Gilpin observer., 1918-10-24
TEXT OF GERMAN : Z
NOTE TO WILSON
REPLY PARTLY AGREES TO U. Z
TERMS FOR ARMIsTlcE.
Berlin Denies Devastation and An
neunces Complete Change in Gov
eminent, Giving People Ballot.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
London. The German reply to
President Wilson's note, the text Of
which was received here Monday, Oct.
21. says Germany hopes the United
States will approve of no demand
which would be irreconcilable with
the honor of the German people and
with the opening of the way to peace
with justice.
Germany protests against the ref
erences of President Wilson to illegal
and inhumane acts.
Full Text Of Solf's Note.
The text of the German note is a.
follows:
In accepting. the proposal for an
evacuation of occupied territories. the
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 given 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 way to n peace of
justice.
The German government protests
against the reproach of Illegal and in
humane actions made against the Ger
man land and sea forces, and thereby
against the German people. For In the
covering of retreat distractions Will
always be necessary. and they are car
ried out In SO far as is permitted by
international law The German troops
spare private property and to exercise
care for the population to the best Of
their ability. Where transgressions oc-
cur in spite of these instructions the
guilty are being punished.
THE German government further de-
MES that the German navy in sinking
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.
I'm order to avoid anything that
might hamper the work or peace the
German government has caused orders
to be dispatched to all submarine COM
passenger ships, without, however. for
technical reasons. being able to guar
antee that these orders will reach
every single submarine at sea before
"As fundamental condition for
peace the President prescribes the de-
struction of every arbitrary power that
can separately, secretly and Of its own
single choice disturb the peace of the
world.
ITO this the German government re-
plies:
Hitherto the representation of the
people in the German empire has not
been endowed with an influence on
the formation of the government.
"The constitution did not provide for
concurrence OF representation of the
people in decisions of peace and war.
gone n fundamental change. new
government has been formed in COM
plete accordance with the wishes tprin-
cipleO of the representation of tho
people. based on equal. universal, Sc
cret. direct franchise.
The leaders of the great parties of
the Reichstag are members of this gov
ernment. In the future no government
can take or continue in office without
possessing the confidence of a majority
of the Reichstag.
Chancellor's Responsibility.
THE responsibility of the chancellor
the people is being legally deveioped
and safeguarded. The first act of the
new government has been to lay before
the Reichstag n bill to alter the con-
stitution Of the empire SO that the con-
sent of the people Is required for de-
cisions on war and peace.
:. The permanence Of the new system
is, however. guaranteed not only by
constitutional safeguards. but also by
the unshakeable determination OF the
German people whose vast majority
stands behind these reforms and de-
mand their energetic continuance.
'The question of the Presiuent-with
whom he and the governments asso-
eiated against Germany are dealing
Is therefore answered in clear, un-
equivocal manner by the statement that
the offer of peace and an armistice has
come from government which Is free
from any arbitrary and IRRESPONSIBLE
Influence, and is supported by the ap-
proval of an overwhelming majority of
the German people.