The Washington herald., 1919-05-29
GERMANS PLEAD
FOR MERCY And
HINT BL0oDSHED
Brand Terms as Unaccept-
able and say Enforcement
Means Catastrophe.
WOULD CUT INDEMNITY
Refuse to Surrender Kaiser
And Demand Member.
ship in League.

Berlin, May 8.-In the German
counter proposals made public hers
today an appeal is made to Americ,
and the other democracies of the
world TO give the newborn German
republic the right to live.
Germany. IT is stated, expected
peace based on Justice, not Vengeance
The proposed treaty. II is asserted.
would destroy German economic III.
and establish a system OF unparalleled
financial slavery. and therefore IS
unacceptable.
IF it should come to force" u (,
added. 'ft would mean a fresh catas.
trophe for the world"
The terms OF the league Of nation.
are declared to be merely a contiuus.
ton Of the coalition Of enemy DOW.
ers. The allies. it is further asserted
have established a new law unde,
which Germany has no right to exist
nationally.
oners Is Billion InSenrity.
Germany's counter-proposaI in re-
gard to reparation is an offer to nav
an indemnity OF 10000 600 600 MARI,
approximately 5000, 600 900 at rates Of
exchange prevailing before the war,
%, ,coooo.ooo marks Of this amount a
be paid by 1915. and the remainder :,
fixed annual payments without In.
terest
1t is proposed that allied troops hs
withdrawn from occupied territor,
within six months from the siEnins
of the treaty.
Surrender Of the former Kaiser 70,
trial by the allies is 10 be absolutely
refused 49, =
Na~d disarmament ts 60 De accent.
ed. but a demand will be made 70.
the retention OF a certain number
OF commercial vessels that have beep
spportioned among the allies
Limitation OF the army to la0as
men is 10 be accepted. although il hsa
been stated that a demand would b.
made that this number be Increased
TO 80. 900.
Wants 20 Enter Leasue.
4 demand is made for the estah-
lishment Of commission under tho
lea que OF nations to settle territorial
and colonial questions.
Germany's right TO enter .b.
league of nations on equality witt
the other nations is asserted.
Surrender OF any part Of yTnne,
Silesia, or East Of West Prussia i,
refused.
The strategical boundary a..
Poland as outlined in the IN, atv I,
called indefensible under the leaRu,
of nations covenant.
The rights of the people os tho
Saar Valley and Alsace to seif-de-
termination are declared TO be yio-
lated IN the proposed settlement.
The desire is express, q that Dan
zig be made a free port and that the
Nistula be neutralized.
For the decision Of speciaI dis.
putes on the question of repatria.
tion. it is asked that a general com
mission on reparations be apno.nr-
! ed with a neutral presiding or1ccr
! Ask 60 Tax Fortunes.
PERMISSION is asked to tax fortunes
which have been removed from ,;.r-
many to other countries.
Many quotations from the sp.e,l,..
and writings Of President Wilson are
included in the preamble of the coun-
| ter-proposals. These quotations ar
cited in support OF the claim that
the proposed treaty runs counter to
the pledges Of President Wilson aud
the principles OF the league of nations
In reference to the Polish stratesicsl
boundaries, " is pointed out that
President Wilson has made the state
ment that the Nietze Valley and Posen
are distinctly German. whereas the
treaty has turned them over 20
Poland.