Weekly journal-miner., 1918-10-23
GER|l|Au HA AT|QN BACK OF PEACE OFFER
Text 0f German Note Receiued
 At Washington
By A~s0ciato1 Press

By A~s"ciatod Press.
 LO|DON Oct 21.-The text Of the German note, received by wireless is as follows: "fn accepting the pro posal for an evacuation of the occu- pied territories, the German govern ment has started from assumption that the procedure of this evacuation and condition of the armistice should be left to the judgment of the mili- tary advisors, and that the actual standards of power on both sides in the field held to form the basis for the arrangements for safeguarding and guaranteeing this standard. The German government suggests to the president that an opportunity should be brought about for fixing the de- tails. It trusts the President of the United States will approve of no de- mand which will be irreconciliable with the honor of the German people and with the opening of way to a peace of justice.
 The German government protests against the reproach of illegal in human actions made against the Ger man land and sea forces, and thereby against the German people. For con quest, destruction will be necessary and it is carried vut inso- far as IS permitted by international law. German troops are under strict instructions i osparc- -DE;Yafe property and exercise care for the population to the best of their ability. Where trangressions occur in spite of these instructions the guilty ones are be- ing punished. The German govern ment further denies that the German navy in sinking ships have ever pur- posely destroyed lifeboats with their passengers, and the German govern mcnt proposes with regard to all of those charges that the facts be clear ed up by neutral commissions.
 Tn order to avoid anything that might hamper the work Of peace, the German government has caused or ders to be dispatched to all sub marine commanders that the torpedo ing of passenger ships cease, but however for technical reasons, is un- able 10 guarantee that these orders will reach every single submarine al sea before its return.
 As fundamental condition for peace, the president has prescribed the destruction of every arbitrary power that can separately, secretly and of its own single choice, disturb the peace of the world. To this, the German government replies that hitherto the representation of the people in the German empire has not been endowed with influence on the formation of government. The conti- tuition did not provide for the con currence of a representation of the people in decisions of peace and war These conditions have just now un- dergone a fundamental change A new government has been formed in complete accordance with the wishes of the representatives of the people. based on an equal, universal, secret and direct franchise The leaders of the great parties in the reichstag are members of this government Tn the future no government can take or continue in office without possessing the confidence of the majority of the reichstag.
 The responsibility of the chancel- for of the empire to the representation of the people is being legally develop ed and safeguarded. The first act of th new government has been to lay before the rcichstag a bill to alter the constitution Of the empire so that the consent of the representation oi the people will be required for de- cisions of war ard peace. This per manent new system is, however guaranteed not only by constitutional safeguards but also by an unshama- blc determination of the German peo- pie whose vast majority stands be- hind these reforms and their demand for their energetic continuance.
 "The question of the president a: to with whom he and the govern ments associated against German, are dealing, Is therefore answered ir a clear and uneouivocal manner by the statement that the offer of peace and an armist;ce has come from a gov ernmcnt which is free from any arbi- trary or irresponsible influence and is supported by the approval of ar overwhelming majority of the Ger man people,