The daily banner., 1919-05-16
LIE IF We SIGN,
tBERT ASSERTS
German President Calls Treaty
Terms l|nIeCOnCiiabIe.
REpRGAChES Mr.. WILSON
Germany is Mot Ready to Make Final
Decision on the Treaty, he lhoi-
Gates.

Berlin, May 16.-Friedrich Ebert
the German president, in a statement
made in the VorweartS, has reiterated
his opposition to the peace terms SUD-
mtted by the entente.
He calls them unreconcilable with
conscience and reason and insists the!
must be drastically and fundamentally
corrected. Practical negotiations were
necessary, he declared, and these
would quickly result in the attainment
Of a worthy peace, if Il return We're
made to the fourteen points.
LAS long as our remnant of nope re-
mains that reason VIII triumph, con-
tinued Herr Ebert. 1--WE will not speak
our last word. but should ii prove tins
mailed-fiSt peace is to be imposed
upon us. we shall have 70 take our de-
ciSiOnS
To-day ! still hope the attempt Will
not be made. to extort from the Ger
man nation an assent which would be
nothing but lie born of desperation.
1--WE must keep faith with our coun-
trymen who are threatened with sep
aration by foreign violence, and be
ready TO carry out the hardest re-
solve
In a statement given on Sunday
Herr Ebert says:
"The German people have demolisl
ed the rule of autocracy and political
mendacity at home. but it has not un-
dertaken this job in order to enable
this same antiquated system elsewhere
to dictate the future Of the world in a
grossly exaggerated form.
Germany laid down her arms and
armament six months ago. Therefore.
she is now all the more effectively ar
mored morally when she faces world
of foes in defense Of those arms. She
has seized and unfurled new banner
on which is inscribed President VIII
sons fourteen points, which THE nresi-
dent apparently has deserted.
"She, therefore. hopes that the
American people will correctly grasp
and interpret the deeper significance
of the new spiritual struggle upon
which we are now entering"
At another point Herr Ebert said
the ominous quiet produced by the
first announcement of the peace terms
was a most characteristic indication
of their effect on the German people.
"For the moment" he continued.
"we were all crushed We had feel
ing as if we had been stunned by
blow from a heavy club, momentarily
paralyzng all mental action. The
blow found the German people unpre-
pared, and, therefore, its effect was
all the greater"
!, Herr Ebert said he feared an out
break of psychic furor Teutonicus"
within a few days and that the wrath
of the soul of the people when it
reached the boiling point would know
no bounds as result of the deep 4 $
appointment and anger born of fury
and Just indignation.
"The peace draft laid before uS." he
said, produced an. equal feeling Of
horror and revulsion. 1t not only sig
nifies distortion but the complete mega
tion of the fourteen points enunc!ated
by President Wilson, the realiZa tion of
whose program we took for granted
"a faith to which we were entitled on
the strength of Secretary of State Ian
sings note of November 3.
"Refofe me lies pamphlet discuss
ing President Wilson and peace of
Justice. 1t deals with his senate mos
sage of January %, 1917, in which he
refei to the need of a peace without
victthy.
"President Wilson says: The victn,
must not force his conditions on the
vanquiShed This would mean peace
asserted under humiliation. under
force and intolerable sacrifice and
leave nothing definite: it would leave
sting. revenge. bitterness. giving
such peace an insecure foundation
Only peace between equals can Ell
lure'"