The Elbert County tribune., 1918-10-25
TEXT OF GERMAN
NOTE TO WILSON
REPLY PARTLY AGREES TO U. S.
TERMS FOR ARMisTicE.
Berlin Denies Devastation and An
nounees Complete Change in Gov
ernment, Giving People Ballot.
Western Newspaper Union New. Service.

iiesiuent wilson note, the text OF
which was received here Monday, Oct.
Fl. 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 Soils Note.
The text of the German note is AZ
In accepting the proposal for an
German government has started from
the assumption that the procedure of
TINS evacuation and OF the conditions
or an armistice should be left to the
Judgment of the military advisers and
thht 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
II trusts that the President of tho
United states Will approve OF no de-
mand which would be irreconcila BILE
with the honor OF the German people.
Justice
ne herman government protests
against the rcpronch OF Illegal and in
humane actions mnde against the Ger
man land and sea forces, and thereby
against the German people. For in the
covering OF retreat distractions VIII
always be necessary. and they are car
ried out In so far is permitted by
international law. The German troops
are under most strict Instructions to
spare private property and to exercise
care Tor the population to the best of
their ability Where transgressions oc-
these
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-
Eard to all those charges that the facts
be cleared up by neutral commlssi ons
In order to avoid anything that
might hamper the work or peace the
German government has caused orders
to be dispatched to all submarine com
'manders precluding the torpedoing of
passenger ships, without. however, for
technical REASONS being able to guar
antee that these orders viii reach
| Its return.
"As fundamental condition for
peace the President prescribes the de-
struction OF every arbitrary power that
can separately. secretly ana OF its own
world.
ITO this the German government re-
''IIltherto the representation of tho
| people In the German empire has not
| been endowed with an Influence on
the formation OF the government
The constitution did not provide for
n cQncurrence Of representation Of tho
| people In decisions of peace and war.
| These conditions have Just now under
| gone a fundamental change. A new
| government has been formed In COM
| plete accordance with tho wishes fprin-
cipie?) OF the representation Of the
people, based on equal. universal. Sc
/ cret, direct franchise.
THE leaders of the great parties of
| the Reichstag are members of this gov
ernmsnt. In tho future no government
| possessing the confidence OF a majority
| of the Reichstng.
ChaneeIIor's Responsibility.
THE responsibility of the chancellor
| of the empire to the representation of
| the people Is being legally developed
new government has been to lay before
tho Reichstag n bill to alter tho con-
stltution of the empire so that tho con-
sent of the people Is required for de-
eisions 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 President-with
whom he and the governments asso-
ciated against Germany are dealing
is therefore answered in a clear un-
equivocal manner by the statement that
the offer of peace and an armistice has
come from n government which is free
from any arbitrary and irresponsible
Influence, and is supported by tho ap-
proval of an overwhelming majority of
(signed) SOLE"