The Washington herald., 1916-12-13

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
serves and material than 1t formerly
had been
"The most efficient precautions have
been taken against all Italian diversions.
And while on the Somme and on the
Karst the drum fire resounded while
the RusEians launched troops against
the eastern frontier Of Transylvania,
Field Marshal Won Hlndenburg captured
the whole western Wallachia and the
hostile capital of Bucharest, leading with
unparalleled genius troops that. In con-
Junction with those OF all our allies.
made possible what hitherto had been
considered impossible.
Hindenberg Not Resting.
And Hindenburg does not rest, the
military operations progress. As by the
strokes OF the sword. 50 at the same time
the firm foundations for our economic
needs have been laid Great stocks OF
grain, Yictuals oil and other goods fell
into our hands in Rumania- Their trans
port began Immediately. In spite of the
scarcity we could have lived on our
own, but now our safey is beyond Ques-
ton
To the great events on land, heroic
deeds Of our submarines Of equal I'M
portanee were added. The spectre OF
famtns to which our enemies must appeal
against Us, now pursues them without
marcy.
After the termination Of the first year
Of war his majesty. the Emperor, in a
public appeal, addressed to the nation.
said:
ITO have seen the great events fills
our hearts with awe and hrmness."
Never our Emperor, never our ma
ton, have changed their minds in this
respect Nor have they now. The lead
ers of genius and heroic actions have
framed facts as firm as iron And II the
enemy counted upon inner WEAKNESS with
Us, they were deceived.
Built Up Bulwark.
The German reichstag, by q law
bringing about a national auxiliary serV-
Ice helped to build q new Offensive and
defensive bulwark in the midst OF the
brunt Of the struggle.
Behind the fighting armies stands
nation which works. The gigantic fore
Of the nation works for common aim
Not a besieged fortress, as our adver-
Saries had thought, but one gigantic,
firmly disciplined camp, with unexhaust-
ed resources: that is the German en-
pire. firmly and faithfully united with
borthers in arms that have been tested
In battles under the Austro-Hungarian'
Turkish and Bulgarian flags.
." Our enemies ascribed to u.s. at one
time a plan to conquer the whole world.
and at another desperate cries Of anguish
for peace But unconfused by these
reservations we progressed our way with
Arm decision. And we thus continue TO
progress; always ready for defense and
ready to fight for our nations existence,
for its free and safe future, always
ready for this price to stretch out our
hand for peace. For our strength had
not made our ears dumb to our respon-
sibility before God, before our own ma
ton. and before humanity.
Declarations made formerly by US
about our readiness for peace were al
luded to by our adversaries. Now We
have advanced one step further. On
August l, 1914, his majesty. the Emperor,
had to make personally the gravest deci-
sion that a German ever had to take. the
order of mobilization which was forced
upon him by the Russian mobilization.
TNIperOr for Peace.
During use long and earnest years
Of war the Emperor has been moved by
one sole thought: How peace could be
restored to safeguard Germany after
struggle fought victoriously.
No one can better testify to this than
l. who bear the responsibility for all ac-
tons Of the government In deep moral
and religious sense Of duty toward his
nation and beyond it toward humanity,
to have come for official peace action.
His majesty. therefore. in full harmony
and in common with his high allies, has
decided to propose to the hostile powers
to enter into peace negotiations.
This morning I transmitted a note to
this effect for all hostile powers to the
representatives of those powers which
take care of our rights in the hostile
States, that Is the representatives of
Of M
Switzerland. and have aske9 them to
forward that note.
The same thing happens today In
Vienna. Constantinople and Sonia. Also
other neutral states and his HoJ' -,
the Pope, are informed of our step.
THE note has the following text:
THE most terrific war ever seen by
history now has been raging for almost
two years and a half in a large part of
the world
Hurts Civilization.
The catastrophe which could not
be prevented by thousands Of years of
our common civilization. hurts the most
precious achievements of humanity. The
spiritual and material progress which
was the pride of Europe at the beginning
Of the twentieth century are threatened
with ruin.
Germany and her allies. Austria
Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, have
given proof Of their uncomfortable
strength in this struggle. They have
gained gigantic advantages over their
sdversaries. superior In numbers and war
material Our lines stand unshaken
against ever repeated attacks made by
the armies OF our enemies.
The last attack in the Balkans has
been put down rapidly and victo-
riously. The last events prove that .
further continuance Of the war will
be equally unable to break our forces
Of resistance and that the whole situa-
tion rather justifies US In expecting
further successes
1.-THE four allied CTeutonic) powers
had been obliged to take up arms In
order to defend their existence and
the liberty of national evolution. The
glorious deeds of their armies brought
no change in this respect. They have
always maintained the firm belief that
THAR nun ri0hfa and fuaftdad