Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-10-30
BERLIN CONFESSES
TO ATROCITIES IN
REPLY To WILSON
Sinking of Passenger Boats Is
Ordered Stopped.
CITIES ARE TO BE SPARED
Doctor SoIf Tells U. S. Hun Govern
ment Has Been Reformed and
the Kaiser shorn of His Pow
er-Washington Officials
Skepticai.

/ Skeptical.
Washington. Oct 22.-Germany's re-
| ply TO President Wilson as received
by wireless is regarded here as an
awkward attempt to accept the terms
| for an armistice laid down by Presi-
! dent Wilson.
1t is believed to be certain that the
wireless version is CARRIED to an ex-
| tent, and officials will await the ar
rival of the official text before reach
| ing conclusions
Text of the Mote.
London, Oct. 22-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 safeguarding
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 de-
mand which would be irreconcilable
with the honor of the German people
and with opening a way to a peace Of
justice.
Protests Atrocity Charges.
1.-The German government protests
against the reproach of illegal and in
human actions made against the Ger
man land and sea forces and thereby
against the German people. For the
covering of 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 punished.
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 commits
sions.
"In order to avoid anything that
so,hk fI,a ne
German government has caused Or
ders to be dispatched to all subma4
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 at
sea before it's return.
"As fundamental condition for
peace the president prescribes the de
struction of every arbitrary power
that can separately, secretly and of
it's own single choice disturb the peace
of the world To this the German
government replies:
New Government Held in Accord.
''The constitution did not provide
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
(princlpleO of the representations of
the people, based on equal, universal.
secret, direct franchise.
'oThe leaders of the great parties
of the reichstag are members of this
government. In the future no gov
eminent can take or continue in Of
fee without possessing the confidence
of a majority of the reichstag.
1.-THE responsibility of the chancel-
lor of the empire 10 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 representa-
ton of the people is required for de-
cision on war and peace.
Backed by People, Claim.
..The permanence of the new sys-
tenn is. however, guaranteed not only
nv constitutional safeguards, but also
BIZ the unshakable determination of
the German people, whose vast ma
ioritv stands behind these reforms
md demands .heir energetic continu-
ance.
.sThe question of the president
with whom he and the governments
associated against Germany are deal
ing-is. therefore, answered in
clear. unequivocal manner by the
statement that the offer of peace and
an armlstice has come from gov
eminent which is free from any arbi-
trary and irresponsible influence, is
supported by the approval of an over
whelming majority of the German peo-
pie. SoLf.