The state herald., 1917-09-28
CLEAR way FOR PEACE
GERMANY AND AUSTRIA READY
FOR sErTLEMENT OF WAR.
Replies to Vatican Express Hope That
All sslllssrents viii Come 70 View
Pentlffs Proposal ~ Basis for
Negotiations.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Amsterdam.-The German govern
ment. In It's reply to the peace note Of
Pope Benedict. copy Of which has
been received here. "cherishes . live.
ly desire" that the appeal may meet
with success. Emperor William. the
German note says. has been following
the efforts Of the pope toward peace
for a considerable time with high re-
spect
The reply adds that the effort Of
the pope to pave the way to an un.
derstanding might most surely be
reckoned to have q sympathetic recep-
tion from the whole-hearted support Of
the German Emperor. since he has r.
garded II ~ his principal and most
sacred task to preserve the blessings
Of peace for the German people and
the world.
The text Of the reply reads:
Herr Cardinal: Your eminence has
been good enough. together with your
letter OF Aug. :. 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 dsvastations Of the world
war, makes an emphatic peace appeal
to the heads OF the bsllisersnt pso-
pies. The Kaiser-King has deignsd To
acQuaint me with your sminencs's let.
ter and to intrust the reply TO me.
His majesty has been following for
. 'considsrable time with high respect
and sincere gratitude his holiness Il.
forts In . spirit Of true impartiality
to alleviate - far ~ possible the sui.
ferings 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 feelings and cherishes .
lively desire that for the benefit Of
the entire world the papal appeal may
meet with success.
"The effort Of Pope Benedict 10 70
pave the way to an understanding
amongst oil peoples and might more
surely reckon on . sympathetic rscep.
ton and the whole hearted support
from his majesty, seeing that the
Kaiser, since taking over the govern.
ment, has regarded II a. his principal
and most sacred task to preserve the
blessings Of peace for the German pso-
pie and the world.
''ln his first speech from the throna
At the opening Of the German Reichs.
tag on June Is, lsSs. the Kaiser prom
ised that his love Of the German army
and his position toward II should
never lead him into temptation 70 sut
short the benefits Of peace unless VA
were . necessity. forced on us By a
attack on the empire or its allies.
The German army should safe
gharA peace for ~ and should peAoa
nevertheless. b broken. It would b
in . position to win It with hoooe
The Kaiser has. BY his acts. fulfilled
the promise he then made In twenty
six years Of happy rule. despite prov
ocations and temptations.
In the crisis. which led TO the prss
snt world conflagration. his majesty
efforts were up to the last moment
directed towards settling the conflict
by peaceful means. After the var had
broken out. against his wish and Dc
sire. the Kaiser. In conjunction With
his high allies. was the first solemniy
to declare his readiness to enter into
peace negotiations. The German peo
pie supported his majesty In his keen
desire for peace.
Germany sought within her na
tional frontier the free development
of her spiritual and material posses
sions, and outside the imperial terri
snrv ,,.hluA~.>A >----sssGz- -lsh -.
tons enjoying equal rights and squal
esteem.
The free play Of forces in the world
in peaceable wrestling with one an
other would lead TO the highest per
fecting Of the noble human posses
sions. Disastrous considerations oil
events In the year 1914 absolutely
broke off all hopeful course of devei
opment and transformed Europe into
bloody battle arena"
Amsterdam. - Peace would come
from the recent proposals Of Pope
Benedict II the beliigsrent nations
would enter into negotiations in the
sense Of the pontiff's suEgestions. EN-.
peror Charles OF Austria. Hungary
says in his reply to the Vatican note.
The Emperor sees In tho popc's peaoe
plan q suitable basis for starting nego-
tiations toward n Just and lasting
peacc. and expresses tho hope that
the nations opposing his own may be
animated by tho same idea.
Tho Austrian emperor admits that
the future arrangement Of the world
must be based on the elimination OF
armed force and on the rule OF inter.
national Justice and legality.
AustrisHungnry's ruler received
the pontifrs notc with . thankful
heart and with nm expression OF hope
that the pontiff's efforts may lead to
the realization OF tho omporor's do
sire for a lasting and honorable peace
for NIL parties.
Freedom OF tho seas Is one OF the
peace hopes Of Emperor Charles In or.
der that heavy material burdens could