The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-02-01
GERMANS PLACE
FAITH In WILSON,
Count Bernstorff's Statement
Regarded as Official View
I as to Peace. III
OF NATIONS.
hit Urge Guilt Of War Be Ad-
judged BY Neutrals Mis- \
Il talkes Not Denied.

Wr- 10 ~ - ~'-~f~
tAlIes Not Denied.
l Hsilin Jan. s1.--Count Won Bern
storff has given the Associated Press
a statement written BY him after q
consultation with Foreign Minister
Brockdorff- Rantzau and other high
officials Of the German foreign or
nee. AZ Count Won Bernstorff is one
iof the men entrusted with the work.
Ing out Of the details for Germany's
participation In the peace conference
and will. with the foreign minister,
be a German delegate, the statement
may be regarded az official. It was
written In English as follows:
'The question, what would Ger
many consider q peace of right and
Justice may briefly be answered in
this way:
"That we would regard as such a
settlement by which the terms Of
peace laid down in President VIII
sons address to congress, Jan, g..
1918, and the priciples of settlement
in his subsequent addresses are car
jIicu lOuL1.1A4 tiuC GNSOiadlSS NAth viz
high minded and far-seeing spirit
in which they were conceived.
Among the fourteen points the
dominating point, in our opinion, Is
to- be attributed to point number
fourteen, providing for the constit1-
ton of a league Of nations which. as
Mr.. Wilson said on Sept. 81. must
be a part and in a sense the most
essential part, Of the peace settle
ment ITSELF rs
Bring New World Order.
"As the great success of the re-
Gently founded German league OF ma
tions society. proves German leading
men readily recognize that. nothing
but All international league of free
and equal peoples can do away with
imperialism and bring forth "a new
world of order. The German people
feel that, given such league and
compulsory arbitration, peace nego-
tiations would offer no particular
difficulty, while without its constitu-
tion in the peace settlement a peace
of right and justice will be well nigh
impossible.
With regard to the first, second
and third points in Mr.. Wilson's
program we are In perfect accord
With him. In connection witk point,
number four At may be- meA tened
that Germany Is about to abolish
obligatory military service, which
thus far has been considered The
of her exposed position
in Europe. AS for point number five,
we welcome Free, open-minded and
absolutely impartial adjustment OF
all colonial claims proposed by Mr..
Wilson and accepted by the entente
and we are looking for
ward to a discussion of those claims
in the peace conferen ; in the spirit
outlined by the American president.
Regarding point number six, we
are completely disinterested concern
ing the questions relative to Russia
except insofar as they concern our
own frontier. Naturally, however, we
do not desire a spread of bolshevism
over Germany and other countries.
Pay Belgium Full Damage.
As for point number seven, we are
prepared to pay for all damage done
to the Belgian civil population and
their property as far as will be
proven to have been perpetrated by
German aggression The same ap-
plies to point number eight, relative
In damage done civilians and their
property in northern France. AS Tor
Alsace- Lorraine, we could not con-
slider it's 'righting a wrong If through
The peace settlement new wrong
should be permitted. That, however,
will be the case if the Germans were
compelled to become French against
heir will. Likewise, it must be en-
in connection with point |
lumber nine, that justice would for
Did forcing Germans to become ltat-
an subjects without their free con-
sent.
Point No. 10. treating on the
question of Austria Hungary. mas
1een subsequently, enlarged by the |
American government in the sense !
hat the Slav nationalities of the for
ner dual monarchy must be granted |
,ot only autonomy, but absolute self
Justice will demand |
hat the same privilege be accorded
O Austrian Germans. In the same /
manner we consider points IL and "
merely the demand of justice that
-arious peoples of the Balkan PENN
ula and the Ottoman empire should
,e given their rights without dis
inction and the freest opportunity
or self determination.
"As regards point 13, justice COM
,els us to consent that present Ger
nan territories inhabited by lndls-
,utably Polish populations should
orm a part of new Poland, but JUS
ice likewise compels us not to toll
rate that territories replaced under
oreign sovereignty which are inhab-
ted by indisputably German popu-
ations. Moreover we would con-
ider tia wrong of the gravest char
cter If, to satisfy Polish ambitions,
last Prussia should be cut off from
he rest of the empire.
Rely on Wilson's Principles.
Concerning all territorial changes
o be considered by the peace con-
ress, we absolutely rely on point
20. 2 of Mr.. Wilson's address at
iount Vernon, in which he empha-
lied the fact that settlement Of all
uch questions must be made upon
basis of free acceptance of settle
1ent by the peoples Immediately con-
erned.' Indeed, a peace of right ana
nstice presupposes that, under guar
ntee of the league of nations. the
rinciple of national self-determina-
ion will be made superior to all ter
itorial questions.
"As to the question of guilt for the
yar, the German government. has
roposed that this question should be
ubmitted 10 a neutral commission.
his seems to be the only just solu-
ion. The German people. in the vast
laiority. do not feel guilty. although