The Raymer enterprise., 1918-10-24
TEXT OF GERMAN
NOTE TO WILSON
REPLY PARTLY AGREES TO U. 8.
TERMS FOR ARMlsTlcE.
Berlin Denies Devastation and An
nouness Complete Change In Gov
ernmsnt, Giving People BALLOT.
western Newspaper Union New. Service,

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
London. The German reply to
President Wilson's note, the text Of
which was received here Monday, Oct
2l, 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 sofrs Note.
The text OF the German note is a.
follows:
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 armlstice should be left to the
Judgment OF the military advisers and
that the actual standard OF power on
both sides In the field has to form the
and guaranteeing this standard.
The German government suggests
to the President that an opportunity
should be given for fixing the details.
Il trusts that the President OF the
United states will approve Of no de-
mand which would be irreeoncilab BILE
with the honor Of the German people.
and with opening a way to a peace OF
justice.
The German government protests
against the reproach Of illegal and In
humane actions made against the Ger
man land and sea forces, and thereby
against the German people. For In the
covering OF a retreat distractions will
always be necessary. and they are car
ried out In SO far a. Is permitted by
international law. The German troops
are under most strict instructions TO
spare private property and 10 exercise
care for the population to the best Of
their ability. Where transgressiony oc-
cur In spite OF these instructions the
guilty are being punished.
The German government further de-
nies that the German navy in sinking
ships has ever purposely destroyed
lifeboats with their passengers: The
German government proposes with re-
gard to all those charges that the facts
DO cleared up by neutral commissions.
I'm order to avoid anything that
might hamper the work OF peace the
German government has caused orders
to be dispatched to all submarine COM
mandors precluding the torpedoing of
technical reasons, being able to guar
antee that these orders will reach
every single submarine at sea before
Its return.
"As a fundamental condition for
peace the President .prescribes the de-
struction 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 re-
plies:
"Hitherto the representation Of the
people In the German empire has not
been endowed with an Influence on
the formation of the government.
The constitution did not provide fol
4 concurrence OF representation Of the
people in decisions Of peace and war
These conditions have Just now under
gone q fundamental change. new
government has been formed In COM
plete accordance with tho wishes fprin-
cipleD OF the representation Of the
peopie. based on equal. universal. se-
cret. direct franchise.
The leaders Of the great parties OF
the Reichstag are members Of this gov
ernment. In the future no government
can take or continue In office without
possessing the confidence of q majority
OF the Reichstag.
Chancelior's Responsibility.
"The responsibility Of the chancellor
of the empire to the representation OF
the people II being legally developed
and safeguarded. The first act Of the
new government has been to lay before
the Retchstag a bill to alter the con-
stitution OF the empire 30 that the con
sent of the people 10 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 Prestdent-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 xrmistice has
come from q government which 10 free
from any arbitrary and irresponsible
Influence. and 10 supported by the ap-
proval of an overwhelming majority OF
the German people.