The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-05-21

"That these consequences must log
ically follow acceptance Of the peace con-
ditions the American press itself has
recognized without question" the state
ment continues. Toward them Germany
took the standpoint that acceptance of
such conditions could not be demanded
and that the entente was unjustitied in
imposing such demands.
Germany has not only a moral right
to compliance with the general promises
made it, but firmly grounded, definite,
clearly defined claim, according to the
basic rules of international law, on all
the entente powers ard especially on the
United States specific recognition of
the right of Germany and of the German
peoples to peace of right, justice and
reconciliation, instead of the paragraphed
song Of hate which was written at Yer
sailles, is contained in the note of the
American Secretary of State Lansing of
October 5, 1918.
'In it the secretary of state notified
the Swiss minister in Washington un-
conditionally that the established basis
of President Wilson's IA points should
be authoritative for the peace condi-
tions Secretary Lansing announced fur
ther that the entente governments, after
careful consideration, were also prepared
to recognize the conditions set up by
President Wilson az the basis for the
conclusion of peace.
"The declaration OF rights emanating
from these specific declarations OF all the
entente powers and the United States
constituted Germany's sole asset in the
general moral breakdown of all inter
national politics which has found un-
surpassable expression in the Versailles
terms.
Germany answers them with its
clearly iuristic right in international
law Toward the politico-moral bank
ruptcy of Versailles the German nation
stands as creditor with undeniable
rights. Germany concluded peace on the
basis of President Wilson's IA points,
which all America had made its own,
and all America, every individual is re-
sponsible for the fulfIlment Of its claims.
1T is not the German peoples busi-
ness to indicate how its rights shall be
released by the IA points, or especially
by the note of Secretary Lansing.
That, rather, is the task of those who
constructed the IA points and brought
them to acceptance, thereby inducing
Germany TO lay down her weapons We
do not believe that President Wilson,
Secretary Lansing and the American
people can take other than this German
standpoint if they do not wish to do
that which President Wilson in his mes
sage of December 4, 1917, condemned
categorically when he said; We would
dishonor our own cause if we treated
Germany any other than justly and in
a Don-partisan manner and did not in
sist upon justice towards all, no matter
how the war ended. We demand nothing
which we are not ready ourselves to adj
nit
"And the German people demand moth
ing more than that which President Will
son announced in this declaration We
demand nothing more than that Amer
leans place the "a points opposite the
peace terms We do not believe that
anyone 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 IA points through or it must de-
clare that it is unable to do so or that
it 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
IA points.
"That is our demand to which we
cling, and we cannot imagine whatever
argument 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
Inc quotation appears to be condensa-
tion from the following passages in the
message in question:
1--WE 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 war of high principles, debased
by no selfish ambition of conquest or
spoliation. 1t is because it is for