Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-10-25 | Page 6 | The General View

j THE GENERAL VIEW. The Washington interpretation placed upon the president's note is "no armistice armis-tice except under conditions of surrender surren-der " That is the general view both at ihome and in the allied countries, and theYe is satisfaction in all quarters on the democracy side of the fence. What thQ Germans may think does not count, fon they must act in accordance with the! views of the victors. The United States government is through with separate sepa-rate dealings with the German authorities, authori-ties, and if the Berlin officials desire anarmistice they will have to apply to the generals in command of the allied armies now in the field, who probably have been fully informed by the home governments what is expected. If the Germans make such advances and agree to the terms, the war will end. The president. is known to. have positive ideas upon the subject of peace, but whether the allies are in full agreement with these ideas remains to be seen. Some importance has been attached to a recent editorial in the London Times entitled, "Wilson art? Peace," which appeared before the latest exchange of notes, and which reads: "The president has probably already worked out some detailed plan on whie! he belia?es the general- postulates of peaee rbould be- translated into practice. If the allied governments lave not yet progressed as far as he in that direction, direc-tion, they should hasten to make good their omissions and draw up their terms in accordance with the high ideals they have always professecl. '''Much, perhaps eVerything, will' depend de-pend upon the spirit in which this is done. Provided hey preserve moral unity and firm acquiescence in the joint sacrifice that has marked the armed struggle and keep before their eyes the greatest common good, they will be able to attain a joint program for peace and justice which will defy all efforts of the beaten enemy to divide them." We do not believe matters have progressed pro-gressed thus far without an exehange of view3 upon all the vital issues, because be-cause it is obvious there must be complete com-plete harmony if a just and binding peace is made. Neither do we hold with tne uos Angeles limes that "the allied nations, by common consent, have made President Wilson their spokesman. Th'-y know that he understands the situation, and will not abate one jot of the honest hon-est demands of the powers that are driving Germany to her knees. The president is looked upon as the sympathetic sym-pathetic friend of tho sane nations, and be has been given carte blanche to speak for them at an hour when the fate of the world depends upon the wisdom wis-dom of his deliverances. Was there ever a man in tho history of the world plahed in such a position of paramount importance?" It is certain, however, that the president presi-dent will exert a potent influence upon the deliberations of the future as he has in the past, and that he possesses the confidence of all those who have the cause of democracy at heart. The British anj French authorities now have the president's note and the Berlin i-ommunications before them. The next move will be awaited wuh interest but without anxiety, for the allied troops r.abiinutt victorious evpTywhytB.