The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-11-07

"AIA ACciN bAIC L lCSlQChl NNth " bOll-
tinue exchanges on the subject of an
armistice and peace, at least has
served almost to bring conviction here
that the people of Germany actually
are taking the reins of government
and sincerely desire peace on any
terms the United States and the Allies
are willing to give.
London-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 10 the
judgment of the military advisers ana
that the actual standard of power on
both sides in the field has to form
the basis for arrangements safeguard
ing 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 demands which would be irreconcil
able with the honor of the German
people and with opening a way to a
peace of Justice
The German government protests
against the reproach of illegal and in
humane actions made against the Ger
man lan1 and sea forces and thereby
against the German people. For the
covering Of a retreat distinctions will
| always be necessary and they are car
ried out in 50 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 a-e being punished.
The German government further
| denies that the German Navy in sink
| ing ships has ever purposely destroyed
| lifeboat5 with their passengers. The
| German government proposes with re
gard TO all those charges that the
facts be cleared up by neutral com
missions
In order to avoid anything thai
might hamper the work of peace, the
German government has caused orders
| to be dispatched to all submarine COM
manders precluding the torpedoing Of
| passenger ships without, however, for
| technical reasons, being able to guar
antee that these orders will reach ev-
! cry single submarine at sea before its
return.
AS a fundamental condition for
| peace the President prescribes the de
| structlon Of every arbitrary power that
| can separately, secretly and of its own
! single choice disturb the peace of the
| world. To this the German govern
! ment replies:
"Hitherto the representation of the
people N the German Empire has not
been endowed with an influence on
| the formation of the government
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
| (principtt?) of the representation of
! the people, based on equal, universal,
secret, direct franchise.
The leaders of the great parties of
| the Reichstag are members of this
| government. In the future no govern
mert can take or continue in office
without possessing the confidence of a
majority of the Reichstag.
The responsibility of the Chan
cellor of the Empire to 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 a bill to alter
the constitution of the empire so that
| the consent Of the representation OF
the people is required for decisions
on war and peace.
The permanence Of the new sys.
tenn is, however, guaranteed not only
by constitutional safeguards, but also
by the unshakeabe determination of
the German people whose vast ma
jority stands behind these reforms and
demand their energetic continuance.
The question OF the President
with whom he and the governments
! associated against Germany are deal.
| ing-is therefore answered in a clear,
unequivoCal manner by the statement
that the offer of peace and an armistice
has come from a government which is
free from any arbitrary and irresponsi.
Bile influence, is supported by the ap-
prevail Of an overwhelming majority OF
! HE German people.