The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-11-01
TEXT OF GERMANY'S REPLY

TEXT Of GEKMANYS kEPLI
London.-The following is the text,
received here by wireless, OF Ger
many's reply to the latest note from
President Wilson.
'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 to the
Judgment of the military advisers, and
that the actual standard Of power OF
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 de-
mand which would be irreconcilable
with the honor of German people anG
with opening way to a peace OF JUS
tice.
'sThe German Government protests
against the reprOach of illegal and IN
humane actions made against the
German land and sea forces, and
thereby against the German people.
For the covering of retreat destruc-
tons will always be necessary, ana
they are carried out in so far as IS
nermitted by international law. Inc
| 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
the aggressions occur in spite Of these
| instructions the guilty are being pun
I ished.
"The German Government further
denies that the German navy, in sink
4ng ships, has ever purposely destroy
ed lifeboats with their passengers.
The German Government proposes
with regard to all those charges that
the facts be cleared up by neutral COM
missions.
SIN order to avoid anything that
might hamper the work of peace, the
German Government has caused or
ders to be dispatched to all submarine
commanders precluding the torpedolns
of passenger ships, without, however
for technical reasons, being able 10
guarantee that these orders Will
reach every single submarine at sea
before it's return.
GAS a fundamental condition for
neace the President prescribes the de-
struction Of every arbitrary power
that can separately, secretly and OF us
own single choice disturb the peace OF
fine world. To this the German Gov
eminent replies:
"Hitherto lne representation OF the
noonla in the German Empire has not
been endowed with an influence on the
formation of the Government. Inc
constitution did not provide for con-
currence of representation Of the peo-
nIn in decisions of peace and war.
THESE conditions have just now under
zone fundamental change: A new
government has been formed IN COM
nlete accordance with the wishes
(principleO of the representation OF
tha neODle based on equal, universal,
secret, direct franchise.
"The leaders of the great parties OF
the Reichstag are members OF thls
Government. In the future no Gov
eminent can take or continue III OF
fice without possessing the confidence
of a majority of the Reichstag.
"The responsibility of the Chancel-
lor of the empire to the representa-
ton of the people is being legally de-
veloped and safeguarded. The first
act of the new Government had been
to lay before the Reichstag a Dill 10
alter the constitution of the empire
Sc that the consent of the representa-
tion 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 unshakable determination of the
German people, whose vast majority
stands behind these reforms and de-
mand their energetic continuance.
'sThe question of the President
with whom he and the Governments
associated against Germany are deal
ing-is therefore answered in a clear,
uneouivocal manner by the statement
that the offer Of peace and an arms
tice has come from a Government
which IS free from any arbitrary and
IRRESPONSIBLE influences supported
by the approval of an Overwhelming
majority OF the German people.
"SOLF."