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Show u.ffl - f Series of Explosions Led Him to Believe That the Germans Had Not Ceased Their Firing. Belief Prevails at Washington Wash-ington That the Answer An-swer to Marshal Foch Will Arrive Today. WASHINGTON, . Nov. 9. The tie- J mendous newa from Germany that the I Kaiser had decided to abdicate, was heard j In Washington with scarcely more than i a ripple of interest. Everywhere the question was asked, "Has the armistice been signed?" So far as the American government knows late "tonig'hi, iL had,. not been signed, -an'!;, the prevailing belief was that the German Ger-man answer to Marshal Foch could not be expected before tomorrow. To members of the government and diplomats who a few weeks ago would have been amazed and gratified, the announcement an-nouncement that William II had bowed before the will of the world was accepted as a thing to be expected. WILSON WANTED SOMETHING MORE.' There was no statement from the White House or other government sources. President Wilson, whose demand, de-mand, "Autocracy must go." has been blazoned upon every response to the German Ger-man pleas for peace, was waiting. He wanted to know who Follows the kaiser, and wanted something more than a decree de-cree by Prince Maximilian sent broadcast by wireless to prove that the kaiser and. Jus power actually have gone. The one thing that officials emphasized was that whatever might happen within Germany at this late date could make no difference in the military program of the allied and American governments. There will be no modification of the 'surrender armistice terms which Marshal Foch has given the Germans until tl o'clock Monday Mon-day morning to accept or reject, and, unless un-less Hie acceptance is forthcoming, the uninterrupted advance of t he victorious armies will continue until the white flag of surrender appears. Military men, as well as Chilian officials offi-cials and diplomatic observers, regard acceptance ac-ceptance of the armistice terms, harsh as the Germansmay deem them, as inevitable. inevita-ble. Knowledge that the army is beaten and soon must be in retreat across Its own borders, probably to join in the revolution at home, is regarded as certain cer-tain to force the most obstinate among the enemy to yield within the time allowed. al-lowed. EFFECT OF THE ; KAISER'S DECISION. As to the effect of the kaiser's decision upon the speed with which the tier man reply might be sent to Marshal Foch, no one was prepared to speak with confidence. confi-dence. The first thought was that with the promulgation of the chancellor's decree de-cree the courier probably had been started start-ed back with Instructions that the armistice armis-tice envoys waiting within the allied line? areept at onec an6 bring hostilities to ; an end. But it was recognized as a possibility that the Socialists, apparently taking the rcjns laid down by the war lords, might attempt to make their ascendancy as-cendancy the basis nf another appeal for .discussion of modifications In the sur- render conditions. The wireless message mioting the chan-j chan-j ceNor's decree prD-lainiing the abdication ; decision and renunciation of the throne j by the crown prince was received here j first la'1 this afternoon, through the ' British Wireless Press. Later it was offl-; offl-; cially announced at the state department : that the same message ha.T" heen picked ' lip directly by the American naval wire-; wire-; less from the great German station at ! Nauen. j The belief here is 1 hat If the Hohen-I Hohen-I soltern dynasty actually has ended. Wil- Uktn K,' like Carl of Austria-Hungary, I (Knowing the time of h going was near. ' refused to permit history to record that (Continued on Page Eight.) peace which will be dictated will safeguard safe-guard the future. World Indictment. The world's indictment against Germany Ger-many for use at the ueace conference is being prepared. Much already has been done. " Today Secretary Lansing made public a protest he had forwarded to the government at Berlin against mistreatment mistreat-ment of American prisoners of war, including in-cluding putting them to work in mines and withholding packages forwarded for their comfort. This protest, like that of n few days ago against the announced intention of the Germans to destroy Belgian Bel-gian coal mines in their retreat, will be among ibe lesser counts in the Indictment. iAIISTIGE COURi JEM 1 LIES Continued from Page One.) be signed the docirroeilt which must complete! com-plete! v destroy German military power and require Germany In advance to submit sub-mit to any terms of peace which her enemies ene-mies may choose to impose. The Austrian Aus-trian armistice was signed just as effectively ef-fectively as could have been done by royalty by the Austrian chief of staff, with whom General 'Diaz, the Italian commander com-mander in chief, dealt as the responsible spokesman of the defeated army. Likewise, the German army may have a cessation of hostilities whenever it pleases, if competent spokes?nen accept what the United States and the allies have offered through their commander in chief. When it comes to a concision of permanent perma-nent peace, of course, the victorious associated as-sociated nations will deal only willi authority au-thority set up by the German people fully warranted In entering upon an international in-ternational engagement. The terms of armistice will be sufficient guarantee Urat the Germans will not again endanger theiP neighbors while this government is being be-ing set up; the conditions of permanent I, |