Perth Amboy evening news., 1916-12-12
HAND NOTES To
THREE NEUTRAL
NATIONS TODAY
Overtures. Made Through Rep;
resentatives of the United
States, Switzerland and
Spain-lmperiaI Chancellor
HolIWeg Makes Moves.
Special BY United Press wtrs

Special bv United Press wtrs.
Berlin (via Sayville wireless) Dec.
12:-Proposals by the Central pow.
ers that peace negotiations be enters
ed into forthwith were made In
notes handed to representatives Of
neutral countries which are repre4
senting Germany in belligerent na.
tons today.
Chancellor Won Bethmann- Holwe1
called the diplomatic Representatives.
of the United States, Spain and;
Switzerland one after the other and
handed this note to them. The full
text of the note will be published In
the Reichstag today. The chancellofi
asks the neutral nations which re-,
present Germany and her allied pow-i
ers at the capitals of the nations
with which she is at war, to bring
these proposals.
Chancellor Won Bethmann- Hol4
wegg's announcement that Germand
was proposing peace, was couched Ia
the following words, which he mad(
announcement in the Reichstag to;
day:
conscience of their responsibility
before God, before their own nation
and before humanity he had proposed
to the hostile powers plan of peace.
The propositions which Germany
advances in these negotiations are.
according to Germany's belief, ap-
propriate for the establishment o1
lasting peace. The governments OF
Vienna, Constantinople and Sofa
transmitted identical notes. The text
was also communicated to the vati-.
can at Rome and to all other neutral
powers.
The exact text of the first ans
nouncement of Germany's intentions
as wirelessed by the official press bu1
reau today to neutral countries wai
as follows:
''The chancellor this morning re-
ceived one after the other, represen4
tatives of the United States Of Arners
lea, Spain and Switzerlapd--tha4 r.
of the states protecting Ge<nA4l>i1 i1tGFf
ests in hostile foreign country.
Practically all members of the .paY-.
Lament answered the unexpected
summons. A crowded house and
thronged galleries listened In re-
spectful silence when the chancellopf
arose for his speech in which he first
outlined the extraordinary political
situation and then insisting upon the
achievement of the Central powers. /
made the announcement which nos
sibly may act as the turning point OF
the war which for more than two
years has held the world under a
spell.
The chancellor said: TT was for
tunate that the Reichstag had not
been adjourned, but the calling OF
the next meeting had been left to the
| discretion of the president This de-
c1sion, said the chancellor, was
caused by the hope that soon happy
events in the field would be record
ed. That hope has been fulfilled
quicker almost than was expected. I
shall be brief for actions speak for
themselves. Roumania had entered
the war in order to roll up our posi-
ton in the east and that of our all
lies At the same time the grand Of
fent.ve on the Somme had for its OBJ I
Ject the piercing of our western front
and renewed Italian facts had as
their purpose to paralyze Austria
Hungary. The situation was serious.
But with Gods help our troops
shaped conditions so that they give
us security which not only is COM
plete, but still greater than ever be-
fore.
The west front stands not only but
in spite of the Roumanian campaign.
1t is outftted with larger reserves Of
men and material than it had been
formerly. Most efficient precautions
have been taken against all Italian
diversion
And while on the Somme and the
karst, a drum fire resounded while the
Russians launched troops against the
eastern frontier of Transylvania, Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg captured the
whole western Wallachia, and the hos<
tile capital of Bucharest. Meeting
with unparalleled genius, troops In
competition with all Allies made pos
sible this, which hitherto was consid.
cred impossible. and Hindenburg does
not rest. Military operations are IN
progress by strokes of swords.
AT the same time firm foundations
have been laid for our economic needs.
Great stocks of grain, oil and other
goods, come into our hands in Rou<
mania. Transport Immediately began.
In spite of the scarcity that existed we
could have lived upon our own but
now our safety is beyond question:
The chancellor then referred to the
fact that added to the events on land
heroic deeds OF equal importance have
been accomplished, he said, by the
German submarine. He also said the
spectre of famine which Germany'Bs
enemies had intended TO appear before
Germany now pursues them. He said
the German empire is not the besieg-
ed fortress. which its adversaries had
imagined, but Is now a gigantic firmly
disciplined camp with inexhaustible
resources, safely united with Austro-
Hungary, Turkish and Bulgarian flags.