Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-24
Full Text Of Kaiser $ Reply
To Peace Message Of Pope

|. (Only a small portion of the kaiser's
reply to the Pope's peace proposal
came through by cable Friday night
and the following is the complete text.
received Saturday,.
Amsterdam. Sept. 23.-Following -
the complete text of the German re-
ply to Pope Benedict's peace proposal;
The Complete Text
Herr Cardinal; Your Emihence has
been good enough together with your
letter of Au. to transmit to the
Kaiser and King, my most gracious
master, the note of His Holiness, the
Pope, in which His Holiness filled with
grief at the devastation of the world
war. makes an emphatic peace APP
peal to the heads of the belligerent
peoples The Kaiser King has deigned
To acquaint me with Your EXcellency S
letter and to entrust the reply to me.
His majesty has been following for
considerable time with high respect
and sincere gratitude His Holiness eff
forts in a spirit of true impartiality to
alleviate as far as possible the suf-
fcrngs of the war and to hasten the
end of hostilities. The Kaiser sees in
the latest step Of His Holiness fresh
proof of his noble and humane feel
inss, and cherishes a lively desire that
for the benefit of the entire world the
papal appeal may meet with success.
The effort of Pope Benedict is to
pave the way To an understanding
amongst all peoples and might more
surely reckon on a sympathetic recep-
ton and the whole hearted support
from his majesty. seeing that the
Kaiser, since taking over the govern
ment, has regarded it as his principal
and most sacred task to preserve the
blessings Of peace for the German peo-
pie and the world. In his first speech
from the throne at the opening of the
German Reichstag on June %. 1885,
the Kaiser promised that his love of
the German army and his position
toward it should never lead him into
temptation to cut short the benefits of
peace unless war was necessity
forced upon us by an a-tack on the
should safeguard peace for us and
should peace. nevertheless. be broken.
it would he in a position to win it with
honor. The Kaiser has by his acts
fulfilled the promise he then made in
o6 years Of happy rule. despite provo
cations and temptations
I'm the crisis which led to the present
world confa grafton his majesty's efforts
were up to the last moment directed to-
wards settling the conflict by peaceful
means. After the war had broken cut
against his wish and desire. the Kaiser in
conjunction with his high allies was the
first solemnly to declare his readiness to
enter into peace negotiations. The Ger
man people supported his ma iesty in his
keen desire for peace.
Germany sought within her national
frontier the free development Of her spir-
itual and material possessions and out
side the imperial territory unhindered
competition with nations enjoying equal
rights and equal esteem. The free play
Of forces in the world in peaceable wresl-
ling with one another would lead to the
highest perfecting of the nobest human
possessions. Disastrous concentrations of
events in the year 1914 absolutely broke
off all hopeful course of development and
transformed Europe into blood battle
area.
Approaching the importance Of His
Holiness declaration. the imperial gov
eminent has not failed to submit the sug-
lot
scrupulous examinati ton Special meas
ures. which the government has taken in
closest contract with representatives Of
the German people for discussing and
answering the questions raised. prove how
earnest it desires, In accordance with
His Holiness desires. and the peace reso-
luton Of the Reichstag on July H. to find
practical basis for just and lasting
peace.
The imperial government Ereets with
special symnathy the leading idea Of the
peace appeal wherein His Holiness clear
~ expresses the conviction that in the
future the material power Of arms must
he superseded by the moral power of
right We are also convinced that the
sick body Of human society can only be
/ healed ~ 1OTtllN1ng It's m raj strength
Of right From this would follow. ac-
cording to His Holiness view. the stimuli
taneous diminution Of the armed forces OF
all states and the institution Of ohliga-
tory arbitration for international dis
putes.
We share His Holiness view tina:
definite rules and certain safeguard
| for simultaneous and reciprocal linn
! itation of armamen 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 that in the future
should prevail in international rela :
tions-should find first hopeful express
sion. The tack would then of Itself
arise to decide international differ
ences Of opinion. not by the use of
armed forces, but by the peaceful
method especially by arbitration,
whose high peace reproducing effect we,
together with His Holiness fully rec
ognize.
The imperial government will in
! this respect support every proposal
compati ble with the vital interest Of
the German empire and people.
Germany. owing to her geographic
cal situation and economic rent1ire-