New-York tribune., 1918-10-24

governments are anxious for war, IN
which case there is no choice Tor us
but to put ourselves in posture of
defense with ali the strength OF our
people driven to the last extremity.
Should this necessity arise, | have
no doubt that the German government.
in the name of the German people,
will issue a call for national defence
in the same way that 1t spoke for the
German people when it took action for
peace. He who honestly took stand
on the basis Of peace will also under
take the duty of not submitting to a
peace Of violence without a fight The
government which would act otherwise
would be left to the mercy of the
fighting and working people. 1t would
be swept away by public opinion.
There is also another possibility.
The German people must not be blind
ly brought to the conference table
The German people to-day has the
right to ask, if peace is realized on
the basis of President Wilson'S con-
ditons, what they mean for our fut-
ure. Our answers to the President )
question must be framed on the Ger
man peoples understanding of that
question. What it now wants is clear
ness.
'The decision will be of tremendous
import. 1t will not be our strength
that will decide, but it will be what Is
thought to be right in free discussion
with our opponents that will give the
decision. This is great effort for a
proud people accustomed to victory.
The legal questions involved will no.
stop at our national boundaries which
We will never of our own accord open
for violence.
Internal Questions Involved
"The principles upon which we have
argeed as rule OF conduct also in
volve internal questions. From many
quarters it has been represented to me
that an acceptance of President Will
sons conditions would mean submis-
sion-anti German submission--to an
anti German court Of justice, which
would decide legal questions entirely
from the viewpoint of its own inter
ests. If that is the case, why then
is it the extreme apostles of force in
the Entente fear the council chamoe~
as the guilty fear the court of Justice
"The essence of President Wilson's
programme for a league of nations
cannot be achieved when all peoples
have not the right of national self
determination. This realization of
community law means the abandon
ment of part of the unqualified indie
pendence which hitherto has been The
indication of sovereignty. both by us
and others Should we at home main
tain as fundamental the national ego
ism, which until short time ago was
the dominating force of the peoples
life, there would be no restitution and
no renovation for us. There would be
feeling of bitterness which would
cripple us for generations.
"But if we comprehend that the
significance Of this frightfu war is.
above all victory for the idea of jus
tice, and if we do not resist this
idea, but submit with ali good faith,
then we shall find in it a cure for our
present wounds and reservoir Of fut-
ure strength"
Prince MaXimsian said that he
would not deny that heavy opposition
In Germany must be conquered before
the ideal league of nations could be
realized, but, he continued:
"Whether the next few days or
weeks shall call us to fight on, or open
the way to peace, there is no doubt
war or peace by carrying out ths
governments programme and definitely
breaking away from the old system"
The Imperial Chancellor then dis
reform He cited bills before the
Reichstag, one of which enables mem
bers of the house to enter the govern
ment without resignine and another
proposing q change in the laws re-
garding the responsibility of the
Chancellor He continued:
Deputies will take part in the d~
rection of imperial policy and, in the
name of the Chancellor, will be re.
sponsible without being ministers
Thus new way is opened for arriv-
ing at responsible conduct of imperial
atfairs-the parliamentary way.
eve are convinced that it will sup
------------
conditional surrender-than at any