Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-21
GERMAN CABINET
.EXCORIATES PACT
\ IN ITS ANSWER
Says Signing of Treaty Spells
+, Destruction, Dishonor
and Degradation
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
Berlin, May 21.-Germany declines
TO sign the peace terms laid before
it because they spell the economic
destruction, political dishonor and
moral degradation of the entire Ger
man nation. not only for the present
but also for still unborn generations,
was a statement authorized by the
cabinet this morning through the
Associated Press.
Says Demands Are Unjustified
That these consequences must
logically follow acceptance of the
peace conditions the American press
itself has recognized without ques-
tion," the statement continues. To
ward them Germany took the stand
point that acceptance of such con-
ditions could not be demanded and
That the Entente was unjustified in
imposing such demands"
Germany has not only a moral right
TO compliance with the general promises
made 1t, but a firmly grounded, definite,
clearly defined claim, according to the
basic rules OF International law. on all
the Entente powers and especially on
the United States. A specific recogni-
tion of the right Of Germany and of the
German peoples to a peace of right,
justice and reconciliation. instead of the
paragraphed song OF hate which was
written at Versailles. is contained in the
note of the American Secretary of State
Lansing OF November 5, 1918.
Quotes Lansing Note
TN IL the Secretary of State notified
the Swiss minister in Washington un-
conditionally that the established basis
of President Wilson's II points should
be authoritative for the peace conditions.
Secretary Lansing announced further
that the Entente governments after
careful consideration were also prepared
to recognize the conditions set up by
President Wilson as the basis for the
conclusion of peace.
The declaration OF rights emanattng
from these specific declarations Of all
the Entente powers and the United
States constitutes Germany's sole asset
in the general moral breakdown OF all
international politics and which has
found indispensable expression in the
Versailles terms.
All individuals Responsible
Germany answers them with its
clearly Juristic right In international law.
Toward the politico-moral bankruptcy
OF Versailles the German nation stands
as a creditor with undeniable rights,
and IL is not in a position to yield on
this chief point. Germany concluded
peace on the basis OF President Wilson's
fourteen points which all America had
made its own, and all America. every
individual. is responsible for the full
hllment OF its claims.
1T is not the German peoples bust
ness to indicate how its rights shall
be realized by the fourteen points. or
especially by the note of Secretary Lam
ufa Tkaf l.
who constructed the fourteen point and
brought them to acceptance. thereby
inducing Germany to lay down her
weapons.
I'VE do not believe that President
Wilson. Secretary Lansing and the
American people can take other than
this German standpoint IL they do not
wish TO do that which President Wilson
in his message OF December 4, 1917,
condemned categorically when he said
I've would dishonor our own cause IL
we treated Germany any other than
jaAtly and in a nonpartisan manner and
did not insist upon justice towards all,
no raatter how the war ended. We de-
mand nothing which we are not ready
ourselves to admit
Wants II Points to Hold
And the German people demand
nothing more than that which President
Wilson announced in this declaration.
We demand nothing more than that
Americans place the II points opposite
the peace terms. We do not believe that
any one in the United States will then
have the courage to claim that there can
be found in the peace conditions one
single trace left of President Wilson's
program.
And here begins Americas definite
duty to step in. America either must
put its fourteen points through or it
must declare that it is unable to do so
or that ii does not want to do so, so
that in no case may the world be led
TO believe that America desires to have
the peace conditions count as President
Wilson's fourteen points.
That is our demand. to which we
cling. and we cannot imagine what ar
gument from the American side would
be effective against it,"
In President Wilson'S message to Con-
gress OF December 4, 1917, no passage
can be found in textual agreement with
the quotation in the cabinet statement.
The quotation appears to be a conden-
sation from the following passages in
the message in question:
I'VE can do this concentrate on the
prosecution of the task of winning the
war) with all the greater zeal and en-
thusiasm because we know that for us
this is a war of high principle, debased
by no selfish ambition of conquest or
spoIiation 1t is because IL
is for us a war of high, disinterested
purpose. in which all the free peoples
of the world are banded together for
the vindication Of right, war for the
preservation of our nation and of all
that IL has held dear of principle and of
purpose, that we feel ourselves doubly
constrained to propose for its outcome
only that which is righteous and of ir-
reproachable intention, for our foes as
we'll as for our friends. The cause be-
Ing just and holy the settlement must be
pf like motive and quality. For this we
ian fight. but for nothing less noble
,r less worthy Of our traditions"