The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-26
HERTL|NG MAKES
ANSWER TO WILSON
Can Fundamentally Agree
with Four Principles in
Presidents Views -
+SUGGESTS=BELGHM
sIoIz MAKE PROPOSALS
Says England's Aims Are Imperialistic,
and Country Does Not Think of Ap-
plying Principles Suggested to Ire
land, Egypt and India. 800.

AMSTERDAM, Feb. 26.-Speaking
before the reichstag yesterday the i'm
perial German chancellor, Count Won
Hcrtling, made this declaration:
81 can fundamentally agree with |
the four principles, which in President
Wilson s view mast be applied in a mu
tual exchange of views, and thus de-
clare with President Wilson that.a gen
eral peace can be discussed on such a |
basis.
'oOnly one reserve need be made in
this connection: These principles must
not only be proposed by the president |
Of the United States but must also ac-
tually be recognized By all states and
peoples. t1o3e ; 3it
but this goal chas not yet been
reached There is stil no court of ar
bitration established by all the nations
| for the preservation of peace in the |
name of justice. When President Will
son incidentally says that the German
/ chancellor is speaking, to the tribunal
of the entire world, l musa decline
this tribunal as prejudiced, iovfullv as
| | would greet it, if an impartial court
of arbitration existed and gladly as |
would cooperate to realize such ideals
Unfortunately, however, there is no
| trace Of similar statements on the lead
! ing powers of the entente England 5
war aims still are thoroughly imperial
! istic and she wants to impose on the
world a peace according to England s
good pleasure.
"Whcn England talks about the peo-
pie 8 right of self determination, she
does not think of applying the principle
to Ireland, Egypt and India
1T has been repratndly-said we do
not contemplate retaining Belgium, the
danger of a country, with which. but
that we must be safeguarded from, we
desire after the war to live in peace
and friendship, becoming the object or
jumping ground OF enemy machina-
tons. If, therefore, a proposal came
from the opposing side, for example.
from the governments in Havre, we
should not adopt an-antagonistic atti-
tude, even though the discussion at
inst might only bcl uabinding.
Meanwhile, / readily admit that
| President Wilson's gnessage of Feb. II
constitutes perhaps a small step toward
| Il nuIudt fdppfoCncluent.
With reference to a statement re-
Gently made by Waiter NRunciman, the
former president Of the board of agri-
culture III the British cabinet, the chan
cellor said:
u can only agree with Mr., Runci-
man If he meant that we should be
much nearer peace If proper RESPONSE
bic representatives ,of the belligcrenti
4 powers would meet in conclave for dis,
cusslon. That would be a way to re-
move all intentional and unintentionai
misunderstanding and bring about an
agreement on many individual ques-
tons | am thinking especially IN this
connection of Belgium >
The chancellor announced that the
Russian government had accepted the
German peace conditions and he added
that the conclusion OF peace must en-
sue soon
News was received yesterday. >
said the chancellor, "that Petrograd
had accepted our conditions and had
sent It's representatives to Brest -Litovak
for further negotiations Accordingly.
our delegates travelled thither last eve
nng. 1t is possible there viii still be
a dispute about details but the main
thing has been achieved.
The will to peace has been cx-
pressly announced from the Russian
side; our conditions have been accepted
and the conclusion of peace must ensue
within a very shQrt time. -..-