The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-10
GERMANY READY ID DISCUSS PEACE THAT. MAY BE COMPATIBLE WITH HER DIGNITY Imperial Chancellor Von
 Bethmann-HOllweg Makes
 Assertion in Address Be-
 fore the Reichstag
 PEACE PROPOSALS
 MUST COME FROM
 RANKS OF ALLIES Chancellor Declares War Is Not One of Conquest.
 Does Not Desire to Push
 Successes Further

Berlin, December 9.-So long as uncon- trolled hatred of Germany and the be- lief that Germany is approaching a col lepse, continues to be the dominant idea of the enemy countries, 1t would be folly for Germany to take the initiative in proposing terms of peace Germany, however, is ready at any time to con- slider peace suggestion from the eoun : tries with which she is at war; does not wish a continuation of the war and dis sociates herself, under these circum- stances, from any responsibility for it's prolongation.
 This is the substance of the German imperial chancellors reply in the Reich stag today to the socialist interpolation on peace, in which he painted a picture of Germany triumphant on all sides and supplied with everything, even if not in abundance, necessary to the continuation \ of the war;
 The interpolation was introduced by Dr. Scheidemann in the following terms: 'Is the imperial chancellor ready to give E Einformation as to the conditions under which he would be willing to enter into peace negotiations?" .1f our enemies make peace proposals < compatible with Germany's dignity and safety, said pr. Won Bethmann-Holl- Aweg, then we shall always be ready to |sdiscuss them. So long as in the countries Iof our enemies the guilt and ignorance of Lstatesmen are entangled with confusion +of public opinion it would be folly for |Germany to make peace proposals, which Ewould not shorten, but would lengthen the Ewar. First the masks must be torn from ktheir faces"
 N SOCIALISTS SPEAK Only two socialists spoke on .the ifi- all the nonsocialist parties Bunting in a short declaration opposing &liscussion at this moment. The tone of kthe deLate was dignified and patriotic Zand the imperial chancellor was followed Rhttentively and respectfully, except for occasional Interruptions and outbursts of Daughter from the socialist, Dr. Lieb- E<necht, who has not been in accord with Ehs party since the beginning of the kwar and who today received no sym Epathy.
 ! The imperial chancellor in his first fsreech, lasting half an hour, explained E he military situation on all the fronts sand declared emphatcally the Germans E.OulQ not De SldTNeu Oul. ilS COulllly tsiad enough food if properly distributed. sSermany's enemies, he said, were suffer- Eng more than Germans and paying Eligher prices for food.
 K ''Rumors that Germany is on the verge M collapse,' said the chancellor, "and \ he attribution of a peace mission to Every prominent German who goes Abroad, Prince Won Below, Prince Maxi |&nilian of Baden, Dr. Solf, secretary for E.he colonies, and Cardinal Won Hartmann [.-reports in which there is not d word }f truth--are all part of deliberate cam |.,aign to keep up the spirits of the enemy E copies in the face of repeated defeats. s'here is not weak point in the German Reckoning. If our enemies do not choose X&o accept the situation and end the war
 Tow, they must do so later. Germany can R-ait'
 f At the conclusion of the imperial chan lellors first speech, Dr. Kaempf, presi- 2ent of the chamber, read the interpella- Aor and put the formal question as to
 neither the government was prepared to
 Reply.
 we are ready to reply immediately"
 Responded Dr. Von Bethmann-Hollweg.
 MOMENTOUS GATHERING
 M '.The Reichstag presented the typical appearance of nomentous day. there Xfeing not even standing room in the Galleries The American ambassador
 fames w. Gerard, was among the diplo-
 anats present. The great audience also Excluded the Duke of Mecklenburg, Ad-
 tiral Won Tirpitz, minister of marine,
 fottlieb von Jagow, minister Of foreign |rfairs; Count Zeppelin, Dr. Alfred Zim-
 oerman under secretary for foreign af-
 hairs and pr. Karl Heferich, secretary |E the imperia! treasury and former di- |nctor of the Deutsche bank.
 In his review of the military situation.
 3le chancellor said
 n In order to induce Bulgaria to flght
 pr the entente. Servia was asked to
 Fake {; territora! concession to which
 xle was not included. Thus our enemies
 fmained at variance. The justified na-
 tonal demands of Bulgaria in Macedonia,
 Dter the last Balkan war Were consid-
 fably restricted in avor uf servia Left
 q the lurch by Russia, Bulgaria, who
 lore the main burden Of the war. had to
 Me the fruits of her victories fall to her
 farvian neighbor. Servia was to be ad-
 fanced as the power against Austria
 ungary.
 "Now King Ferdinand had redeemed the
 edge which he made to his people at
 he end of the second Balkan war--that
 he Bulgarian colors which then. after
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