Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-09
DR.. Bethmann-H ollweg De-
clares 1t Would Be Fool
hardy of Government.
GIVES KAISER STAND
Grounds for Ending the War
Must Be Compatible With
Dignity and Safety.

Berlin, Dec. Q, fby wireless to Say
yille).-"lf our enemies make peace
proposals compatible with Germany'a
dignity and safety, then we shall al
ways be ready TO discuss Them" said
the imperial chancellor. DR.. Beth
mann-Hollweg, in addressing the
reichstag today. The chancellor
made it clear that in his opinion It
would be folly for Germany to pro-
pose peace ''as long as in the coun-
tries of our enemies the guilt and ig-
norance of statesmen are entangled
with confusion of public opinion"
Conscious Of her military successes.
the chancellor said, Germany declines
responsibility for further continua-
ton of the war. Germany. he declar-
ed, could not be charged with the pur-
pose of fighting on to make further
conquests.
THE war can be terminated only
by peace which will give the certi-
! tude that war will not return" the
chancellor declared. I'VE all agree
about that"
He asserted Germany's food supplies
were sufficient and that her immense
/ stores OF copper were adequate for
many years.
| Responds to Socialists.
The address of DR.. Won Bethmann-
| Hollweg. which had been awaited with
extraordinary interest, was made In
response to the socialist interpella-
ton:
"Is the imperial chancellor ready to
give information as to the condition
under which he will be willing to en-
ter into peace negotiations"
In his reply he said:
"As long as in the countries of our
enemies the guilt and ignorance of
statesmen are entangled with confu-
sion of public opinion, it would be fol-
" for Germany to make peace pro-
Eposals, which would not shorten, but
would lengthen the duration of the
war. First, the masks must be torn
from their faces.
AT present they speak Of war Of
humiliation against us. We have to
take this fact into account, Theoreti-
cal arguments for peace or proposals
of peace will not advance us, will not
bring the end nearer.
III our enemies make peace pro-
posals compatible with Germanyb
dignity and safety, then we shall al
ways be ready to discuss them. Fully
conscious Of our mistaken military
successes, we decline responsibility
for continuation of the misery which
now fills Europe and the whole world.
No one can say that we continue the
war because we still desire to con-
quer this or that country as a guar
antee.'
Is Heartily Cheered.
In these words the chancellor. with
impassioned force, stated the position
of the German government on the
question of peace. His remarks were
cheered with great enthusiasm.
When DR.. Won Bethmann-Hollweg
rose to reply to the Interpolation. pre-
scented by DR.. Scheidemann, socialist
leader, silence fell over the house, but
was soon broken by manifestations Of
approval Several times the deputies
interrupted him with cheers.
! DIR. Won Bethmann-Hollweg began
by saying that in the countries at war
with Germany there had been much
, discussion of the socialist interpella-
| ton and that the knowledge that
. peace was to be discussed in the reich
stag had been source of satisfaction
: TO these countries. This was incom-
prehensible. in view Of the success
swon in the campaign against Serbia,
(which opened the road to Germany's
Turkish allies and threatened the most
, vulnerable points Of the British en-
ipire.
No 0yertures Made.
Although this situation would ex-
plain a desire for peace on the part
Of Germany's enemies, he declared.
none of them had made overtures. In
stead, they were clinging to the inten-
tons which they had announced pub
licly with naive brutality" at the be-
ginning of the war.
The chancellor then reviewed recent
) utterances concerning conditions ol
peace made in countries opposed "a
Germany, such as the handing over Of
Alsace and Lorraine to France, the an.
: Inhalation of "Prussian militarism.s
the expulsion Of the Turks, cession d
7 the left bank of the Rhine and TIL