1918, and in his later pronouncements,
especially his speech of the 27th September, as a basis for peace
negotiations."

In reply the President asked for a clearer understanding on three
points: (1) Did the Imperial Chancellor mean that the German Government
accepted the terms laid down in the President's addresses referred to,
and "that its object in entering into discussion would be only to agree
upon the practical details of their application?" (2) The President
would not feel at liberty to propose a cessation of arms to the Allied
Governments so long as the armies of the Central Powers were upon their
soil. (3) The President asked whether the Chancellor was speaking for
the constituted authorities of the Empire who had so far conducted the
war.

The German reply of October 12 was satisfactory on the first point.
With respect to the withdrawal of their troops from occupied territory
they proposed a mixed commission to arrange the details. On the third
point it was stated that the new government had been formed in
agreement with the great majority of the Reichstag. Having
accomplished this much, the President's next step was skilfully taken.
He replied that the process of evacuation and the conditions of an
armistice were matters which must be left to the judgment of the
military advisers of the United States and the Allied Governments, but
that he would not agree to any arrangement which did not provide
"absolutely satisfactory safeguards and guarantees of the maintenance
of the present military supremacy of the armies of the United States
and of the Allies in the field." Referring next to submarine warfare,
he declared that the United States and the Allied Governments could not
consider an armistice "so long as the armed forces of Germany continue
the illegal and inhumane practices which they persist in." In
conclusion he referred to a clause contained in his speech of July 4,
now accepted by the German Government as one of the conditions of
peace, namely, "The destruction of every arbitrary power anywhere that
can separately, secretly, and of its single choice disturb the peace of
the world." He added: "The power which has hitherto controlled the
German nation is of the sort here described. It is within the choice
of the German nation to alter it." He demanded that the United States
and the Allied Governments "should know beyond a peradventure" with
whom they were dealing.

In reply the Chancellor assu