The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-10-24
Full Text of
Germany's Note
TORRES. Wilson

In accepting the proposal for
an evacuation of occupied terri
tories, the German government
has started from the assumption
that the procedure Of this eyacu-
alton and of the conditions of an
armStice should be left TO the
military advisers and that the
actual standard of power on both
sides in the field has to form the
basis for arrangements safe
guarding and guaranteeing this
standard.
"The German government sug-
gests 10 the president that an OPP
pOrtunity 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 irreconcilable
with the honor of the German peo-
pie and with opening a way to a
peace of justice.
"The German government pro-
tests against. the reprOach of ille-
gal and inhumane actions made
against the German land and sea
forces and thereby against the
German people. For the cover
ing of a retreat distinctions will
always be necessary and they are
carried out in SO far as is permit
ted by international law. The
German troops are under most
strict instructions to spare pri-
vate property and to exercise
care for the population to the best
of their ability. Where tranG-
greSsions occur in spite of these
instructions the guilty are being
punished.
THE German government fur
Their denies that the German navy
in sinking ships has ever pur-
posely destroyed lifeboats with
their passengers. The German
government proposes with regard
to all those charges that the facts
be cleared up by neutral commits
siOns.
I'm order to avoid anything
that might hamper the work of
peace, the German government
has caused orders to be dispatch
ed to all submarine commanders
precluding the torpedoing of pas
senger ships without, however,
being able TO guarantee that
these orders will leach every
single submarine at sea before its
return.
"As a fuJ Iamental condition
for peace the president prescribes
the destruction of every arbitrary
power that can separately Sc
cretiy and of its own single
choice disturb the peace Of the
world. To- this the German gov
eminent replies:
Hitherto the representation of
the people in the German empire
has not been endowed with an in
fiuence on the formation Of the
government.
The constitution did not pro-
vide for a concurrence of repre-
sentation of the people in deCiS-
ions of peace and war. These
conditions have just now under
gone a fundamental change. A
new government has been formed
in complete accordance with the
wishes (principle?) of the repre-
sentation of the people based on
equal, universal, secret, direct
franchise.
The leaders Of the great par
ties of the reiChstag are men,
bers of this government. In the
future no government can take
or continue in office without pos
sessing the confidence of ma
jority of the reichstag.
THE responsibility of the
chancellor of the empire to the
representation of the people is
being legally developed and safe
guarded. The first act of the
new government has been to lay
before the reichstag a bill TO al
ter the constitution of the en-
pire so that the consent of the
representation of the people is
required for decisions on war
and peace.
''The permanence of the new
system is, however, guaranteed
not only by constitutional safe
guards, but also by the un3hak-
able determination of TIC Ger
man people whose vast majority
stands behind these reforms and
demands their energetic cOntinu-
ancP.
THE question of the president
with whom he and the govern
ments associated against Germa-
ny are dealing-is therefore an
swered in clear, unequivocal
manner by the statement that the
offer Of peace and an armistice
has come from government
which is free from any arbitrary
and irresponsible infleunce, is sup
ported by the approval of an
overwhelming majority OF the
German people. Solf."
Great Fuel conserver.
Each and every day of such weatf