The Washington herald., 1916-12-31
PROTEST GERMAN CLAIMS.
Tried to Avoid Struggle.

Tried to Avoid struEEIe,
The allied nations have sustained for
thirty months a war they cid everything
&c avoid. They have shown by their acts
their attachment to peace. That attach
ment is as strong today as Il was in
i'l+ But II is not upon the word Of Ger
many, after the violation OF its engage
ments. that the peace broken by her may
be based
"A mere suggestion. without a state
meHt of terms. that negotiations should
be opened, is not an offer of peace The
putting forward by the imperial govern
ment Of sham proposal backing all sub
stance and precision, would appear to be
less an offer OF peace than a war
Inaneuver. II Is founded on calculated
misinterpretation OF the character Of the
struggle in the past, the present and The
future
As for the past. the German note takes
TO account OF the facts. dates and figures
which establish that the war was desired.
provoked and declared by Germany and
Austria Hungary.
AT The Hague conference It was a
German delegate who refused all pro-
posals for disarmament In July, 1914. it
was Austria who after having
addressed TO Serbia an unprecedented ulti-
matum, declared war upon her in spite OF
the satisfaction which had at once been
accorded.
Rejected Effort, at Peace.
The central empires then rejected all
attempts made by the entente 20 bring
about a pacific solution Of a purely local
conflict
Great Britain suggested conference:
France proposed an international COM
mission: the Emperor Of Russia asked
the German Emperor to go TO arbitration.
and Russia and Austria Hungary came
TO an understanding on The eve OF the
conflict But TO all thes efforts. Ger
many gave neither answer nor effect.
Belgium was invaded by an empire
which had guaranteed her neutrality
and which had the assurance 10 proclaim
that treaties were scraps Of paper and
that necessity knows no law.
AT the present moment these sham
offers on the part of Germany rest on
the war map OF Europe alone. which
represents nothing more than a superficial
and passing situation and not the real
strength OF the belligerents.
"A peace concluded upon these terms
would be only to the advantage OF the
aggressors. who after imagining that thev
would reach their goal in two months.
discovered after two years that they
could never attain il
Must Punish Germany.
''As for the future the disasters caused
by the German declaration OF war. and
the innumerable outrages committed by
Germany and her allies against both bel
ligerents and neutrals. demand penalties,
reparation and guarantees. Germany
avoids mention OF any Of these.
I'm reality, these overtures made by
the central powers are nothing more than
a calculated attempt TO influence the fu-
ture course Of war and to end II by i'm
posing a German peace.
THE object of these overtures Is to
create dissension in public opinion In the
allied countries. But that public opinion
has in spite Of all the sacrifices endured
by the allies. already given its answer
with admirable frmness and has de-
nounced the empty pretense OF the dec
laration of the enemy powers.
They have the further object OF stif-
ening public opinion in neutral countries,
whose inhabitants have long since made
up their minds where the initial respon-
sibilities lie. and are far too enlightened
to favor the designs OF Germany by
abandoning the defense of human free
dom
Finally. these overtures attempt to
justify in advance in the eyes Of the
world a new, series OF crimes-submarins
warfare. deportations. forced labor and
forced enlistment Of the Inhabitants
against their own countries and viola
tions of neutrality.
Consider Proposal Empty
Fully conscious of the gravity of this
moment. but equally conscious Of its re-
Quirements. the allied governments, close
ly united to one another and In perfect
sympathy with their peoples, refuse to
consider a proposal which is empty and
insincere.
Once again the allies declare that no
peace is possible. so long as they have
not secured reparatioh for violated liGhta
and liberties, the recognition Of the peo-
Pile OF the nationalities and Of the free
existence OF small states; 30 long as they
have not brought about a settlement CAL
culated to end once and for all. forces
which have constituted q perpetual men
CONTINUED on PAGE IVA