Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-12
GERMANY SAYS
LET HISTORY Be
Ipr',> = : IF G|IIIT
,cN
- y covers, in Note to Neu-
W lis, Announces They Have
No Reason to Discuss
Who Began War.
PROFFER NOT A MANEUVER
Protest Against Such Charac-
terization of Their Motives
in Making Offer.
CITES CRIMES OF ENEMIES

Berlin, Jan ll.-(By Wireless TO
Sayville. .)-Germany today handed
neutral governments a note concern
ing the reply of the entente to he
German peace proposals, the Over
seas News agency announces
| 1t is first stated. SAYS the news
agency announcement, that the Ger
man government has received the re-
ply of the entente TO the note OF
December Il, containing a PROPOSE
ton to enter at once into peace ne
gotiations. The note continues:
"Our adversaries declined this prop
osition, giving as the reason that it
is a proposal without sincerity and
without importance. The form in
which they clothe their communica-
ton excludes an answer to them, but
the imperial government, considers it
important to point out to the govern
ments of neutral powers its opinion
regarding the situation.
Leave 1t to History.
THE central powers have no rea-
son to enter into any discussion re-
garding the origin of the war His
tory viii Judge upon whom the i'm
mense guilt of the war shall fall, his
tory's verdict will as little pass over
the encircling policy Of England, the
revengeful policy of France and the
endeavor of Russia to gain Constan-
tinople as over the instigvation OF
the Serbian assassin in Sarayevo and
the complete mobilization of Russia
which meant war against Germany
Germany and her allies, who had
to take up arms for the defense OF
their liberty and their existence, con-
slider this their aim OF the war, as
obtained.
"On the other hand, the hostile
powers always went further away
from the realization of their plans
which. according to the declarations
of their responsible statemen, were
among others, directed toward the
conquest of Alsace-Lorrainc and sew
eral Prussian provinces, the humilia-
and diminution of the Austro-Hun-
garian monarchy, the partition of
Turkey and the mutilation of Bull
garia.
Effect Surprising.
in the face Of such war aims, the
demand for restitution. rcparation
and guarantees in the mouth of our
adversaries produces a surprising Ell
feet.
Our adversaries call the proposal
of the four allied Tcutonic powers
war maneuver. Germany and her allies
must protest in the most energetic
fashion against such characterize
ton of their motives, which were
frankly explained They were per-
suaded that peace which was just
and acceptable to all the belligercnts
was possible, that it could be brought
about by an Immediate spoken ex-
change of views and that, therefore,
the responsibility for further bloiod-
shed could not be taken"
Their readiness Was affirmed with
out reservation to make known their
peace conditions when negotiations
were entered into, which rcfutes every
doubt as to their sincerity.
Do Not Attempt Exoneration.
Our advcrsarics, who had it in
their hansd to examine the proposition
as to its contents, neither attempted
do
posals. Instead. they declared that
peace was impossible so long as the
re-cstablishment of violated rights
and liberties, the recognition OF the
principle of nationalities, and the free
existence of small states were not
guaranteed.
THE sincerity, which our adversary
denies to the proposals OF the four
allied powers, will not be conceded by
the world to these demands if the
world holds before its eyes the fate
OF the Irish people, the destruction of
the liberty and independence OF the
Boer republic, the subjugation of
northern Africa by England, France
and Italy, the suppression of Russian
alien nations, and also the violation
of Greece, which is without precedent
in history.
Against the pretended violations
of the laws of nations by the Tcutons,
those powers are not entitled to com
plain which from the beginning of the
war trampled on justice and tore TO
pieces the treaties upon which it is
built. England already during the
first weeks OF the war rcpudiated the
London declaration, the content of
which had been recognized by its own
delegates as valid law of nations
and in the further course of the war
violated in the most severe fashion
also the Paris declaration; so that by
her arbitrary measures for warfare, a
condition of lawlcssncss has been
created.