Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-10-22
FHKTOF'GERNAN REPLY

Il
Protests Against Charges of lllega
and Inhuman Actions on Part OF
/ People.
London, Oct. 22.-The text of the
Herman reply to President Wilson's
rcte, as received here By wireless from
Berlin, is as follows:
SIN accepting the proposal for the
Evacuation of occupied territories, the
lGcrman government started from tho
assumption that the procedure for this
Ievacuation and the conditions of the
armistice should be left to the judg-
|Teht Of the military advisers, and that
|tae aatual standard of power w'l..h
Ibuth sides in the field have should
Ifolna the basis ci arrangements safe
guarding ard guaranteeing this STAN
darl.
"The German government suggests
to the President that opportunity be
Brought about for fixing the details
(of an rist:cc).
"The German government trusts
that the President will approve Of no
demand which would be irreconcilabie
| With he honor Of the German people
lnd with the aLerlng of the way to a
Eeace o: justice.
THE German government proteS.s
gainst the reproach OF illegal and in
haman actions made ssainst the G..
"naM PEOPLE. !:
"For covering retreat destruction
will always be necessary, and in SO far
IS necessary they are permitted by ;u-
ternational law.
"The German troops are under tie
'trictest instructions to spare private
property and to exercise care for the
,upulaticr 70 lne best of their ability.
"Wi!are transgressions occur in snite
If these instructions the guilty are
being punished.
"The German government furthc:
ienies that the German navy in sink
;ng ships ever purposely destroyed
'feboats with passengers.
The German government propose;
II regard to all these charges, that
he facts be cleared up by neutral CON-
7issions.
In order to avoid anything that
night hamper the work of peace, the
government has caused orders to be
dispatched to all submarine command
RS precluding the torpcdoing of pas
enger ships, without, however, 70:
echnical reasons, being able to qua
fntee ttat these orders will reach
very single submarine at sea before
ts return. =
"As a fundamental condition Of
.eace, the President prescribes the
estruction of every arbitrary power
hat can separately, secretly and .oi
IS owD single choice disturb the pca2e
+ the world. The German govern
nent replies that hitherto the, repre-
;entatives of; the people of the Ger
nan empire have not been endowed
yith .rfuence. .>onr theS formation of a
government. The constitution did nos
provide fcr the concurrence of rep
,osenta!ives. of the people in decisions
S to roace and war. These condition;
,aye Just now undergone, "a funda-
mental, change. A new. government has
cen formed in accordance with ;tb:
xishes of the representatives of the
oeople, based upon equal, universal
;ecrer and direct franchise. i,
"The readers of the great parties Of
he !Seichstag are members Of this
government. In the future no govern
nsnt :3sn take Office, or continue in
oaice without possessing the conf
ien~e Of a majority of the Reiehstag.
THE responsibility of the chancel-
.cl of the empire to the representa-
ives Of the people is being legally
'cvelored and ;safeguarded. The first
! lct of tire new government has been
20 ,ay, before the, Reichstag a bill to
tar The constitution of the empiT.
% that consent. of the representatives
| f The people is required for decisions
IS to war and peace.
"The permanence of the new system
# government is, however, guaranteed
.ot only by constitutional safeguards
| mt also. by the unshakable determine
| rion of the German people, whose vast
majority stands behind these reforms
and demands their energetic continu,
lance.