The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-26
GERA1ANY'S REPLY.
Unofficial Report Received by Wire
less by Way Of London.

Unofficial Report Received by WIRE
less by Way Of London.
London, Oct. 2l.-The text of the
German note, as received by Wire
less, is as follows:
Section One.
I'm accepting the proposal Tor an
evacuation of occupied territories the
German government has started from
the assumption that the procedure O:
this evacuation and of the conditions
of an armistice should be left to the
military advisers and that the actua'
standard of power on both SIDES II.
the field has to form the basis for ar
range,nents safeguarding and guar
anteeing this standard.
Section Two.
."The German government suggests
to the president that an opportunity
should be brought about for fixing
the details. 1t trusts that the pres
ident of the United States will ap
prove of no demand which would be
irreconcilable with the honor OF the
German people and with opening
.aay to peace OF justice.
Section Three.
"The German government protest:
against the reproach Of illegal ant
inhunane actions made against tn.
German land and sea forces ane
thereby against the German people
For the covering of retreat de
necessary
and they are carried out in so far a;
is permitted by international law. In
German troops are under most strlc
instructions to spare property and t
exercise care for the population Il
| the best of their ability. Wher'
| sranssressions occur in spite Of these
instructions the guilty are being pun
| ished."
Section Four.
"The German government furthe
denies that the German navy IN SINK
ing ships has ever purposely destroy
ed lifeboats with their passengers
The German government propose,
with regard to all those charges tina
the facts be cleared up by neutra
commissions.
Section Five.
.sIn order to avoid anything tina
| might hamper the work of peace, tn
/ German government has caused or
| ders to be despatched to all suoma
rine commanders precluding the tor,
| pedoing of passenger ships without
however. for technie al reasons, belnf
! able to guarantee that these orders
will reach every single submarine a.
sea before its return.
Section Six.
Gas a fundamental condition 10;
peace the president prescribes the de
struction Of every arbitrary power
that can separately, secretly and o:
its own single choice disturb tn:
peace of the world. To this the Ger.
| man government replies:
Hitherto the representation Of the
people in the German empire has mol
been endowed with an influence or
the formation of the government.
Section Seven.
.The constitution did not ,proyid@
FOR concurrence Of representation o.
the peoples decision of peace anc
war. These conditions have just now
undergone a f. adamental change. A
new government has been formed II
complete accordance with the W1sne'
(principle) of the representation o.
the people based on equal, universal
secret. direct franchise,
Section Eight.
"Thc leaders of the great partie'
of the Reichstag are members OF this
government. In the future no gov
ernnient can take or continue in office
without possessing the confidence o.
majority of the Reichstag.'
Section Nine.
~The responsibility of the chan
ccIlor of the empire to the represen-
tation of the people is being legally
developed and .safeguardd. The frs,
act of the new government has beer
10 lay before the Reichstag a bill te
alter the extension of the empire 81
that the consent of the representation
IF the people is required for decisions
On war and peace"
Section Ten.
.sThe permanence Of the new sys
TEN is, however, guaranteed not onl.
by constitutional safeguards, bu
also by the unshakable determination
Of the German people whose vast ma
;crity stands behind these reforms
and demand their energetic contlnu-
ance.:'
Section Eleven.
"The question of the president
with whom ne and the governments
associated against Germany are deal
ing-is therefore answered in a clea'
anequivocal manner by the statement
that the offer of peace and an armls'
tice has come from a government
which is free from any arbitrary and
irresponsible influence, is supported
bv the approval of an Overwhelming
ma iority of the German people.
(Signed) sui