ca there was much criticism of the
President for being willing to negotiate with Germany at all. "On to
Berlin" was a popular cry, and it was thought that the President was
preventing a complete military triumph. On October 10 Senator Lodge
declared in the Senate: "The Republican party stands for unconditional
surrender and complete victory, just as Grant stood. My own belief is
that the American people mean to have an unconditional surrender. They
mean to have a dictated, not a negotiated peace."

After reviewing the Armistice negotiations Andre Tardieu, a member of
the French Cabinet and delegate to the Peace Conference, says:

"What remains of the fiction, believed by so many, of an armistice
secretly determined upon by an American dictator; submitted to by the
European governments: imposed by their weakness upon the victorious
armies, despite the opposition of the generals? The Armistice was
discussed in the open light of day. President Wilson only consented to
communicate it to his associates on the triple condition that its
principle be approved by the military authorities and its clauses would
be drawn up by them; that it be imposed upon the enemy and not
discussed with him; that it be such as to prevent all resumption of
hostilities and assure the submission of the vanquished to the terms of
peace. So it was that the discussion went on with Berlin till October
23, and in Paris from that date till November 5. It was to the
Commander-in-Chief [Foch] that final decision was left not only on the
principle of the Armistice but upon its application. He it was who
drew up the text. And it was his draft that was adopted. The action
of the governments was limited to endorsing it and making it more
severe. That is the truth:--it is perhaps less picturesque but
certainly more in accord with common sense."

The terms of the Armistice were delivered to the Germans by Marshal
Foch November 7, and they were given seventy-two hours to accept or
reject them. Meanwhile Germany's allies were rapidly deserting her.
Bulgaria surrendered September 30, and on October 30 Turkey signed an
armistice. Finally on November 4, the rapidly disintegrating
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy also signed an armistice. On October 28
there had been a naval mutiny at Kiel which spread rapidly to the other
ports. On the 31st the Emperor departed for Army Headquarters, leaving
Berlin on the verge of revolution. On the 7th of November the Soc