New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-02
Germany Pins
peace Hopes
]: On IA Points
.srnsterff Says Wilson's
programme Will Mean
:'Fair and just Agreement
Would Repay Belgium,
&if-Deternlination' Rule Is
:Inxoked in Alsace and
Former Dual Monarchy

BERLIN, Jan. Count Won Bern
storF has given The Associated Press
Statement written by him, after q
CONSULTATION with Foreign Minister
BsockdoriF- Rantzau and other high
officials Of the German Foreign Of
fce
IN view Of the fact that Count Won
Bernstor8 is one of the men in
trueted with the working out of the
details foh Gcrmany's participation in
tlrd peace conference, and will. with
the Foreign Minister, be a German
delegate, the statement may be re-
garded as official.
1t was written in English, as fol-
io~s
The question, What would Ger
nssly consider peace OF right and
Justice may be briefly answered in
this. way: That we would regard as
sush a settlement by which the terms
of peace laid down in President Will
sons address TO Congress January S.
1918, and the principles OF settlement
in his subsequent addresses are car
ried out in true accordance with the
high minded and farseeing spirit in
which they were conceived
ef-t Favors League of Nations
Among the fourteen points the
dominating note, in our opinion, is
10 be attributed to Point IA, providing
for the constitution OF a league Of
nations, which. as Mr. Wilson said
on September 81, must be part and
in sense the most essential part,
of the peace settlement itself
'German leading men clearly recog-
ni2e that. nothing but an inter
national league of free and equal peo-
Pies can do away with Imperialism
ana bring forth a new world of order.
The German people feel that, given
such a league and compulsory arbitra
sea. pence negotiations would offer no
particular difficulties, while without
Tts-een sk3tution in the peace settle
nent q peace Of right and justice will
be wellnigh impossible.
Accept Wilson'S View
With regard to the first, second
afsdxSaird points III Mr. Wilson'S pro-
Sramme we are III perfect accord with
him. In connection with Point a
it may be mentioned that Germany
Is about to abolish obligatory military
service, which thus far has been CON
>ldered the cornerstone of her exposed
position in Europe. AS for Point s
20 welcome free, open-minded and
absolutely in1partiad adjustment of all
colonial claims proposed by Mr.. vii
son and accepted by the Entente gov
trlunen1s, and we are looking forward
% discussion OF those claims in the
peace conference in the spirit outlined
by the American President.
Regarding Point we are com
pietely disinterested concerning all
questions relative to Russia except in
% lar as they concern our own from
Ter. Naturally, however. we do not
desire spread of Bolshevism over
Germany and other countries
Would Repay Damages
AS for Point z we are prepared
10 pay for all damage done to the Bel
Sian civil population and their prop
crty a. far 70 Will be proven to hay,
oeen rerpetrated by German aggres
ion The same applies to Point 8
relative to damage done civilians an,
their property N Northern France
As for Alsace-Lorraine, we could no
consider it Fighting wrong i
through the peace settlement new
wong should. be permitted That, how
ever, would be the case if German
wore compelled to become French
against their will. Likewise, it must b,
emphasized in connection with PoiD
9 that justice would forbid forcing Ger
mans TO become Italian subjects with
out their free consent
"PoinC 10, treating, on the question
Of Austria hungary, has been subse
quently enlarged by the American gov
ernment, IN the sense that the Sla
aatjonalities of the former Dual Mon
arehy must be granted not only au
t0nomy. bat absolute self-dete rmina
tion. Justice will demand that tn
aaHe privilege be accorded to Austro
Germans. In the same manner we con
sider Points II and - merely the de
mand of justice that various people
81 the Balkan peninsula and the Otto
nan Empire should be given thei
rights without distinction, and tn
frsest opportunity for self-detcrmina
ton.
As regards Point 10, justice compel
~ TO consent tfrat present German ter
r.tories Inhabited By indisputably Poi
;4h populations should form a part @
new Poland, but justice likewise CON
pels US not 10 tolerate that territorie
be replaced under foreign sovereignt
which are Inhabited by indisputabl
consider it wrong Of the graves
character #, TO satisfy Polish amb
ions, East Prussia should be cut O
from the rest OF The empire.
Wants Blame Fixed
Concerning all territorial change
20 he considered by the peace confel
ence, we absolutely rely on Point No.
of Ar. Wilson's address at Mount We
non, in which he emphasized the ia.
That settlement Of al such question
naust be made 'Lpon basis Of free a,
ceptance Of settlement by the people
ssansdsateiy concerned
*indeed, peace Of right and justit
tesupposes that, under guarantee {
NJ League Of nations, the principle
eatioDI determination viii I
made superior 70 all territorial quo
fi9ns.
As % the question Of guilt for II
Ear, the German government has Or,
psaed that tbis question should be arI
nsftted 20 a neatrai commission. III
seems 70 be the only just solution III
German people, 10 the qpat majority, I
rot feel guilty although they do M