THE POPE'S PEACE PROPOSAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3167, 18 August 1917, Page 7

THE POPE'S PEACE PROPOSAL

"VOICE OF THE KAISER" GERMAN COLONIES CANNOT BE RESTORED BRITISH VICTORY MUST PRECEDE PEACE London, August 16. * The "Daily Hail" says: "The hand is the Pope' 6, but the voice is the Kaiser's. The British Empire would flv to pieces if tho Allies entertained the Pope's proposal to restoro the German colonies. That is why the proposal is put forward. Tho Germans are cunningly calculating that, the mere discussion of such terms would rouse doubts and distentions. 'Hie harder Germany is pressed, the more desperately will she devise expedients to divide the Allies. Wo must resolutely refuse to discuss terms before victory." —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

AMERICAN LABOUR CANNOT ENDORSE PROPOSAL I BECAUSE IT DOES NOT ELIMINATE KAJSERISM. New York, August 15. Mr. Samuel Gompers (President of the Federation of Labour) has stated that working hnen cannot endorse the Pope's proposal, because it does not eliminate Kaiserism.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. The American Socialist Party recently sent the following message to their' fel-low-Socialials in Germany:—"The democratic peoples of the world now in league against the Kaiser and Kaiserisin will be compelled to continue their war against Germany and her autocratic allies until the Kaiser and Kaiserism are overthrown. Tho German Socialist faction that oppoa?s the Government haa already realised that both an early peace and German liberty require. that the power of the Kaiser should be rigidly and immediately curtailed, and they have announced the . following programme as a cure for Kaiserism: — ! "Responsibility of the Government to i the Heichst.ig; Keichstag control of pence and war; equal Reichstag election districts; abolition of the upper houses of the States awl the Umpire, as well as et(ual suffrage in Prussia—now apparently on the way to accomplishment, though not yet promised even 'after the war.' T.hi 9 programme is fundamental and excellent—so excellent, indeed, that it is extremely unlikely to be granted without a protracted series of overwhelming German defeats. It is fully half of what is needed. But it is not sufficient. The Hohenzollerns must go. Tho rest of tho world realises, whether tho German people realise ox not, that liberty in Germany and peace in tho world must remain, a sham as long as the Hoh'enzollerus and their supnorters retain any real power. But whether Germany prefers a republic or a constitutional monarchy, tho ITohMizollerns' tradition and prestige must not only be TefQrmed—it must be broken. The Kaiser himself claims that Kaiserism is to be democratised and thus strengthened in its fight against the other nations. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to convince the democracies of tho world that ■a reformed Kaiserisni is anything else than an effort of the Hohenzollerns to make tho German people more willing tools of his foreign policy. Nothing but tho overthrow of the autocrat can prove finally to the world that the German people repudiate his past crimes and refuse to have any share in the crimes he is planning for the future-: There is only one way to bring the war to au early end. The Kaiser must go."

POPE EXPECTS NEGOTIATIONS SHORTLY ' (Rec. August !7, 5.5 p..m.) ■ . Rome, August 16. The Pope's diplomatic advisers are famous professors, who assisted to prepare tho Peace Note. Correspondents state that the Pope does not expect peace, but believes I hat his Note will have an important effect on the negotiations which ho anticipates will shortly eventuate. Tho Note was completed before the Russian debncio in Galicia.— "The Times." "GERMAN - PEACE OFFENSIVES." . (Rec. August )7, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, August 16. The "Gauloie" declares that the Stockholm Conference and Ihe Papal proposal are simultaneous German peace offensives on the Allies' flanks. The "Matin" charges the Pope with becoming the mouthpiece of the Central Empires.—"The Times." THE FINGER OF AUSTRIA. (Rec. August 17, 6 p.m.) Paris, August 17. The "Petit Parisien" Bays that . the Papal Note states the Austrian, issues EO exactly that it must have been suggested by the Emperor Karl.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

A RESPONSE TO APPEALS BY ... ■ NEUTRALS. Copenhagen, August. IG. It is reported in Berlin that the Pope's intervention is in response to appeals by neutrals.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE STOCKHOIFcONFERENCE STATEMENT BYJVI. HUYSMANS Stockholm, August 16. SI. Huysmans states that the conference willbe held. The only question was whether it should be deferred until the Allies' Socialist Conference is concluded, or commenced by a conference representing the neutrals, the Central Powers, and Russia. M. Huysmans believes that those Governments which refuse passports will perish before the conference. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. i m. kerenskh views. ALLIES' OPPOSITION PLAYING INTO GERMANY'S HANDS. (Rec. August 17, 5.5 p.m) London, August 16. The "Daily News" correspondent • at Pelrograd has interviewed M. Kerensky, who said that a wrong deduction had been drawn from the Russian telegram to London regarding the Stockholm Conference. M. Kerensky explained that as the conference was a party matter Russia's Coalition Government could not l>e bound by it. It neither favoured nor disapproved it. Ho personally thought tho Allied Governments' opposition was playing into Germany's hands.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. LABOUR EXECUTIVE SUPPORTED BY THE WELSH MINERS London, August 18. The South Wales Miners' federation supports the Labour executive, and has endorsed its application for passports.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE REFUSAL OF PASSPORTS GERMAN PRESS INTERPRETATION. Amsterdam, August 16. Tho "Vorwaerts" interprets Britain's refusal to grant passports to the Labour delegates as tho clearest evidence that Britain and America are determined to carry on until Germany is completely overthrown. Thus the Entente has torn away tho mask of hypocrisy, and is showing itself more warlike than Germany. The Entente disregards the Russian peaco movement.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

RUSSIAN PEACE DELEGATES IGNORED IN ITALY Rome, August 16. The four Russian Soldier delegates who were recently in London and Paris are now in. Italy. They haTo been ignored by the Government and people.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

. TURKISH PEACE OVERTURES;• j. j DISCUSSIONS AT LAUSANNE,-.• • j Amsterdam, August 16. •'! The Dutch newspaper "Hanaels.blad , * 1 learns that, discussions have been, occur- j ring for some time to Lausanne between \ representatives of Turkey and the En- j tente, with a view to a separate peace.— j Keuter. * • j PIRATE OUTRAGES j THE BELGIAN PRINCE ATROCITY ] GERMANS PROFESS V 1 IGNORANCE . .:! -■ ■ i ■■ -. ) Amsterdam, August 16. ■ \ A German semi-official message de- i dares that nothing :s known of the cir- \ cumstances of the pinking of the Bel- '■ gian Prince, as the submarine concern- j ed has not vet returned. ? j [Details of the crime were published .-! in the following cabled message, dated i August i:— A crime of unparalleled fero- \ city has been revealed by the deliberate ; murder of thirty-eight members of the j crew of the Belgian i'rince. Three eur- -,) vivors, after fearful sufferings, have' landed. When two hundred miles from '_ land on July 31. the -Belgian Prince j saw a torpedo approaching..- It etruck • j the vessel and exploded. The vessel had '] a heavy list. As the crew took to the > boats the submarine approached, de- j stroyed the wireless installation by shell- i fire, and ordered the boats alongside, j Captain Hassan was taken into the sub- ; marine, and 41 others were mustered on i the submarine's deck. The Germans took- 1 the life-belts fro'n nil except eight, and i the outer clothing from all. They also ] smashed the boat with axes. They took \ (he oars below. The submarine's hatches ] were ,then closed, leaving the crew of ! the torpedoed ship on deck. When the j submarine had gone two miles a cry was j raised, "She is sinking!" Ma'ny of the j men jumped overboard; others were im- ; mediately drowned as the submarine wag -.; submerged.] - .. -j

FRENCH SHIPPING LOSSES. •.-■• ■; London, August 16; ; i During the Teek ending August 12 j the French arrivals totalled 1010, and the r, sailings 1023. Ono vessel over 1600 tone | and three under IGOO tons were sunk, and . : five vrere unsuccessfully' attacked. —Aus..- j N.Z. Cable Assn.. . ." : ■. ! [Four steamers over IGOO tons and tovo j under 1600 tons were sunk last week.Y. i NORWEGIAN. STEAMER SUNK.": j Christiania, August 16. j The Norwegian steamer Bestmn has 1 been torpedoed. The ;rew was rescued, j —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. •• • J ATTACKS ON HOSPITAL SHIPS j STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE ' \ OF COMMONS. •■: j (Rec. August 17, 5.5 p.m.) ' j London, August 16. j In the House of Common?, Lord Robert j Cecil (Under-Secretary for Foreign Af- i fairs) confirmed the reports of the Brit- j ish, French, .and Spanish arrangement j regarding German safe-conduct for hps- ] pifcnl ships. Hβ said he hoped that that j would be the end of the enemy's attacks. ; on the hospital ships, but Germany's j definite assurance had not yet been re- i ccived.—Au9.-N.55. Cable Assn. • . ,'. ]