University of South Carolina Libraries
WITUE WEM INDICATES WILLINGNESS TO EVACUATE UNDER AGREE MENT TO BE REACHED BY MILITARY CHIEFS IN FIELD. Note Declares U-Boat Commanders 'Hare Been Ordered to Cease Their Attacks on. Passenger Vessels. .Washington, Oct. 21.?Germany has replied to President Wilson with a note which, though no one is prepared to say it'will lead the president even to .continue exchanges on the subject of an armistice and peace, at least lias served almost to bring conviction here that the people of Germany ac tually are taking the reins of govern ment and sincerely desire peace on any terms the United States and the allies-are willing to give* ?Taere was no official intimation here tonight of the attitude of the president, and probably there will be none until the official text of the new German comunication has been : received. The president was in con ference all evening with Secretary Losing discussing the note as re ceived, by wireless late in the day. Like the reply to the president's in quiries a week ago, this note was sent out from the German wireless sta tions and picked up in the allied countries many hours before the offi cial text could move by cable. The official version probably will come tomorrow through the Swiss legation here. As received by wireless the note is believed to be slightly garbled in the important sentences regarding condi tions for the evacuation of invaded territory and for an armistice, but nevertheless, it is regarded as an aWkward attempt to meet the condi tions laid down by President Wilson for consideration of an armistice. ? And it makes the significant decla ration that the government in Ber lin no longer is responsible to a sin ^ gle" arbitrary infleunce-^-the kaiser? but is supported by an overwhelming Vv majority of the German people. This declaration is supported by the statement that constitutional re forms are in progress in accord with the determination of the people un der which no government can take or-hold office without confidence ol the majority of a Reichstag elected by universal, secret suffrage. It is ac corded more consideration here be cause of confidential advices received only today indicating that the Ger nian middle classes have resolved to have peace at any price, and if nec essary, are prepared to get rid of the Emperor, the Crown Prince and all military control. ' Thus the belief is strengthened that the present note and those which T> lave, gone before are genuine efforts .to obtain peace, and are inconclusive merely because, the Germans conduct ing "the exchanges are seeking to bar gain for something better than the unconditional surrender they are pre pared to give if pushed'to the walL It is assumed also that they want to 'gradually prepare the German pub lic for a realization of what has hap pened to the'r military machine and the war lords* dreams of power, so as to avoid a complete collapse of government. Diplomatic observers point out that the. president is at liberty with per fect consistency to make no response at this time, but to- await develop ments, await the performance of the promises of the Germans not to tor pedo passenger - ships, their imnlied promise to work no more destruction during their retreat from Belgium and France than military necessity requires,, and finally to await furthei development of the political leaven which evidently is working toward the complete overthrow of military autocratic power in the empire. No one believes that an immeditae mili tary cessation of hostilities is in : sight. The opinion most generally : held is that if Mr. Wilson decides to make a reply, and if the entente gov ernments agree, the only-step pos sible at this time would be to sanc tion arrangements to be dictated by Gen. Foch in the field for withdrawal ' of the Germans without further fight ing. 'Such arrangements, of course, ?f* would be contingent upon guarantee? of continued supremacy of the "tifG*' torious allied armies, and cojfise /"quentiy virtually would mea*i sur render for the Germans. The official view herer^o far has been that evacuation^f invaded ter ritory must be completed before there "can be an armist^fe. Should Presi dent Wilson aftyP consultation with the allies adhere to this view, the work of drlv?fig the Germans to and across theyi^>wn. borders would pro ceed /and^he "opportunity for fixing detailsjr which the new note sug *fp0&ts "be brought about" would come only through a request from the Ger man: lines undea a white flag on the ..battlefield. * Little importance is attached to the protests and denials "in the note re garding German brutality and ruth less destruction of property. The im portant thing is whether atrocities now stop. As. to an investigation by a neutral commission as suggested in the note, the president indicated long ago that such investigations could come to nothiag except in connection with arrangements for final peace. Regarding the German denial of unnecessary destruction of property by the retiring armies, military ex perts say that undoubtedly such ar mies are authorized under internat ional law.to work terrible havoc in evacuated territory. But there 33 one prime condition to be met?all of this must'be done with the sole purpose of damaging and retarding the pur suing army. Bridges may be destroy ed, stores of food burned and even buildings which might shelter enemy troops. But it is not permitted tc poison wells; to destroy fruit trees or to loot and destroy private prop erty which would be of no use tc either army, or, in fact, to commit any of the acts'of wanton deviltry which are charged up against 4he German armies. ; . ?' IHRE IN SECOND PHASE. ELIMINATION OF LILLE SALIENT COMPLETED FIRST PHASE. New Movement Begins to Clear Northern Belgium and Threaten Enemy on Extreme Right. With the Allied Armies in France and Belgium, Oct. 21.?(4 p. m., by the Associated Press).?The great battle in Flanders and Northern France passed into its second phase today. The first phase was complet ed when the Lille salient was elimi nated and the Germans were driven out of Western Belgium, so that the line all the way from the frontier of Holland tot he Oise canal is virtually a straight one. This having been accomplished, the Belgians, British anu French in the north started a sweeping movement today pivoting on a point about east of Courtrai. The object of this ap pears to be the clearing of the enemy from his front in Northern Belgium and at the same time to threaten his extreme right flank. The position at the south is in the region below Valenciennes. At both places the exhausted German divis ions, whose ranks have had great holes chopped into them by terrific blows, are fighting with the greatest desperation. The German command ers are sacrificing many men in their endeavors to hold their ground, but in both sections the allied troops have smashed into the enemy and made i appreciable gains. Scores of addition al villages have l.een reclaimed and ! numerous prisoners and large quanti j ties of supplies have been captured. ! In the center of the battle area the : British kept thrusting out everywhere land gradually during the day moved ? forward toward the west bank of the I Scheldt with increasing celerity. The Germans have taken advantage of the natural protection offered by the width of this stream and its canal and marshy borders. They are hiding be hind it in shallow trenches and are showing nervousness as the allies ap proach. Back of them their artillery, the strength of which has been great i ly depleted, is giving some support, j The Germans have their cannon close to the roads and on them, sc that^ when it becomes necessary to I withdraw the guns they can get them 'away in a hurry. In their'retreat the Germans have resorted to every known means to delay the bringing up of the artillery, but without effect. At the present time however, the al lies are not hampered in the least, for the German, were put to such hur-: ried flight that they had little time to take their artillery and vast store* of ammunition with them. These fel." into the hands of the allied troops and the guns were promptly turned around, and shells made in Germany were sent eastward as fast as they could be fired. In the northern part of the battle area allied cavalry is moving ahead of the infantry, clearing out the Ger mans. And all the while, the allies are getting nearer and n^rer tc Ghent Belgian artillery ?has been moved7 up rapidly behind the infantry and is pounding the enemy constantly. Shrapnel is breaking continuously on the German rear, and high explosives are reaching out for transports and men on the roads. The fighting is going on in rain and mud. To some extent the allied troop? have left behind the ground which turns into marsh,, and have not been hampered greatly. DECREASE IN INFLUENZA. 3 Six States Report Improved Condi tions. Washington, Oct. 21.?Improve ment in the influenza situation^?six States was shown by repor^tfflHK'ed today by the public health?PRce bur 27 other States reportedlhe disease* still spreading with many additiona' cities and rural districts affected States reporting improved condition.* today to the public service, wert Georgia, South ?Carolina, Tennessee Delaware, Mair/e and Massachusetts New cases in al^l these States are de creasing. Many new cases were re ported in Flo/^ida, Alabama, North Carolina, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho Indiana,. Io^va, kansas; Kentucky, ''ftoins^^ ^ Missouri, New Mexico. Nevada, Ohio, Orgeon, South Dakota Virginia, Wisconsin, Utah and Wash ington. In army camps a slight increase ir both influenza and pneumonia cases were reported Sunday but a decrease was shown today with 3,007 influenza cases and 768 pneumonia cases, the lowest figures reported since the epi demic became general in-the camps For the 4S hours ending today at noon new influenza cases totalled 6,666. pneumonia 2,079 and deaths 919. These figures brought the total oi influenza cases since September 13 tc 290,447; pneumonia cases 46,055 and deaths from all causes to 15,072. The public health service announce ment said it was estimated that there had been 180,000 cases in Connecicui up to yesterday, with 2.265 deaths re ported. In New York 37 cities out ol 61, exclusive of New York City, have registered 1,811 deaths from October 1 to 18, while in New York City there were 646 deaths yesterday. In California 25,000 cases had beer, reported to October 19, Nebraska re ported 2,759 cases and 66 deaths in 66 towns on Saturday, while condi tions apparently were worse in Penn sylvania, where it is estimated there have been 350,000 cases with probabK 150.000 in Philadelphia. For the first 18 days of October 14,805 deaths were reported in the State. BRITISH LINE ADVANCES. Vanguard of Army Within Mile or Tournai. London, Oct. 22.?The British haw advanced their line to the left bank of the Ecaillon river and have cap tured the western part of the village of Thiant, five miles southwest or Valenciennes, it was officially an nounced today. The British have ad vanced to within less than a mile ot GEW DEFEATED AGAIN. KAISER'S ARMIES EVERYWHERE DRIVEN FURTHER EAST WARD. Enemy Holding Out Here and There in Enormous Concrete Forts in Belgium. With the Allied Armies in Belgium I and France, Oct. 21, 11 a. m.?(By. the Associated Press);?In heavy j fighting which proceeded throughout! the night and continued today in aj heavy rain, the Germans everywhere! were driven still further eastward, j In Belgium the allies are three miles | from Eecloo, and in the whole vast j stretch between Courtrai and the j Dutch border the British, French and Belgians are pushing "he Germans! before them, closing in ..owards Ghent from which they are now less than seven miles. In the center of the battle ares, the British are on the west bank of the Scheldt for more than ten miles, north of Tournai in front of which city the Germans are resisting stub bornly with machine guns. Frontally the British Iiavi reiche 1 r-b'-i'Ich" less than four miles V icn eiennes. Northwest of YaJencieime; they have entered the great Vicoigne Raismes forest. In the region north west of Lille the British are pushing cut in the general direction of Le Quesnoy, fighting every foot of the way. The Germans here and there in Belgium have held out strongly in enormous concrete forts from which the guns had been removed. These forts were* used by German machine gunners, and in some cases it re quired shells from heavy guns to crack them. More prisoners haye been captured, the Third army taking over 2,500 yesterday. The river Seile has been crossed all along its course from a point north of LeCateau tot he Scheldt and is being rapidly left behind. In this region the river Ecaillion has been reached and probably crossed. The Germans have delivered a number of counter attacks, but in ev ery case they have broken down un der the hot fire of the allied troops. The German dead are on the battle held in great numbers. / In scores of the towns which have been won from the enemy Germans have been found hiding in cellar! waiting to surrender. It is reported that not a few of them have taken advantage of the proximity of the ; Dutch frontier to cross to the othe: side, where they have been interned. DRAFT CALLS RENEWED.'5 Passing of Influenza Epidemic in Some Sections Announced. Washington. Oct. 22.?Draft calls which were suspended three week* ago because of influenza, are now go ing out again in certain zones, where the surgeon general's office decided that it is safe to send men 'to thf cantonments. The localities arid the exact number of men will not^bV an nounced for the present. . The October program, it is under stood, provides for the induction oi about three hundred and fifty thou sand men. N FRENCH ACROSS SERRE. They Have Reached Railway Norrh west of Essias-Sur-Serre. ?_ Paris, Oct. 22.?'Further progress was made last night by the Frencb on the Serre front, it was officially announced. The French have reach ed the railway northwest of Essias Sur-Serre, also St. Jacques* farm, northwest of Chalandry. EQUIVOCAL AND TORTUOUS. French Do Not Think Well of Ger man Reply, t Paris, Oct. 22.?The German reply to President Wilson was received toe late for the afternoon papers, but was eagerly discussed in official cir cles and parliament. As a whole the note was found to be equivocal and tortuous, platitudinously phrased tc leave the door open for all sorts of quibbling. Nowhere is there evidence in the reply of a genuine desire to accept the only way .n which peace can be concluded, according to the expression of opinion here BRITISH CASUALTY LIoT. Losses Last Week Exceed Thirty Seven Thousand. London, Oct. 22.?British casualties for the week ending today, were 37,150, compared with 35,710 tlu previous week. Home Demonstration Reports. Members of home demonstration canning, and poultry clubs are earn estly requested to send in their re ports to Misses Keels and Martin the home demonstration agents, a the time for filing annual reports c the Home Demonstration depart ment expires on October 31st. Report blanks have been mailed tc each member of these respective j clubs, with self addressed, frank en velopes enclosed, with ample time fo; every report to have been sent in. If these reports are not mailed a once it will necessitate the hom< demonstration agents calling in per son for the reports. This will b< manifestly an unnecessary hardshi* and will entail much time and ex pense on the part of the agents. All the spare time of the horn demonstration agents can be spen* advantageously nursing the peoph who are sick and suffering with in- ! Muenza. Therefore by sending. the6< reports promptly you are, in a waj contributing to the relief of many women and children who need atten tion. A few of the most wide-awak< communities have sent in complcrj reports. The members of clubs Xr those communities which have /o' sent: in reports should not allow^thei clubs to be classed as sjfecke.rs j Therefore, every member smovljf *jg& I busy sending in the reports-f i / 0 AMERICAN ATTACK SUCCESS. THE BOISE BE RAPPE AND HILL NO. 29? CAPTURED. Huns Fight Desperately?Purpose of German Command to Dispute Ev ery Foot of American Advance. With the American Army North west of Verdun. Oct. 21 (By the As sociated Press.)?The American at tack, though on a comparatively small scale today was entirely successful. The Bcise De Rappe and a formid able hill, No. 299, both points of strategic importance, were rushed end cleared of the enemy within three hours despite unusual machine gun opposition. The artillery on both sides was fairly active throughout the day and. the aviators were up from early until late, but the infantry action was con fined to two local operations. The advance on the Bois De Rappe began just before noon. The wood was infested with machine guns, which were not entirely eliminated by -the brief preparatory shelling. De spite every effort of the Germans, j however, the Americans steadily forced their way ahead, driving the enemy before them, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon were in complete possession of the wood. Hill 299 fell almost simultaneous ly with the Bois de Rappe, which i outflanked it. The Germans conse quently retired from the right when it appeared that the Americans had been successful in forcing their pas sage through the wood. But 150 Germans were taken pris oner. After minor success for the Americans was the expulsion' of the enemy from his last position in Bantheville wood. He had hung on to the northern edges of this machine gun stronghold, from which it was 1 possible to direct a harassing enfilad | ing fire. VIEWED WITH DISTRUST. English Press Regard Germany as Lmpenitcut and Deceitful. London, vOct. 22.?English news papers, almost without > exception view the German reply to President Wilson with impatience and distrust. "Germany Still Impenitent," is the caption to an editorial in the Chron icle. The Graphic is more optimistic and says, "Verbally, Germany is get ting slightly nearer the. point of view on which the Allies mean to insist." . ~ Lec County Fair. I Bishopville, Oct. 21.?The third j annual Lee County Fair will be held j at Bishopvile November 27, 28!, 29 anc ! 30. Many improvements have been j made, and the premiums offered thi: year are larger than for the two pre vious years. The horse show anc: races, always a feature of this suc cessful county fair, will offer attrac tive purses to horse owners. Specia j attention will be paid to the exhibit* I in agriculture, stock, poultry and j women's and girls' work. The school* of the county will have large exhibit* ?cf the work of the scholars. All war work activities will be represented b> booths and exhibits. The manage mcnt promises to surpass in every re spect the fair of last year. The Lec founty fair has in the past two year. succeeded in placing itself in ihr. front rank of the county fairs in the south. R. L. Hearon is secretary anc1 James D. Lee will continue as as sistant secretary and manager. Lille and Ostend. (Charleston Post.) The recovery of Lille, it may wel be believed, was, as the Associatec Press correspondent said of it, "one of the most dramatic incidents of the war." It was, too, one of the hap piest. The relinquishment of th? beautiful and once busy industria city of Northern France restores the largest French community which the enemy has taken and occupied during the war. The Germans have been in Lille for four years. They have prob ably ruined the factories of the cit> and it will be a long time before it; industries can be reestablished, but they, at least, left the city withou wanton ravage at the last, making nc attempt to destroy or damage it, a they did with Cambrai and with other, places evacuated in the earlier stage. of their retreat. The joy of the in habitants of Lille who have been re leased, after four long years, from en emy oppression aricl, probably, out rage, can well be imagined. The sight of these people, gathered ir their streets, waving handkerchief! and shawls in celebration of their re lease by the departing foe, whicl greeted the British airman scouting over Lille at dawn yesterday, shoule be compensation for much of the toil and agony of the gallant arm> which rescued them. The recover} of the city, practically intact, fron the Germans, symbolizes the remark able turii in the fortunes of the wa: which has been brqught about in th< past few weeks. It will not be lon. now before the whple of Northc-r: France is cleared of the enemy whic! has been camping and tramping r.po) it since those black days of 1314. Almost equally dramatic and, per haps, even more significant of wha is going forward, was the occupatio; of Ostend, by a British naval fore from the sea and French patrols fron land almost simultaneously. The onc< gay resort of the Belgian seacoast taken four years ago almost to the day by the Germans, has been a nes of submarines for a lon^r time and from it have gone out many of the sea wolves on their prowiings and t it have returned with their ghastl; [ toll of innocent victims. It is but r fetf weeks since the brilliant exploi of the British navy* practically seale the exit from Ostend to the u-boat? a\.i it is believ^m the Germans have ,'o?en able to^pake comparatively lit ? m use of itMnce for a base cf opera ? fcs. Y/vm Ostend gone, Zeebrugg jBpfr*' fall likewise, and the entir ^landers coast is cleared of the Ger mans. Bruges has been {aken and Ghent, cannot ? long remain, in th . hands of the enemy, and then Brus I sels will be in sight and soon withi'j reach. The Hun is going home eve. faster than he came out. LOST ON now. HUNDRED AND ONE SOLDIERS WENT DOWN WITH SHIP. A Number of South Carolinians Were Victims of the German Submarine ?Most of Them Were From Pied mont Section. Washington, Oct. 22.?Two officers and 99 enlisted men lost their lives when the American steamer Ticon deroga was submarined in the war zone, September 30th. This brings the total loss up to 213. More than half the soldiers lost were from Ohio. The army list of dead includes the following South Carolinians: J. Alex ander, Batesburg; Ralph Boyd, New brookland; John Devereaux, Colum bia; John Gardner, Rock Hill; Grover Kirby, Whitestone; Lawson Owens, Herbert Sarratt, Gaffney; John Simp son, Richburg; Haynes Sloan, Marion; ! Lawrence Smoak, Ruffin; William Thomas, Clifton; Lozier Thompson, Bostick; Charles Walker, Newcastle;! Matthew Widener, Aiken; Robt. Wil kins, Converse; Robert Zeigler, Ring viile. Those saved included James Sumner, Cross Anchor; Calvin Wright. Glendale. GERMANY'S REPLY". Unofficial Report Received by Wire less by Way of London. London, Oct. 21.?The text of the German note, as received by wire less, is as follows: Section One! "In accepting the proposal for an evacuation of occupied territories the German government has started from the assumption that the procedure o: this evacuation and of the conditions: of an armistice should be left to the \ military advisers and that the actual standard of power on both sides in the field has to form the basis for ar rangements safeguarding ? and guar anteeing this standard." Section Two. "The German government suggest* to the president that an opportunity should be brought about for fixing the details. It trusts that the pres ident of the United States will ap prove of no demand which would be irreconcilable with the honor of the German people and with opening i. ??vay to peace of justice." Section Three. "The German government protests against the reproach of illegal anc inhumane actions made aganist th. German land and sea forces anc thereby against the German people For the covering of a retreat de structions were always necessarj and they are carried out in so far a: is'permitted by international law. Th German troops are under most stric instructions to spare property and t< exercise care for the population t? the best of ._their ability. When transgressions occur in spite of thesi instructions the guilty are being pun ished." Section Four. "The German government furthe denies that the German navy in sink mg ships has ever purposely destroy ed lifeboats with their passengers The German government propose with regard to all those charges tha the facts be cleared up by neutra commissions." Section Five. "In order to avoid anything tha' might hamper the work of peace, th' German government has caused or ders to be despatched to all subma rine commanders precluding the tor pedoing of passenger ships without however, for technical reasons, beini" able to guarantee that these orders will reach every single submarine a. sea before its return.'' Section Six. As a fundamental condition fo peace the president prescribes the de struction of every arbitrary powei that can separately, secretly and b; its own single choice disturb th: peace of the world. To this the Ger man government replies: "Hitherto the representation of th* people in the German empire has not been endowed with an influence or the formation of the government." Section Seven. "The constitution did not provid* for a concurrence of representation 01 the peoples decision of peace anc war. These conditions have just now undergone a fundamental change. A new government has been formed in complete accordance with the wishe: (principle) of the representation oJ the people based on- equal, universal secret, direct franchise^* Section Eight. "The leaders of the great partie of the Reichstag are members of thif irovernment. In the future no gov ernment can-take or continue in office without possessing the confidence o' a majority of the Reichstag." Section Nine. "The responsibility - of the chan cellor of the empire to the represen tation of the people is being legally developed and safeguardd. The firs* act of the new government has beer to lay before the Reichstag a bill tc alter the extension of the empire s< '.hat the consent of the representation ?>f the people is required for decisions? :>n war and peace." i Section Ten. "The permanence of the new sys tern isN however, guaranteed not onl> by constitutional safeguards, bu also by the unshakable determination of the German people whose vast ma jority stands behind these reformf and demand their energetic continu ance.'* Section Eleven. "The question of the president? with whom he and the government? associated against Germany are deal ing?is therefore.answered in a clea> unequivocal manner by the statement that the offer of peace and an armis tice has come from a governmen* which is free from any arbitrary and irresponsible influence, is supported by the approval of an overwhelming majority of the German people. (Signed) "Solf." French Reach Danube. - Paris, Oct. 21.?French troop* reached the Dan"be river in the re-, crion of Vidin. f*e war office an nounced tonight. TEILS t MB ? ?- 5*3 ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIVES GLIMPSE BEHIND SCENES. North Sea Mine Barrage Against Sub marines and Long Pipe line Men tioned, j Washington, Oct. 21.?Construction of the North Sea mine barrage against submarines, laying of an oil pipe line across Scotland and constructing of naval stations from the Spanish bor der to the English channel, and oth er details of the work of the American navy in foreign waters were given to the public today by Assistant Secre tary Roosevelt, who recently return ed from a visit to Europe. "The American people seem to have very little idea of the extent of our naval activities abroad," said Secre I tary Roosevelt The tendency Is to think merely of convoying and patrol work our destroyers and other, ves sels are doing and the presence of our battleships with the British fleet But important as that is it is only a part of our achievements and there are dozens of other things of import ance of which little has been said." The building of the northern bar rage was one of the biggest things ev er accomplished in ordnance work, Mr. Roosevelt said. In turning out material for it a number of plants in this country were kept busy for ncnths. Several American bases were established on the British' coast to lay and handle the mines. To save hauling of oil the American navy has undertaken to construct a pipe line across Scotland. "All the way from the Spanish bor der clear around to the English chan nel," said Mr. Roosevelt, "we ;have established aviation stations so spaced that the entire coast line is covered by seaplanes and dirigibles. These stations were built almost entirely by our sailors. At each station there is an average of from 200 to 300 men. This aviation force and our patrol, vessels have been doing 'such splen did work that for the last six months there have been practically no sink ings within 50 miles of the French coast. We hope to extend this patrol zone to 100 miles. In northern France in cooperation with the British and Belgians, Secre tary Roosevelt said there has been established what is known as the northern bombing group, composed of a number of aviation units, which, did much to prevent the Germans from again using Zeebrugge and Os \ tend as submarine bases. An American naval force cooperat ing with the British at Gibraltar is patrolling the Atlantic in that vicinity and is acting as convoy to vessels go ing to and from Italy, Greece and Egypt. There is a flying school with several naval aviation units on duty in Italy while in the Adriatic is a large group of submarine chasers. Each naval base has its hospital. Secretary Roosevelt said, and in Scot land an entire watering place has been taken over by the Americans for use as hospital. "Conditions have vastly improved from what they were last year,** said the secretary in referring to the sub marine menace. "But we-'can not af ford to let up in our activities-for on* single second. In regard to the re spect which u-boats have shown' for international law, you have but to ask officer or man in our own or British or French navies. They will tell you of, and prove to you, great numbers of actual cases where the Hun has vrolated every rule and ev-' ery principal'of humanity/' ; LEAVES THE DOOD OPEN, Lord Lansdowne's Opinion on Ger many's Reply. V London, Oct 21.?The Marquis of Lansdowne, leader of the opposition in the house of lords, and noted for his pacific tendencies, considers that the German reply ' leaves the door open for a continuation of the dis cussion, although some passages ink i his opinion, need elucidation. .While regarding the situation on the whole as hopeful, his view was that "we must proceed warily, leav ing nothing to chance." "We must trust President Wilson to avoid pitfalls," he added. "Above all it is necessary that we make no con cessions impairing the strength and ' predominant military position secured for us by the splendid valor of; our ' naval and military forces." "The passage about the armistice leems suspiciously obscure, while no body is likely to accept the picas that land and sea outrages can be justified or extenuated by the neces sities of war." , ? ' ? Lord Lansdowne agreed with the recently expressed opinion of Viscount Milner, /Secretary of war, that there is in progress in Germany a complete transformation in government, which should not be hurried, and that any ? attempt to impose upon the German" people rulers not of their choice might conceivably lead to a situation where Germany would find Itself without a government FREEING BELGIAN SLAVES. Huns Will Release Deported Belgians and Political Prisoners When They Leave Country. jk.}k?[:.'*t? Rome, Oct 22.?Baron 1 Vonder Lancken, chief of the German political department at Brussels, has informed Cardinal Mercier, primate of Belgium, that when the Germans evacuated that country the deported Belgians and political prisoners will be spon taneously released, * according to the Observatore Romano. He told the cardinal, it is said, that a part of the Belgians will be free to return to their country on Monday. DRIVE IN BELGIUM. French Attack in Center and Advance Toward Ghent British Headquarters, Belgium, Oct. 22 (Reuters),?A strong body of French forces attacked this morning in the center of the allied front in Belgium. They are reported to be making excellent progress in the di rection of Ghent