The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-12-14
TEUTONS AWAIT
Note RECEPTION
Country Thrilled Over Proposal
That HOStiIitiGs End
ADDRESS OF CRANCELLO OR


garia-Enemy Countries Will Re-
ceive Them Soon.
Berlin, Dec. 13.-Germany is now
awaiting news of the reception of its
peace proposals to the warning coun-
tries as voiced in the reichstag yester-
| day by Chancellor Won Bethmann-Holl-
veg.
Perhaps not since the opening Of
hostilites in July, 1914, has such a
wave of excitement swept the nation
as when the news flashed out Tues
| day that the fatherland had proposed
to enter forthwith into peace negotia,
tions.
Chancellor Hollweg's proposals for
peace negotiations as outlined in the
reichstag, have as their object, he
| said the guarantee of existence, of
honor and of liberty of evolution for
the central powers, appropriate for
the basis of the establishment of last.
ing peace.
"Unconfused we have progressed. 1t
is our firm decision thus to continue
to progress, always ready to defend
ourselves to the end for the nations
| existence" he said, land for it's free
and safe future. We are always ready
to stretch out the hand of peace.
"Our strength has not made our
ears dumb against responsibility be
fore God before our nation and be.
fore humanity.
Former declarations" he said
"had been evaded by Germany's ad-
versaries and are now advanced
further. During the long earnest years
of the war the chancellor declared the
emperor has been moved by single
thought:
How peace can be restored so as
to safeguard Germany after a struggle
which she has fought VIGOROUSLY
Our strength has not made our
ears deaf to our responsibility before
God, before our own nation and be
fore humanity. The declarations for.
merly made by us concerning our
readiness for peace were evaded by
| our adversaries.
con Aug. l, 1914, the emperor had
| personally to take the gravest decis-
ion which ever fell to the lot of
German-the order for mobilization
which he was compelled to give as a
result of the Russian mobilization.
During these long and earnest years
of the war the emperor has been
moved by a single thought; how peace
could be restored to safeguard Ger
many after the struggle in which she
has fought VIGOROUSLY
Kaiser Thinks Time Ripe.
Nobody can testify better to this
than ! who bear the responsibility for
all actions Of the government In
| deep moral and religious sense of duty
toward his nation and beyond it. to-
ward humanity, the emperor now con
| siders that the moment has come for
official action toward peace
His majesty therefore, in complete
| harmony and in common with our al
lies, decided TO propose to the hostile
| powers to enter into peace negotia
| tiOns. This morning | transmitted a
/ note to this effect to all the hostile
powers, through the representatives
| of those powers which are watching
over our interests and rights in the
| hostile states. | asked the representa-
tives of Spain, the United States ard
Switzerland to forward that note.
"The same procedure has been
adopted today in Vienna, Constantine
| pie and Sofia. Other neutral states
and his holiness the pope have been
similarly informed"
BY handing the note to the repre-
| sentatives of the United States, Spain
and Switzerland, Germany really
transmitted it directly to her enemy
nations. Under existing conditions
this is the only possible course Of
diplomatic interchange between the
central powers and the entente allies
Diplomatic Procedure.
The procedure in transmission Of
Germany's peace proposals will be
| identical in the cases of all the neutral
powers whose aid is invoked The
| diplomatic representatives of America.
Spain and Switzerland will forward
the note handed them by Bethmann-
| Hollwog 20 their respective capitals
The foreign Offices or state depart
ments, of these neutral nations VII
then transmit the text to the Ameri-
can, Spanish and Swiss amba adors
or ministers at tho capitals OF the On
tente allies These ambassadors VIII
in turn, formally deliver the no.e 70
the governments Of ,he entente rs
| tions
The same procedure VIII be fcll-we3
in the case of formal replies 10 the
peace propositions. Engl-:5, 70" y
stance, VIII probably give to tn
American ambassador, tho S2ar'sh
ambassador and the Swies r0tc3Etec
identical notes detailing their rsspcns@
to Germany's proposals. These 80"
be transmitted to the capitals D, nc
United States, Switzerland ard Spain.
and through diplomatic channels
formally handed to Germany through
the agency of the American, Swiss
and Spanish diplomatic representa-.
tives at Berlin.