The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-21
HUNS SAY THEY
WILL NOT SIGN
TERMS Of PEACE
Statement Issued at Berlin AS
SertS Plan Spells Sure Eco
nomiC Distinctions for Ger
many and Political Dishonor

ppRIIN, May u.1Germany de-
| cNnes 10 sign the peace terms Etlu ne
fore 1t because they tpell the ,,..,r,l
destruction political dishonor ana W","'
degradation Of the entire Herlnnn a, u
ton. not only for the present, nut a'S'
4 for still unborn generations, Was q
statement authorized ny the e2o,n''
Yesterday through tie HssoV'hteu . -
THAT these consequences mus WE
icaliy follow acceptance Oh w Gos |
conditions the American press ltseu nNH |
recognized without question, Nhe S'"''
ment continues. ,hc
Toward them Germany loon eu' |
standpoint that acceptance OF suva ti,ot
| ditons could not he demanded anu U',, It,"r
| the entente was unJustllleu !" ''"FN"'e
II such demands ,,,,,,.,,
@Germany has not only mora,
right To compliance with the seheIS
promises made IT, but frinly sroumu-
ed, definite, clearly defined clam, u.
l. rordinE to. the basic ruieS ol lhteIHH.
tional law, on all the entente poWe's
| and especalN ON the United states
| "A specific recognition OF the rBh'
| of Germany and of the German pVpl
| ples 10 "A peace OF right, justice anu
reconciliation, instead Of the para
L. granhcd song of hate which was writ
| Ion al Versailles IL contained IN the
| note of the American secretary OF SlaNe
y Lansing, Of Nov, 3, 1918. ,..... ,,t,-
"lu 1t the secretary OF state not' W.,
llNl the SWISS UllhlSNtl ~ 4
| Internationally that the cs'apiislnoa y.
basis of President Wilson'S u points
should I've authoritative for the peaNe
Econditions. fan
n II 'Secretary Lansing announced tul .
0 htr that the entente governments alN'
CaretNi csosideration also were pre-
4 pareu " recognize the conditions 70. M
4 ~ py 4 rSNident Wilson MS the bas's to'
n the conclusion of neace
). Inc declaration OF rights emanallnH
dAt rui inn "A
the entente pogels and d~'t4'e United
states constitutes. Germahy. so,e sssc
IN she tsSnsTa pe,tcs T1 which has 70 foua n
unsurpassable expression In tho Yer
sailles terms, m .
Germany answers them with II
clearly juristic right In internatlon'
law. Toward the politico-moral bank
ruptcy Of Versailles tne German no
- tion stands as creditor with unden
able rights and 1t Is not In poslllo
to yield on this chief point uermal
concluded neace on the paA's 81 rfes
America had made IS own aud
Arwerlcn usMrse indssittnsss~ is rcspuns
ble for the fulfillment ot It's claims,
1T is not the German peoples pu'
M :. pess 10 indicate how Its rights sh
Nl beFealiyed by the u points or especli
~ ny tho note OF Secretary lansi
lhat rather, IL the task Of those W
amp constructed the IA points and broug
70 tnem 70 acceptanee, thereby induci
,day do not beIie~S f5W" t5Wt rn Wlso
at Secretary Lansing and tho Amerc
n TO people can take other than tns Ge
man standpoint, II they do not wi
to do that which President Wilson
sslc his message Of Dec, 4, 1917, condemn
udi- categoriCally when no said "
,,., would dlshonor our own cause II
''"' treated Germany any other than just
MISS and in nonpartisan manner and
mes not insist upon justice toward nll,
rur- matter how tho war ended. We d
:, mand nothing which we are not rca
IN ourselves to admit
-ts," And the German people dema
nothing more than that which Pref
a. dent Wilson announced in this decRi
the tion. We demand nothing more tn
,ung that Americans place the IA points q
and posite the peace terms We do not b
~ licve that any one In tho United stat
will then have the courage to ella
g Of that there can be found in the pea
by conditions one single trace left OF Pre-
sang dent Wilson'S program.
reat And here begins Americas defin
duty to step in, America either ml
cad put Its IA points through or II must
ere: clare that 1t IL unable to do so or tn
It does rot want to do so, so that In
case may the world be led to belle
that America desires to have the pea
conditions count as President Wilson
IA points
THAT iS our demand, TO WhlCn
cling, and we can not imagine VIII
argument from the American side wol
be effective against 1t,
In President Wilson'S message
congress Of Dec 4, 1917 no passa
can he found In textual agreeme
with the quOtntIon in the cabinet sta,
ment The quotation appears to be
condensation from the following paS
age In the message In question;
I'VE can do this concentrate on I
prosecution of tho task OF winning t
war;, with all the greater zeal and e
kE ! thuSiaSW because we know that for
NJ this Is n war OF high principle
l. based by no selfish ambition OF ca
,,', w. quest of spoation. = 1t Is becau
,ot,, IN ii is for US Il war Of high, disinterest
49,, purpose, In which all the free peop
- OF the world are banded together
Iaks the vindicatiOn of right, war for I
o"t preservation OF our nation and Of
ke that ii has held dear of principle Il
citv OF purpose, that we feel ourselN
thn dOubly constrained to propose for
uffi - outcome only that which is lSghteo
,tory and OF irreproachable intention, for Z
nion foes as well MS for our friends. T
Vol. cause being just and holy the sett
and ment must be Of like motive and qua
have ty For this we can fight, but
an nothing less noble or less worthy
our traditons