Omaha daily bee., 1917-09-23
KAISER'S PEACE
NOTE INDEFINITE
governments vitally Interested
in War Take Position Ger
many Not Clear in Stating
It's Position.

for the benefit Of the entire world
the papal appeal may meet with sue
cess.
The effort OF Pope Benedict is to
pave the way to all understanding
amongst all peoples and might more
surely reckon on sympathetic recep
tion and the whole-hcartcd support
from lis majesty. seeing that the
Kaiser, since taking over the govern
mcnt. has regarded it as his principal
and most sacred task to preserve the
blessings. of peace for the German
people and the world. In his first
speech from the throne at the OPEN
ing of the German reichstag on June
25. 1888, the kaiser. promised that his
love OF the German army and his po-
sition toward it should never lead
him into temptation to cut shor; the
benefits of peace unless war were
necessity, forced on by an attack on
the empire or its allies The German
army should safeguard peace for us
and should peace, nevertheless, be
broken. it would be in position 10
win with honor. The kaiser has. by
his acts. fulfilled the promise he then
made in twenty-siX years OF happy
rule. despite provocaaions and temp
iations
Kaiser Entered War Against Will.
In <hc crisis which led to the pres
-ert world conhaWation, his majesty's
efforts were up TO the last moment
directed towards settling the conflict
by peaceful means. After the war had
broken out. against his wish and de-
sire. the kaiser in conjunction with his
high allies was the first TO solemnly de-
clare his readine-, to enter in:J peace
negotiations. The German people sup
ported his majesty IN his keen desire
Tor peace.
Germany sought within her ma.
tionai frontier the free development
Of her spiritual and material posses
sions and outside the imperial terri
tory unhindered competition with ma
tions enjoying equal rights and equal
esteem. The free play Of forces in
tie world in peaceabc wrestling with
one another would lead to the high
est perfoctlng OF the noblcst hui
man possessions. ...,
Disastrous concatcnation OF events
in fhe year 1914 absolutely broke off
all hopeful course OF development and
transformed Europe into bloody bat
lie arena
Appreciates Importance.
".tppreciating the Importance OF
his holiness declaration, the imperial
government has not failed to submit
the suggestion contained therein to
earne5. ar! scrupulous examination,
Special measures which the gov
ernment has taken in closest contact
with representatives OF the German
peoples for discussing and answering
the questions raised prove how earn
estly it desiresA in accordance with
his holiness desires, and the peace
resolution of the Reichstag on July
lo, to find a practical basis for just
and lasting peace.
The imperial government greets
with special sympathy the leading
idea of the peace appeal wherein his
holiness clearly expresses the con.
viction that in the future the material
power OF arms must be superseded
by the moral power OF right. We are
also convinced that the sick body OF
human society can be healed only by
fortiiying its moral strength OF right.
From this would follow, according to
his holiness view, the simultaneous
diminution OF the armed forces OF
all states and the institution OF obli-
gatory arbitration for international
disputes.
Limitation Of Armaments.
"We share his holiness view that
definite rules>and a certain safeguard
for a Simultaneous and reciprocal
limitation OF ornaments on land, on
sea and in the air, as well as for the
true freedom OF the community and
high seas, are the things, in treating
which the new spirit thakin the fu-
ture should prevail in international
relations should find first hopeful ex-
preston. The task would then OF it.
self arise to decide international diff
fcrences of opinion, not by the use of
armed forces. but by peaceful Meth
DDS. especially by arbitration, whose
high peace producing effect we to-
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