The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-04-04

ma city council which waited on him
tuesday in connection with what the
Burgomaster termed "the aggravat-
ed distress of the population" was
reported in part. in last evenings
Forum. Following is a complete
transcript Of his remarks:
With the conclusion OF peace
with Rumania the war in the east
ended. Before, however turning TO
Individual peace treaties, and dis
cassing them in detail, / would like
to revert to the declaration Of the
president Of the United States, in
which he replied to the speech de-
liyered by me on January "a.
I'm many parts OF the world
president Wilson's speech was in
lferpreted as an attempt to drive a
wedge between Vienna and Berlin.
] do not believe that, because 1 have
moo high an opinion OF the President
lof the United States and his outlook
as statesman to believe him cap
liable OF such a way Of thinking.
president Wilson is no more able to
aacribe dishonorable action to us
than we to him.
/ Not Seeking Separation.
president Wilson does not desire
10 separate Vienna from Berlin, and
~
impossible. Perhaps President Will
lson says to himself, however, that
sytenna is more favorable soil for
sowing the seed for a general peace.
lFerhaps he says to himself that the
E-Austro- Hungarian monarchy has
1.-THE good fortune to possess ruler
fwho sincerely and honestly desires a
general peace, but who viii never |
commit a breach Of faith or conclude !
a' dishonorable peace, and that be- |
hind the superior king there are 65, |
10000 people,.
president Wilson says also, per- |
maps, to himself, that this united |
mass represents a force which is not |
tn be underestin.ated and that this |
honesty and strong desire for peace 4
(which binds the monarchs, govern
nents and peoples OF both states is /
capable of being the bearer Of the i
great idea in the service Of which he .
Ipiaced himself as supporter.
| 81 can only say esteem 1t highly I
hhat the German chancellor in his
lexceifent speech OF January rs took
1.-THE words out of my mouth by de-
fclaring that the four principles de-
,Veloped in President Wilson's speech
OF February IL formed the basis up
on which a general peace could be
discussed. l am in entire agreement
with this.
Presidents Four Points.
THE four points laid down by the
President are a suitable basis on
which to begin the discussion for al
general peace. Whether, however.
the President will succeed in his en-
deavors to rally his allies on this
basis or not, is o. question, -
God is my witness that we have
tried everything possible TO avoid
fresh offensive, but the. entente
would not have 1t thus.
Some time before the western
offensive began, NJ. Clemenceau ad-
dressed to me an inquiry whether
and upon what basis / was prepared
to negotiate. In agreement with
Berlin I Immediately replied that
was prepared to negotiate and that
as far as France was concerned the
only obstacle / could see in the way
Of peace was the French desire for
AlBace-Lorraine. -.-
'The reply from Paris was that
az was Impossible 10 negotiate on
this basis. Thereupon there was no
choice left.
The colossal struggle in the west
has already broken out. Austro-
Hungarian and German troops are !
sighting shoulder to shoulder, as they .
fought in Russia, Serbia, Rumania :
and Italy. We are fighting togeth- !
er for the defense Of Austria-H Hun
gary and Germany. The aspirations /
OF France and Italy are Utopias :
which will be terribly avenged. {
Will Not Desert Ally. 7
Come what may, we shall not
sacrifice Germanys interests any
more than she will leave us in the I
lurch. We are not fighting for i'm
peTsaiistic or anneXationist ends for
ourselves or for Germany, but we i
shall so forward together to the I
last for our defense, for our exfstence1 e
az a state and for our future. }
The first breach in the will Of t
our enemies for war has been made
by the peace negotiations with Rus \
STA. It was a break through OF the I
peace idea. It is evidence of child
tsh dtlettantism to overlook the inner
connection between the various con-
illusions Of peace. The constellation
Of enemy powers in the east re- 4.
sembled a net; when one mesh was =
severed the others gave way. {
Tine Ukratnian peace led to peace 3
with Russia, and Rumania, be- u
coming isolated, was obliged to con- q
clude peace. We had 10 begin with h
Ukraine both on technical and ma 5
terial grounds. The blockade had to L
be broken, and the future Will show D
that the conclusion of peace with 4
Ukraine was a blow at the heart Of 9
the rest Of our enemies.
The peace concluded with Ru-
mania. it is calculated, will be the
starting point Of friendly relations. 3
The slight frontier notifications a
which we receive. are not annexa- =
tons. Wholly uninhabited regions, q
they serve solely for military pro- a
lection.
Excuse for Annsxations.
To those who insist that these
fall under the category | \
Of annexations and accuse me of 3
Inconsistency. I reply that have Il
publicly protested against holding Z
out a license to our enemies which G
would assure them against the dam v
gers Of further adventures.
From Russia I did not demand a
single meter, but Rumania neglected
.he favorable moment. The protec- o
lion Of mercantile shipping in the y
over Danube guarding the iron gate 9
IA guaranteed by the extension OF the
.rgntier to the heights Of Turnu- =
SEVERN, by leasing for 80 years a =
valuable wharf near this town, to- =
zsther with q strip along the river :
bank. and finally by obtaining the
easing rights to the islands Of Os-
fovo. Marecorbu and Simearu, and z
.he transfer % the frontier several y
aiometers southwark in the region !,
the Petroseny coal mine, which 5,
'stter safeguards our possessions in 81
ac SzurdOk pass coal basin. g.
Tie rectidcatton east Of Czerno- y
rFHe