The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1916-12-13
berlin FOR PEACE
Germans, However, Merely Ask,
ed Neutrals to Make Sug-
gestion To Act
LAST OVERTURE FROM
THE CENTRAL POWERS
If the Entente Rejects it Then
Struggle Will Be Continued d,
To Bitter End -

Berlin, Dec. l3.-Germany did, not
ask the neutral powers to start peace
negotiations. The American embassy
here merely understands that the
TeutOhs asked neutrals to inform tho
Entente Powers that the Central Pow.
ers were ready to discnss peace, put.
ting it up to the Allies to refuse or
accept.
A Master Stroke. ;t''
Diplomatic corps here consider Ger.
many's move a master stroke Sec.
retary Crew of the American embas-
sy personally typed the transaction
note, Of which he received two cop
les. He was asked to send copies to
Petrograd to London and to Ruma.
mia. The Spanish minister was re.
quested to convey the note to Bel.
gium and Portugal, and Switzerland
was asked to convey the message to
Italy.
II Germans peace offers are reject.
ed by the Entente Powers, it Ia Ger.
tain that the Central Powers will not
make another overture to end the war.
The German public and press voiced
its approval of the Imperial Chancel.
lor's solemn warning in the Reich.
stag that ii the Entente Powers con.
tinue the war it will be because they
have conquest in mind Such belief
fired the public to a determination to
battle to the bitter end.
Following is the text OF the note ad.
dressed by Germany and her allies to
the hostile governments as read late
yesterday by the chancellor before the
reichstag: e. d. J.
'""rhe most terrific waf aver expari.
enced in history has been raging for
the last two years and half over D
large part Of the world--a catastrophe
which thousands of years of common
civilization was unable to precent and
which Injuries the most precious
achievements of humanity.
'Our aims are not to shatter nor
annihiate our adversaries. In spite
of our consciousness of our military
and economic strength and our readi.
ness to continue the war (Which had
been forced upon us), until the bitter
end if necessary, at the same time.
prompted by the desire to avoid fur
ther bloodshed and make an end to
the atrocities of war, the four allied
powers propose to enter forthwith In.
to peace negotiations.
Guarantee of Existence.
"The propositions which they bring
forward for such negotiations aud
which have for their.-object a guar
antee Of the existence of the honor
and liberty of evolution for their ma
tions are, according to their firm be.
tlief, an appropriate basis for the es.
'tablishment of lasting peace. {'
1.-The four allied powers have been
obliged to take up arms to defend
justice and the liberty of national
evolution. The glorious deeds of our
armies have in no way altered their
purposes. We also maintained the
firm belief that our own rights and
justified claims in no way control the
rights of these nations.
"The spiritual and material prog.
ress which were the pride Of Europe
at the beginning of the twentieth cen.
tury are threatened with ruin. Ger.
many and her allies. Austria Hungary,
Bulgaria and Turkey, gave proof Of
their, unconquerable strength in this
struggle. They gained gigantic ad.
vantages over adversaries superior in
number and war material. Our lines
stand unshaken against ever-repeated
attempts made by armies.
The last attack in the Balkans has
been rapidly and most vict0riously
overcome. The most recent demon.
strations have shown that further con.
tinuation of the war will not result
in breaking the resistance Of our
forces and the whole situation with
regard to our troops justifies our OK.
pectation of further successes.
Offer Of Peace.
"If, in spite Of this offer Of peace
and reconciliation, the struggle should
go on, the four allied powers are re.
solved to continue to victorious end
but they disclaim responsibility for
this before humanity and history. The
imperial government, through the
good offices of your excellency, ask
the government Of (here IS inserted
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