Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-13
berlin ABANDONS
/ INDEMNITY CLAIM
German Vice Chancellor in
Speech Favors Return
Z of Belgium. ?
WILL CLING TO TREATIES
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
AMSTERDAM. Thursday. Septem-
Der 12.-Reiterating that Germany "as
the innocent and attacked party" in
the war had right to demand in
Identification. Friedrich Won Payer.
the German imperial vice chancellor,
IN his speech today at Stuttgart, said
that I'VE prefer on calm reflection.
and even with our own favorable
military situation, to abandon this
idea"
Turning to the question of the oc-
cupied territories, the vice chancellor
said that as a preliminary condition
of peace for Germany and her allies
those nations must have all their pre-
war possessions. including the Ger
man colonies. restored. Then Ger
many. he declared. could evacuate the
occupied regions and could give back
Belgium without incumbrance and
without reserve, providing no other
state was more favorably placed in
regard to Belgium than was Ger
many.
He asserted that Germany would
not submit to the entente powers for
approval or alteration the peace
treaties which Germany had signed
S %lth the ukraineJ Russia and
Sees Nations Depressed.
The postponement Of peace pros
poets and the likelihood of fifth
war winter weigh equally on all bel
1gerents and not only Germany alone,
In the opinion of the vice chancellor
''Osr state debts" the vice chan
cellor said, ARE everywhere reach
ing fantastic heights and everywhere
We struggle against the encroach:
ments on our personal liberty. All
of the belligerents Of Europe must
admit, IL they are not blind. that
the longer the European peoples
lacerate each other the more GER
tainly will the historical and para
mount position Of weakened and i'm
poverished Europe be lost in favor
of cleverer and more calculating peo-
pies"
Herr Won Payer reminded his hear
ers that after four years the war
still was being waged almost entirely
on enemy territory. He admitted that
the U-boat had not worked as quick
1y and surely as had been hoped. He
added that it was useless to dispute
whose was the fault. The enemy, he
their losses by new construction, and
declared that the robbery of neutral
ships. almost without parallel, by the
entente could not be repeated.
Points to o. s. Shipping Needs.
THE more troops the United States
sends the greater will be the need of
81 tho fnr
tions and provisions" Herr Won Payer
said. THE filing up of the enemy
army by Americans. therefore, bears
in itself its limitations"
He argued that the loss of shipping
would become fatal to Great Britain
after the war because it would lose its
shipping superiority to. the United
States, land tine hope of compromising
themselves from the German fleet,
which still has to be conquered, will
very imaginative Britishers."
Contending that technique and in
ventive genius, which already had
helped the Germans over heavy OBJ
stacles, would still help them, Herr
Won Payer said:
'If we lack cotton and oils our enc
mics lack coal Food is scarce here
and there, but already things probably
have turned in our favor. In the east
the world Is again open to US for
food supply, while our enemies sup
plies of foodstuffs and raw materials
give precedence to the fronts calls for
Americas armies and their provision
ing"
Germans Fight for Life and Home.
The speaker said that the Germans
have only to see that the war con-
finues to be waged in foreign coun-
try that the Germans are fighting
y
that the enemies only hope is that
the Germans might collapse inward.
" sooner than they. He asserted
that enemy attempts to sow discord
were unavailing and that the Ger
mans were strong enough to reach
decision "in our differences of opin-
ion regarding economic power and
political rights, even down to the
food question"
Herr Won Payer urged the necessity
Of the Germans holding together in
the hour of danger and said that dis
appointed hopes must be prevented.
justified hopes fulfilled and actually
existing wrongs redressed.
Regarding the Prussian Suffrage
bill, which he considered Of prime
Importance, he said that "it Is no
longer Prussian. but eminently
German question" and on its decision
depends the confidence which the
population places in the Prussian
aud the imperial government.
Further postponement, he said, is
not permissible. adding. Moreover. 1t
Is my belief that the decision of the
Prussian government may be regard
ed as already taken. and If equal sur
frage does not issue from the COM
mttee of the upper house the gov,
eminent will proceed to dissolution.
No Ordinary Peace Expected.
Herr Won Payer considered that the
present terrible struggle would not
end with a peace of the customary
character. A mere glance at the state
of complete exhaustion of the world
excludes such a possibility. he said.
I'm former peace negotiations" he
said. 1.-The middle and lower. classes,
when 1t came to the council table.
fell quietly into the background. This
now is over and the governments will
conclude the coming peace treaties
in close harmony with the entire peo-