Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-01

Following is the text Of the entente
allies reply to the German peace pro-
posal, which was handed to United
states Ambassador Sharp Saturday
night in Paris.
"The allied governments Of Belgium,
France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan
Montenegro Portugal, Roumania, Rus
sia and Serbia, united for the defense
Of the liberty Of their peoples ana
faithful to engagements taken not TO
lay down their arms separately, have
resolved to reply collectively to the
pretended propositions of peace Whlcn
were addressed to them on behai1 OF
the enemy governments thru the IN
termediary Of the United States,
Spain, Switzerland and Holland.
Not Responsible For War.
Before making any reply the allied
powers desire particularly to protest
against the two essential assertions Oh
the note OF the enemy powers that pre-
tend to throw upon the allies re-
sponsibility for the war and proclaim
tha ss1nr The ,centTal powers.
"The allied governments can not ad-
nit an affirmative doubly ineXact aIiu
which suffices to render sterile al
tentative negotiations.
"The allied nations have sustained
for thirty months war they olo
everything to avoid
.They have shown by their acts their
attachment to peace.
"rhat attachment is as strong TO-DAY
., uoa IN 1914
"But 1t is not upon the word Oh
Germany, after the violation OF It's en-
gagements, that the peace broken ny
her may be based.
"A mere suggestion. without state
nent Of terms. that negotiations
should be opened, is not an of1er oi
peace.
"The putting forward by the i'm,
perial government Of a sham proposal
lacking all substance and precls'oi. .
would appear to be less an orer u
neace than a war maneuver.
at Is founded on calculated mis-
,n,ernretation Of the character OF the
struggle in the past, the present anu
AS for the past, the German note
tahoe no account Of the facts, dates
and figures which establish that the
war was desired, provoked, and de-
o,orad hv Germany and Austria-H Hun
gary.
Refused Once to Oisarm.
AT The Hague conference 1t was
German delegate who refused all Pro
posals for disarmament.
"In July, 1914, it was Austrla-hun-
gary who, after having addressed to
Serbia an unprecedented uitlmatum
declared war upon her in spite OF tne
satisfaction which had been ACCORDED
at once.
"The central empires then rejected
all attempts made by the entente u
bring about a pacific solution OF
purely local conflict.
"Great Britain suggested con-
ference: France proposed an inter.
national commission; the emperor "
Ruasia asked the German emperor y
po tn arbitration, and Russia ana AUS
tr,a Hungary came to an understand
Ing on the eve Of the conflict.
eBut to all these efforts Germany
o.va neither answer nor effect.
Invasion Of Belgium.
"Releium was invaded by an empire
which had guaranteed her neutrality
and which had the assurance 10 pro-
claim that treaties were scraps OF pa
ner., and that necessity knows nc
law
"At the present moment those shan
offers on the part of Germany rest or
the war map Of Europe alone. Whlcf
represents nothing more than super
fetal and passing phase OF the sltua
ton and not the real strength OF the
belligerents.
"a peace concluded upon these terms
would be only to the advantage OF tbt
aperessors, who, after imagining thai
they would reach their goal in two
months, discovered after two. years thai
they could never attain 1t.
Don't Mention Future.
"As for the future, the disasters
caused by the German declaration oi
war and the innumerable out.ages coni.
mitted by Germany and her allies
against both belligerents and neutrals
demand penalties, reparation and guar.
antees. Germany avoids mention o.
any Of these.
'In reality these overtures male hy
the central powers are nothing more
than a calculated attempt to infiuenct