A LYING DOCUMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1917, Page 7

A LYING DOCUMENT.

ANOTHER GERMAN TRAVESTY OF ALL KNOWN FACTS WITH REGARD TO WAR, Neither Julius Caesar nor Napoleon | was in the habit of proclaiming vicI tory and then asking the mediation of a third party to bring the vanquished to terms. It would have been too near burlesque for either of those great men. But the Emperor Wilhelm was never strong in his sense of the fitness I of things, since he is capable- at once [ of proclaiming himself victor and suing for peace. Tho German Michael uses the pen much as he used the sword; he attacks Truth with the same ferocity as he attacked Belgium. —Morning Post.

The German Government has made this amazing communication to the neutral Governments in reply to the Allies' reply to the first German request for peace. The note begins thus: "The Imperial Government is aware that the Government of . the United States of America, the royal Spanish Government, and the Swiss Government have received the reply of their enemies to the note of December 12, in which Germany, in concert with her allies, proposed forthwith to enter into peace negotiations. . I "Our enemies rejected this proposal, arguing that it was a proposal without sincerity, and without meaning. "The form in which they couched their communication makes a reply to them impossible. But the German Government thinks it important to communicate to the neutral Powers its view of the state of affairs. HISTORY WILL JUDGE. "The Central Powers have no reason to enter again into a controversy regarding the origin of the world war. History will judge upon whom the blame of the war falls. Its judgment will as little pass over the encircling policy of England, the revanche policy of France, and Russia's aspiration after Constantinople, as over the provocation of Serbia, the Sarajevo murder.i, and the complete mobilisation of Russia, which meant war on Germany. "Germany and her allies, who were,' obliged to take up arms to defend their freedom and their existence, regard this, which' was their war aim, as attained. "On the other hand, the enemy Powers have departed more and more from the realisation of their plans, which, according to the statements of their responsible statesmen, are directed towards— "The conquest of Alsace-Lorraine and several Prussian provinces; "The humiliation and diminution of Austria-Hungary; "The disintegration of Turkey; and "The dismemberment of Bulgaria. "In view of such war aims, the demand for 'Reparation, Restitution, and Guarantees' in the mouth of our enemies sounds like a surprise. STILL SINCERE! "Our enemies describe the peace 'offer of the four Allied Powers as a war manoeuvre. Germany and her allies most emphatically protest against such a falsification of their»motives, which they openly stated. "Their conviction was that a just peace, acceptable to all belligerents, was possible, that it could he brougiit about, and that further bloodshed could not be justified. "Their readiness to make known their peace conditions 'without reservation at the opening of negotiations disproves any doubt of their sincerity. "Our enemies, in whose power it was to examine the real value of our offer, neither made any examination nor made counter-proposals. Instead of that they declared that peace was impossible so long as the restoration of violated rights and liberties, the acknowledgment of the principle of nationalities, and the free existence of small States were not guaranteed. YOU TOO! "The sincerity which our enemies deny to the prbpQsaJ of the four allied Pow-

era cannot lie allowed by the world to these demands if it recalls

"The fate of the Irish people; '•The destruction oi -the freedom and independence of the Boer republics; "The subjection of Northern Africa, by England, France and Italy; "The suppression of foreign nationalities in Russia; and, finally, "The oppression of Greece, which Is unexampled in history.

"Moreover, in regard to the alleged violation of international rights by the four allied Powers, those Powers have no right to protest against it who, from the beginning of the war, trampled upon right and tore up treaties on which |i|- was based. / "Already in the first weeks of the war England had renounced the Declaration of London, the contents of which her own delegates had recognised as binding in international law, and in the further course of the war she most seriously violated the Declaration .of Paris, so that owing to her arbitrary measures a state of lawlessness began 'in the war at sea. "The starvation campaign against Germany and the pressure on neutrals exercised in England's interests is no less grossly contrary, to the rules of in-! ternational law'than to the laws of humanity. "Equally inconsistent with international law and the principles- of civilisation are the employment of colored troops in Europe and the extension of the war to Africa, which has been brought about in the violation of existing treaties.

"It undermines the reputation of the white race in this part of the globe. The inhuman treatment of prisoners, especially in Africa and Russia, the deportation of the civil population from East Prussia, Alsace-Lorraine, Galicia and the Bukovina, are further proofs of our enemies' disregard for' right and civilisation. BELGIUM BEGAN IT.

"At the end of their note of December 30 our enemies refer to the special position of Belgium. The Imperial Government is unable to admit that the Belginn Government has always observed its obligations.

Already before the war Belgium ; was under the influence of England and loaned towards England and France, thereby herself violating the spirit of 'the treaties which guaranteed her independence and neutrality. "Twice the Imperial Government declared to the Belgian Government that it was not entering Belgium as an enemy, and entreated it to save the country from the horrors of war. "In this ease it offered Belgium a guarantee, for the full integrity and independence of the kingdom, and to pay for all the damage that might be caused by German troops marching through the icountry. '•lt is known that in 18S7 the Royal British Government was dcterminqd iiot to oppose on these, conditions the claiming of.a right of way through Belgium. The Belgian Government refused the repeated offer of the Imperial Government.

"On it and on those Powers who induced it to take up this attitude falls the responsibility for the fate which befell Belgium. ) j , ; "The accusation about German war methods in Belgium,, and the measures which were taken there in the interests of military safety, have been repeatedly repudiated as untrue by the Imperial Government. It again emphatically protests against these calumnies. AN HONEST ATTEMPT. "Germany and her allies made an honest attempt to terminate the war and pave the way for an understanding among the belligerents. The Imperial Government declares that- it solely depended on the decision of our enemies whether the road to peace should be taken or not. "The enemy Governments have refused to take this road. On them falls the lull responsibility for the continuation of bloodshed. "But the four allied Powers will prosecute the war with calm trust and confidence in.thei,- good cause until a peace has been gained which guarantees \o then- own peoples honor, existence, freedom and development, and gives all the Powers of the European Continent the freedom of working, united in mutual esteem, at the solutions of the oreat problems'of civilisation." °