The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-05-23
PROTEST AGAINST ENEMY'S As.
SERTION ATTEMPTING TO
THROW ON ENTENTE RE-
SPONSlBILITY FOR WAR.
DECLARE PROPOSITION is
LIKE MANEUvER OF WAR
Official Text Asserts Proposal Was
Made in Order to Seek to lntinl-
date Neutrals-Affirms Peace
Is impossible Until Re-
paration Is Made.

posal has been refused by the Allies.
In collective note branding the
prefer of the Central Powers as empty
and insincere, the Allied governments
insist that no peace is possible SO long
as they have not secured reparation for
violated rights and liberties. They
reiterate the objects they are fighting
for, namely, the free existence of small
states and maintain that any settle
ment must provide for tho future Sc
curity Of the entire world.
The proposal Of the Central Powers
is termed not an offer of peace but a
''manoeuvre of war" It is declared to
be founded on calculated misrepresen-
tation Of the character Of the struggle
In the past, the present and the fu-
ture."
Outlines BelSiuH's War Aims.
The note does not specifically outline
the war aims of any of the Allied gov
ernments except Belgium. Before the
war. it is pointed out, Belgium asked
Tor nothing but to live in harmony
of the treaties guaranteeing her in
volatility. Belgium, the note, has taxi
en- up arms to defend her independence
and her neutrality violated by Ger
many"
Note Delivered to Sharpe.
The note was handed to u. S. A1ahas-
sador Sharpe by Premier BRAND in
q
ed States to the Central Powers.
The note says: THE Allied govern
ments of Belgium, France, Great Brit
ain, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Portu-
gal, Roumania, Russia and Serbia, unit
ed for the defense of the liberty of
their peoples and faithful to engage
ments taken not to lay down. treir
arms separately have resolved to reply
collectively to pretended propositions
of peace which were addressed to them
on behalf of enemy governments
through the intermediary of the Unit
ed States. Spain, Switzerland and Hol-
land.
Wished to Avoid War.
Before making any reply to the AL
lied Powers desire particularly to pro-
test against the two essential asser-
tons of the note of the enemy powers
that pretend to throw upon the Allies
responsibility for the war and pro-
ers.
1.-The Allied governments cannot ad-
NIT an affirmation doubly inexact and
which suffices to render sterile all ten
tative negotiations.
"The Allied nations have sustained
for thirty months a war they did every
thing to avoid. They have shown by
their acts their attachment to peace
That attachment is as strong today as
1t was in 1914. But it Is not upon the
word Of Germany. after the violation
of her engagements, that the peace
broken by her may be based.
Not mn Offer Of Peace.
"A mere suggestion, without a state
ment of terms, that negotiations
should be opened, is not an offer Of
peace. The putting forward by the
Imperial Government of a sham propo-
sal lacking all substance and precision
would appear to be less an offer of
haO Of ia
founded on calculated misinterpreta-
ton Of the character Of the struggle
in the past, the present and the flu
ture.
LAS 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.
Refused Disarmament Plan.
lat the Hague conference it was a
German delegate who refused all pro-
posals for disarmament. In July, 1918,
it was Austro-Hungary. who, after hav-
ing addressed to Serbia an unpreoe-
denied ultimatum declared war upon
her in spite Of the satisfaction which
had at once been accorded.
1.-The Central Empires then rejected
all attempts made by the entente tc
bring about a pacific solution Of q
purely local conflict.
"Great Britain suggested a confer
ence; France proposed an international
commission; the Emperor Of Russia
asked the German emperor to go te
arbitration and Russia and Austria.
Hungary came to an understanding or
the eve Of the conflict But to all these
efforts Germany gave neither answer
nor acknowledgment
Belgium Invaded by Empire.
Belgium was invaded by an empire
which had guaranteed her neutralit,
and which had the assurance to pro
claim that treaties were scraps of pa
per and that necessity knows no law.
AT the present moment these shan
offers on the part of Germany rest O,
the war map of Europe alone, which
represents nothing more than a super
fetal and passing phase of the situa
fion and not the real strength of tn,
belligerents.
"A peace concluded upon these term