night, tending to
turn the battle fields into seas of
mud. The low hanging clouds show
no signs of clearing. A continuation
of the steady downpour would un-doubtedly
result in slowing up the
battle.
The Belgian town of Thourout
was captured 1y the allies.
Thourout was an important strat-egic
position and a vital transporta-tion
center. Upon it hinged a large
part of the German transportation
system.
French Advance North of Laon.
Paris, Oct. 15—The French troops
north of Laon and in the Champagne
have made further important ad-vances
against the Germane, accord-ing
to the official communication Is-sued
to-night. The Grand Pre-Vou-zlera
road in Champagne, west of
Grand Pre, is now in the hands of
the French. Eight hundred prison-ers
were taken in the day's fighting.
1