The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-12
COMPLETE TEXT OF
 REPLY OF ALLIES TO
 WILSON PEACE NOTE
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 1 <Continued from Page One) entente nations are conscious that they are not fighting for selfish interests. but above all to safeguard the independence 1 of peoples, of right and humanity. AWARE OF SUFFERINGS "The allies are fully aware of the losses neutrals as well as to belligerents and I they deplore them, but they do not hold ! themselves responsible for them, having | in no way either willed or provoked this war, and they strive to reduce these damages in the measure compatible with i the memorable exigencies of their defense against the violence and the wles of the enemy
 Tt is with satisfaction, therefore, that they take note of the statement that the American communication is in no way associated with that of the central pow CTS transmitted on December IS by the government of the United States. They did not doubt, moreover, the resolution of that government to avoid even the ap- pearance of a support, even moral, or the authors responsible for the war. "The allied governments believe that they must protest in the most friendly, but in the most specific manner against the assimilation established in the Amer i ican note between the two beiligerents, based upon public declarations by the central powers, is in direct opposition to the evidence, both as regards responsibll- ity for the past and as regards guar antees for the future. President Wilson, in mentioning 1t, certainly had no inten- ton of associating himself with it.
 HORRORS RECALLED 'If there is a historical'fac established at the present date, it is the willful ag- gresSion of Germany and Austria Hun gary to insure their hegemony over Flu rope, and their economic domination over 1 the world. Germany proved, by her dec- 1 laration of war, by the immediate viola ! ton of Belgium and Luxemburg, and by her manner of conducting the war. her stimulating contempt for all principles of humanity and all respect for small states; ] as the conflict developed the attitude of | the central powers and their allies has been continual defiance of humanity i and civilization. It is necessary to re- 1 call the horrors which accompanied the ! invasion of Belgium and of Servia, the | attrocious regime imposed upon the in vaded countries, the massacre of hun dreds of thousands of inoffensive Ar menians, the barbarities perpetrated | against the populations of Syria, the raids | l tion by submarines of passenger steamers | and of merchantmen even under neutral l flags the cruel treatment inflicted upon ] prisoners of war, the juridical murders of 1 Miss Cavel, of Captain Fryatt, the re- 1 duction to slavery of civil populations, l ct cetera? The execution of such se- ries of crimes perpetrated without any regard for universal reproduction explains to President Wilson the protest of the aIiles.
 ALREADY ANSWERED l They consider that the note which 1 they sent to the United States in reply ! to the German note will be response | to the questions put by the American government, and according to the exact i words of the latter, constitute a public 1 declaration as to the conditions upon l which the war could be terminated. l President Wilson desires more; he de- sres that the belIigerent powers openly affirm the objects which they seek by 1 continuing the war: the allies experience no difficulty in replying to this request. Their objects in the war are we'll known; 1 they have been formulated on many oc- casions by the chiefs of their divers gov err ment.
 TERMS ARE NAMED
 ssTheir objects in the war will
 not be made known in detail with
 all the equitable cOmpensatiOns md indemnities for damages suf- fered until the hour of negOtia- tiOns. But the civilized world
 knows that they imply in all ne- cessity and in the first instance the restoration of Belgium of Servia and of Montenegro. and the indemnities which are due
 them; the evacuation of the in- vaded territories of France. of Russia and of Rumania. with just reparatiOn; the reorganization of
 Europe guaranteed by stable
 regime and founded as much upon
 respect of nationalities and full security and liberty (OO economic
 development. which all nations.
 great or small, possess. as upon
 territorial conventions and inter
 national agreements suitable to
 guarantee territorial and maritime
 frontiers against uniustified at-
 tacks; the restitution of provinces
 or territories wrested in the past
 from the allies by force or against
 the will of their populations. the
 liberation of Italians. of Slavs. of
 Rumanians and of the Czech
 Slavs from foreign dOmina-
 tion; the enfranchisement of pop
 ulations subject to the blood
 tyranny of the Turks; the expuI-
 sion from Europe of the Ottoman
 empire. which has proved itself so
 radically alien to western civiliza-
 tiOn.
 RUSSIAN AIMS
 ''The intentions of his majesty, the Elm
 peror of Russia. regarding Poland hay
 been clearly indicated in the proclamation
 which he has just addressed to hi
 armies. It goes without saying that i the allies wish to liberate Europe iron
 the brutal covetousness of Prussian mil itarsm. it never has been their design as has been alleged, to encompass the ex termination of the German peoples an their political disappearance. That whic they desire above all is to insure a peac upon the principles of liberty and justice lupon the. inviolable fidelity to interna tional obligation with which the govern ment of the United States has neve
 ceased to be inspired.
 United in the pursuits of this suprem object the allies are determined. individ Iually and collectively, to act with a their power and to consent to all sacr fees to bring 10 victorious close con | fict upon which they are convinced nc
 only their own safety and prosperity dc
 pends, but also the future of civiliza tion itself"
 BELGIUM NOTE The translation of the Belgian not . (which was handed to Ambassador Shar with the entente reply. follows: s.sTha eovernrne1t of the King, Whic