The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-10-25
GERMAN NOTE FAILS
TO ACCEPT TERMS
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER is
NOT MENTIONED BY BOCHE.
WHO WOULD ARGUE.
Protests Against the Reproach of
Illegal and lnhuman Actions on
Land and Sea, but Avoids Bio
Issues in Replying to Wilson.

Washington.-Germ has replied
to President Wilson with note which,
though no one is prepared to say it
VIII lead the president even to con-
tnue 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
I'm 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 these condi-
tons 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 safe
guarding 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
no demand which would be irreconcil-
able with the honor of the German
people and with opening a way to a
peace of justice.
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 a 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 being 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 commissions.
'In order to avoid anything that
German government has caused Or
ders to be dispatched to all submarine
commanders precluding the torpedo
ing of passenger ships without, how
ever, for technical reasons, being able
to guarantee that these orders will
reach every single submarine at sea
before its return.
"As q fundamental condition for
peace the president prescribes the des-
truction of every arbitrary power that
can 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 an influence on the
formation of the government.
'SThe constitution did not provide
for concurrence of representation of
the people of decisions in peace and
war. These conditions have just now
undergone a fundamental change. A
new government has been formed in
complete accordance with the wishes
(principle) of the representation of the
cret, direct franchise.
1.-The leaders of the great parties of
the reichstag are members of this gov
eminent. In the future no government
can take or continue in office without
possessing the confidence of a majority
~of the reichstag.
= ''1he responsibility of the chancellor
>of the empire to the representation of
the people is being legally developed
and safeguarded. The first act of the
pew government has been to lay before
The reitnstag a bill to alter the con
stitution OF the empire so that the. con-
sent of the representation of the people
is required for decisions on war and
peace.
1.-THE permanence of the new system
is, however. guaranteed not only by
constitutional safeguards, but also by
the unshakable determination of the
German people whose vast majority
stands behind these reforms and de-
mand their energetic continuance.
THE question of the presldent-with
whom he and the governments asso-
ciated against Germany are dealing
is, therefore, answered in clear, I'M
equivocal manner by the statement
that the offer of peace and an armis-
tice has come from government which
is free from any arbitrary and lrres-
ponsible influence, is supported by the
approval of an overwhelming majority
of the German people.
Finish Fourteen Sims in Week.