Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-21
Is THIS SURRENDER?


London, Oct 21.-The text of the German note
received by wireless, is as follows:
"In accepting the proposal for evacuation of
occupied territories the German government has
started from the assumption that the procedure of
this evacuation and of the conditions of armi-
stice should be left to the military advisers and
that the actual standard of power both sides in
the held has to form the basis for arrangements
safeguarding and guaranteeing this standard.
Ihe German government suggests to the presi-
dent that 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 rreconciable with the honor of the Ger
man people and with opening way to peace of JUS
tice.
The German government protests against the
reproach of illegal and inhumane actions made
against the German land and forces and thereby
against the German people. For the covering of a
retreat distinctions will always be necessary and
they carried out insofar permitted by in
ternational law. The German troops are under most
strict instructions to spare property and to exercise
care for the population to the best of their ability
Where transgressions spite of these instruc
tions the guilty being punished.
"The German government further denies that the
German navy in sinking ships has purposely
destroyed lfeboats with their passengers. The Ger
man government proposes with regard to all those
charges that the facts be cleared up by neutral COM
missions.
"In order to avoid anything that might hamper
the work of peace, the German government has
caused orders to be dispatched to all submarine
manders precludng the torpedoing of passenger
ships without however, for technical reasons being
able guarantee that these orders will reach every
single submarine at before its return.
"As fundamental condition for peace the pres
ident prescribes the destruction of every arbitrary
power that separately, secretly and of its own
single choice disturb the peace of the world To this
the German government replies.
Hitherto the representation of the people in the
German empire has not been endowed with in
7uence the formation Of the government.
"The constitution did not provide for concur
of presentation of the people in decisions of
peace and war. These conditions have just un-
dergone fundamental change. A new government
has been formed in complete accordance with the
wishes (prnciple) of the representation of the peo
pie based equal universal, secret, direct fran
chise.
'The leaders of the great parties of the rechstag
members of this government. In the future no
government take continue in Office without
possessing the confidence of majority of the reich
stag.
"The responsibility of the chancellor of the en-
pire to the representation of the people is being c
gally developed and safeguarded. The first act of
the government has been to lay before the reich
stag bill to alter the constitution of the empire
that the of the representation of the people
is required for decisions and peace
"The Permanence of tho new system is however,
guaranteed not only by constitutional safeguards,
but also by the unshakea determination of the
German people whose vast majority stands behind
these reforms and demand their energetic continu-
"The question of the presdent-with whom he
and the governments associated against Germany
are dealing-is therefore answered in a clear, un-
equivocal by the statement that the offer of
peace and armstice has come from government
which is zee from any arbitrary and irresponsible
influence is supported by the approval of
vheIming majority of the German people.
(Signed) "SOLF."