The state herald., 1917-01-05
Entente Powers Declare Propo.
siticsl for Conference Empty
and Insincere.
PREPARATION DIM 'ND:D
Disclaim Responsibility for War
and Deny Foes Assertion
That Victory Is Theirs.
stern Newspaper Union News Service.

western Newspaper Union News Service.
Paris, Jan. 3.-The text OF the re
ply OF the allied governments to the
German peace proposals, given on Dec
30. follows:
'The allied governments of Belgium
France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan,
Montenegro, Portugal. Rumania. Rus.
sia 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
resolved to reply collectively to the
pretended propositions of peace which
were addressed to them on behalf OF
the enemy governments, through the
Intermediary of the United States,
Switzerland and Holland.
Before making any reply the allied
powers desire particularly to protest
against the two essential assertions of
the note OF the enemy powers. that
pretend to throw upon the allies re-
sponsibility for the war and proclaim
the victory of the central powers.
"The allied governments cannot ad-
nit an affirmation doubly inexact and
which suffers TO render sterile all ten.
tative negotiations.
"The allied nations have sustained
for thirty months war they did ev.
erything to avoid. They have shown
by their acts their attachment TO
peace. That attachment is as strong
today as It was In 1914.
But II is not upon the word of
Germany, after the violation OF en-
gagements. that the peace broken by
her may be based"
"A mere suggestion. without state
ment Of terms, that negotiations should
be opened. is not an offer of peace
The putting forward by the imperial
government OF sham proposal lack
ing all substance and precision would
appear to be less an offer OF peace
than a war maneuyer. II is founded on
calculated misinterpretation OF the
character OF the struggle in the past,
the present and the future.
"As for the past. the German note
takes no account of the facts, dates
and figures which establish that the
war was desired. provoked and de.
clared, by Germany and Austria.Hun-
gary.
AT The Hague Conference II was n
German delegate who refused all pro.
posals for disarmament. In July, 1914.
II was Austria-Hungary who. after
having addressed TO Serbia an unpre.
redented ultimatum. declared war
upon her In spite Of the satisfaction
which had been accorded at once.
THE central empires then rejected
all attempts made by. the entente to
bring about a pacific solution OF
purely local conflict: Great Britain
suggested a conference; France pro.
posed an international commission;
the emperor OF Russia asked the Ger.
man Emperor TO 20 TO arbitration. and
Russia and Austrla.liungary came to
an understanding on the eve OF the
conflict. But TO all these efforts Ger.
many gave neither answer nor effect.
Belgium was invaded by an EN-.
pire which had guaranteed her neu.
trality. and which had the assurance
10 proclaim that treaties were scraps
of paper and that necessity knows no
law
AT tb present moment these sham
offers on the part OF Germany rest on
the war map OF Europe alone. which
represents nothing more than II super.
fetal and passing phase of the situa.
lion and not the real strength OF the
belligerents. A peace concluded upon
these terms would be only TO the ad.