Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-12

Continued From First Page.l
same time the grand offensive on the
Somme had as its object to pierce the
German western front. and the re-
newed Italian attacks were intended
to paralyze Austria Hungary.
Now Have Complete Security
The situation was serious, the
chancellor continued. But with Gods
help our troops shaped conditions so
as to give us security which not only
is complete but still more so than ever
before. The western front stands.
Not only does it stand. but in spite of
the Rumanian campaign 1t is fltted out
with larger reserves of men and ma
terial than it had been formerly. The
most effective precautions have been
taken against all Italian diversions
And while on the Somme and on the
Carso the drumfire reSounded while
the Russians launched troops against
the eastern frontier of Pennsylvania
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg cap
tured the whole of Western Wallachia
and the hostile capital of Bucharest,
leading with unparalleled genius the
troops that in competition with all the
allies made possible what hitherto was
considered impossible
Military Operations Progress
And Hindenburg does not rest
Military operations progress. BY
strokes of the sword at the same time
firm foundations for our economic
needs have been laid. Great stocks of
gain, victuals, oil and other goods fell
into our hands in Rumania. Their
transport w--s begun. In spite of
scarcity we -ould have Rved on our
own supplies. but now our own safety
is beyond question.
To these great events on land"
the Chancellor continued, heroic
deeds of equal Importance are added
Inv nIIr lffR a1si9A -
famine. which our enemies intended
to appear before us, now pursues them
without mercy. When after the ter
mination of the first year of the war
the Emperor addressed the nation in
a public appeal, he said: Having
witnessed such great events, my heart
was filled with awe and determina-
ton
Neither our Emperor nor our ma
tion ever changed their minds in this
respect. Neither have they now. The
genius and heroic acts of our leaders
have fashioned these facts as firm as
iron. If the enemy counted upon the
WEAKNESS of his enemy, then he was
deceived"
The empire is not a besieged fort
ress, as our adversaries imagined, but
one gigantic and firmly disciplined
camp with inexhaustible resources.
That is the German empire, which is
firmly and faithfully united with it's
brothers in arms, who have been test
ed in battle under the Austro- Hun
garian, Turkish and Bulgarian flags.
Not confused by asseverations we pro-
gressed with firm decision, and we
thus continue our progress, always
ready to defend ourselves and fight
for our nations success, for it's free
future and always ready to stretch
out our hand for peace.
our strength has not made our
ears deaf to our responsibility before
God, before our own nation and be-
fore humanity. The declarations form
erly made by us concerning our
readiness for peace were evaded by
our adversaries. Now we have ad-
vanced one step further in this direc-
ton.
"On August 1, 1914, the Emperor
had personally to take the gravest de-
cision 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
Germany after this struggle in which
she has fought victoriously.
Nobody can testify better to this
than /, who bears the responsibility
for all actions of the government. In
a deep moral and religious sense OF
duty towards his nation and beyond
it, towards humanity. the Emperor
now considers that the moment has
come for official action towards peace.
His Majesty therefore in complete
harmony and in common with our
allies, decided to propose to the hos
tile powers to enter into peace negotia-
tions This morning 1 transmitted a
note to this effect to all the. hostile
powers through the representa- tives
of those powers which are watching
over our interests and rights in the
hostile states. I asked the representa-
tives of Spain, the United States and
Switzerland to forward that note.
The same procedure has been
adopted to-day in Vienna, Constantin-
ople and Sofia. other neutral states
and His Holiness, the Pope, have been
similarly informed"