Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-01-01

AIM Aii0iASSGAfC pIopOSdiS- -1OT d Z
The suggested conference wit
fer, the note says, but is rather
| The text Of the note follows {:
'The allied governments of Belgium.
France. Great Britain, Italy, Japan,
Montenegro, Portugal, Rumania, Rus
sfa and Serbia, united for the defense
OF the liberty Of their peoples and
faithful to engagements taken not to
lay down their arms separately, have
i resolved to reply collectively to the
pretended propositions of peace which
We're addressed to them on behalf of
the enemy governments through the
intermediary of&sthe United States,
Spain, Switzerland and Holland. Be
fore making any reply the allied pow
ers desire particularly to protest
against the two essential assertions Of
the note of the enemy powers that pre-
tend to throw upon the allies respon-
sibility for the war and proclaim the
victory of the Central Powers.
! Germany's Word Not Sufficient
The allied governments cannot ad-
init an Affirmation doubly exact and
which suff1ces to render sterile all ten
tatlve negotiation. The allied nations
nave sustained for 80 months a war
! they did everything to avoid. They
s~qaVe shown by their acts their attach
ment TO peace. That attachment is as
strong today as it was in 1914. But it
is not upon the word of Germany, after
the violation of the engagements. that
the peace broken by her may be based.
"A mere suggestion, without a. state
ment Of terms, that negotiations
should be opened. is not an offer of
peace. The putting forward by the
imperial government of a sham pro-
posal lacking all substance and pre-
clsion would appear to be less an offer
OF peace than of war maneuver. 1t
Is founded on calculated misinterpre-
tatlon of the character of the struggle
!, IN the past. the present and the future.
AS for the past. the sGerman note
, takes no account of the facts, dates
and hgures which, establish that the
, war was desired, provoked and decIar-
? ed by Germany and Austria Hungary.
AT the Hague conference it was a
, German delegate who refused all BRO
, posals for disarmament In July 1914
II was Austria Hungary who, after
having addressed to Serbia an unprec-
/ edented ultimatum, declared war upon
r her in spite of the satisfaction which
f mad at once been accorded.
Germany Insisted on War :
The Central Empires then rejected all
attempts made by the Entente to bring
ABOUT pacific solution of a purely loca,
ID cohlllct' Great Britain suggested a con-
! iereAce' france proposed an internation-
HI commission; the. Emperor of Russia
asked the German Emperor to go to ar
, tlon. and Russia and Austria -Hunga
~ Gme to an understanding on the eve
OF tAeEontict. But to all these efforts
: Germanysgave neither answer nor effect
4n was invaded by an empire
VIII guaranteed her neutrality and
viii hAd the assurance to procl eim that
treaties were scraps of paper and that
:. necessity knows no law.
"At the present moment these sham Of
Il fers on thefpart Of Germany rest on the
war map OF Europe alone. which repre-
sents nothing mQre than superficial and
passing phase Sof the situation and not
the real strength of the belligerents A
J. peace concluded upon these terms would
! be only to the advantage of the aggres-
sors..who, after imagining that they
would reach sther goal in two months
discovered after. two years that they
could never attain it. n
tOutrases Demand Penalties
AS for the future, the disasters caused
by. the German declaration of war and
J the iRpumerable outrages committed by
Germany and her allies against both be.-
liserents and neutrals, demand penalties.
reparation and guarantees. Germany
} avoids mention of any Of these.
=. In reality these overtures made by
Il the Central Powers are nothing more
! than calculated attempt to infiisnce the
I future course ofswar and to end it by i'm
pesi1g German peace.si The object of
ssk these sqyertures is, to create dissension
4 iRspM .fc opinion insthes allied countries.
.EButfH public opinion has, in spite of all
n tae Sacrifices endured by the Allies, al
y ready given its answer with admirable
Effmness and has denounced the empty
4 pretence' of the declaration of the enemy
powers.
"They have the further object of stifren-
ing public opinion in Germany and in the
countries allied to heroine and all Sc
verely tried by their losses. worn out by
economic pressure and crushed by the su-
prema4effort which has been impose
upon their inhabitants.
They endeavor to deceive and in
timidate' public opinion in neutral
| countries, whose inhabitants have long
since made up their minds where the
initial responsibilities lie and are far
too enlightened to favor the designs
of Germany by abandoning the defence
of human freedom.
Finally, these overtures attempt to
justify in advance in the eyes of the
world new series of crimes-subma-
rine warfare, deportations. forced la
Dor and forced enlistment of the in
habitants against their own countries
and violations of neutrality.
/ Proposal Empty and lnsincere
Fully conscious of the gravity of
this moment but equally conscious of
its requirements, the allied govern
ments, closely united to one another
and in perfect sympathy with their
peoples, refuse to consider a proposal
which is empty and insincere.
! "Onee again the allies declare that