The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-10-24

10 president wilson with note Whlcn,
though no one is prepared to say it
will lead the President even to con-
tinue exchanges on the subject of an
armistice and peace, at least has
served almost to bring conviction here
that the people of Germany actually
are taking the reins of government
and sincerely desire peace on any
terms the United States and the Allies
are willing to give.
London.-The text of the German
note, as received by wireless, is as
follows:
In accepting the proposal for an
evacuation Of occupied territories the
German government has started from
the assumption that the procedure Of
this evacuation and of the conditions
of an armistice should be left to the
Judgment of the military advisers and
that the actual standard of power on
both sides in the field has to form
the basis for arrangements safeguard
ing and guaranteeing this standard.
THE German government suggests
to the President that an opportunity
should be brought about for fixing the
details. 1t trusts that the President
of the United States will approve Of
no demands which would be irreconcil-
able with the honor of the German
people and with opening a way to a
peace of justice.
THE German government protests
against the reproach of Illegal and In
humane actions made against the Ger.
man land and sea forces and thereby
against the German people. For the
covering of a retreat distinctions will
always be necessary and they are car
ried out in so far as is permitted by
international law The German troops
are under most strict instructions to
spare private property and to exercise
care for the population to the best of
their ability. Where transgressions
occur in spite of these instructions the
guilty are being punished.
"The German government further
denies that the German Navy in sink
ing ships has ever purposely destroyed
lifeboats with their passengers. The
German government proposes with re-
gard to all those charges that the
facts be cleared up by neutral com
missions
In order to avoid anything that
might hamper the work of peace, the
German government has caused orders
to be dispatched TO all submarine com
mandeIs precluding the torpedoing of
passenger ships without, however, for
technical reasons, being able to guar
antee that these orders will reach ev-
cry single submarine at sea before It's
return.
las a fundamental condition for
peace the President prescribes the de
struction of every arbitrary power that
can separately, secretly and of its own
single choice disturb the peace of the
world. To this the German govern
ment replies;
Hitherto the representation of the
people in the German Empire has not
been endowed with an influence on
the formation of the government.
The constitution did not provide
for a concurrence of representation of
the people in decisions of peace and
war. These conditions have just now
undergone a fundamental change. A
new government has been formed in
complete accordance with the wishes
(principle?) of the representation of
the people. based on equal, universal,
secret, direct franchise
THE leaders of the great parties of
the Reichstag are members of this
government In the future no govern
ment can take or continue in office
without possessing the confidence of
majority of the Reichstag
THE responsibility of the Chan
cellor of the Empire to the representa-.
ton of the people is being legally de-
veloped and safeguarded. The first
act of the new government has been to
lay before the Reichstag bill to alter
the constitution Of the empire so that
the consent of the representation of
the people is required for decisions
on war and peace.
THE permanence of the new sys-
TEN is, however, guaranteed not only
by constitutional safeguards, but also
by the unshakeable determination Of
the German people whose vast ma
jority stands behind these reforms and
demand their energetic continuance.
The question of the President
with whom he and the governments
associated against Germany are deal
ing-is therefore answered in a clear.
uneQuivocal manner by the statement
that the offer Of peace and an armistice
has come from a government which is
free from any arbitrary and irresponsi.
BILE influence, Is supported by the ap-
prevail of an overwhelming majority Of
the German people.
SOLE"
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