The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-10-31
GERMANY REPLYS
TO WILSON'S NOTE
Unofficial Answer to Presidents
Questions Received in Lon.
don by Wireless.
WOULD SAVE HUNS HONOR"
Berlin Government Denies Its Soldiers
Have Been Guilty of Atrocities
Await Official Note.


shington.-Germany has replied
to President Wilson with a note which,
though no one is prepared to say it
viii 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 &C
tually are taking the reins of govern
ment and sincerely desire peace on
any terms the United States and the
Allies are willing to give.
There was no intimation tonight of
the attitude of the President and
probably there will be none until the
official text of the new German COM
munication has been received. The
President was in conference all even
ing with Secretary Lansing, discuss
ing the note as received by wireless
late in the day Like the reply to
the Presidents inquiries a week ago,
this note was sent out from the Ger
man wireless stations and picked up
in the Allied countries many hours
before the official text could move
by cable. The official version will
come through the Swiss legation here.
The following is the full, but not
the official, text of Germany's reply
to President Wilson. 1t comes from
London, where it was received by
wireless:
Text of Note.
''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 arrangement safeguarding
and guaranteeing this standard.
1.-THE German government suggest
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
demand which would be irreconcili-
able with the honor of the German
people and with opening a way to
peace of justice.
1.-THE German government protests
| against the reproach Of illegal and
inhumane actions made against the
| German land and sea forces and there
! by against the German people. For
the covering of a retreat distinctions
will always be necessary and they are
carried out insofar as is permitted by
International law. The German troops
are under most strict instructions to
| spare private property and to exer-
else care for the population to the
best of their ability. Where trans
gressions occurred in spite of these
instructions the guilty are being pun
| ished.
1.-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.
I'm order to avoid anything that
might hamper the work of peace, the
German government has caused or
ders to be dispatched to all subma-
rine commanders precluding the tor
| pedoing Of passenger ships, without
| however, for technical reasons, being
able to guarantee that these orders
will reach every single submarine al
sea before its return.
CAS- fundamental condition foI
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 Ger
man government replies:
Hitherto the representation Of the
people in the German Empire has not
been endowed with an influence on
the formation Of the government.
1.-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
1.-THE leaders of the great parties oil
the Reichstag are members OF this
government In the future no gov
Suspicious Creature.
"a hard woman to please" How