Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-23
Allies Demand
Eyes" or "NO" Reply
Centinued From PAGE One
already presented and with the in
crease of heavy burdens.
Germany Wants Peace

The German people does not wish
Or the resumption Of the bloody war,
it honestly wishes for lasting peace.
In view of the attitude of the allied
and associated governments, the Ger
man people has no other force in its
hands save to appeal to the eternally
inalienable right, to m independent
life, which belongs to the German peo-
pie. as to all peoples.
The government of the German re-
public can lend no support 10 this
sacred right of the German people by
the application of force. The gov
ernment's only hope for support ls
through the conscience of mankind.
No people. including those OF the al
lied and associated powers. could ex-
pect the German people to agree with
thorough conviction to an instrument
of peace, whereby living members of
the very body Of the German people
are to be cut off, without cOnsulta-
ton of the populations concerned,
whereby uncomfortable economic and
financial burdens are to be laid upon
the German people.
The German Government has re
ceived passionate expressions of opin
ion from the population in the dis
tricts to be cut off in the east. TO
the effect that they will oppose them
selves to the separation Of these dis
tricts, which have, for the greater
part. been German for many cen
turtles. by all means they possess. The
German Government, therefore, finds
itself compelled to decline all respon
sibility for any difficulty which may
result from the resistance Of the in
habitants against their separation
from Germany.
II the government Of the German
republic is. nevertheless. ready to sign
the conditions of the Allies. with the
above mentioned reservation. yet this
is not done of its free will The gov
ernment of the German republic sol
emnly declares that its attitude is to
be understood in the sense that 1t
yields to force, being resolved to spare
the German people, whose sufferings
are unspeakable, n new war. the shat
tering of its national unity by fur
ther occupation of German territories,
terrible famine for women and chill.
dren and merCilessly prolonged reten-
tion of the prisoners of war.
The German people expects, in view
of the grievous burdens which it is
to take upon itself, that all German
military and civilian prisoners. be-
ginning July 1 and thereafter in un
terrupted succession and within a
short period, shall be restored. Ger
many gave back her enemies pris-
oners of war within two months.
Cannot Fulfill Terms
The government of the German re-
public engages to fulfill the condi-
tions of peace imposed upon Ger
many. It desires, however, in this
solemn moment to express itself with
unreserved clearness in order to meet
in advance accusation of untruthful-
ness that may now or later be made
against Germany.
The conditions imposed exceed the
measure of that which Germany can.
in fact. perform. The government of
he German republic, therefore. feels
bound to announce that it makes all
reservations and declines all respOn
sibility as regards the consequence
which may be threa tened against Ger
many when, which as is bound to
happen, the impossibility of carrying
81, fn Ii
though Germany's capacity to fulfill
them is stretched to the utmost.
Germany further lays the greatest
emphasis on the declaration that she
cannot accept Article $50 of the
treaty of peace, which requires Ger
many to admit herself to be the sole
and only author of the war, and she
does not cover this article by her
signature. 1t consequently follows.
without further argument. that Ger
many must also decline to recognize
that the burden should be placed upon
her on the score of the responsibility
OF the war, which has unjustIy been
laid at her door.
Refuse to Give Up Kaiser
Likewise. it is equally impossible
for a German to reconcile it with
his dignity and honor to accept and
execute Articles 227 to go, by which
Germany is required to give up to the
allied and associated powers for trial
individuals among the German people
who are accused by the allied and
associated powers for the breach of
international law and of committing
acts contrary to the customs of war.
Further, the government of the
German republic makes distinct
protest against the taking away of
all the colonial possessions of Ger
many and the reasons given therefor,
which permanently deny to Germany
fitness for colonial activity, although
the contrary is clearly established and
irrefutable evidence TO this effect is
contained in the observation of the
German peace delegation on the con-
ditions of peace,
The government Of the German re-
public assumes that it is in accord
snce with the desires of the allied
and associated governments that it
has spoken openly both as regards
what concerns its good will and also
as regards its reservations. There
fore. in view of the condition of con-
straint into which the German people
are forced by the requirements of
the Allies-a condition of constraint
such as has never been inflicted on
any people in a manner more crushing
and more disastrous in its conse
quences-and relying on the express
undertaking of the allied and asso-
ciated governments in their memoran-
dunn of June 16, 1919, the German
government believes itself to be en-
titled to address the following modest