PEACE TALK.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1917, Page 5

PEACE TALK.

GERMAN PEACE PROPOSALS. REJECTED BY ALLIES. ACCEPTANCE MEANT TRIUMPH OF GERMAN MILITARISM. Received Oct. 25, 9.30 p.m. London, Oct. 25. The Daily Telegraph's Milan correspondent gives tlie following details of the German peace proposals, which were largely the cause of M. Ribot's resignation, as the Socialists allege that M Ribot should 'have made the proposals public: The German proposal was to restore Belgium, and cede Alsace-Lorraine in exchange for compensations by Russia. The proposal was made to M. Briand by an accredited Belgian diplomat from Switzerland. Prince von Bulow had nothing to do with the proposal, which came direct from the German Govein* rnent through the regular_ diplomatic channel. M. Briand immediately made it a condition that all the Allies must be informed before a reply was given. Mr. Balfour was the first Minister to be informed. He thought the proposal unacceptable, but conferred with his colleagues, and they agreed. The Italian Government gave a similar negative reply. All the Allied Governments answered with a full knowledge of the matter. The pourparlers lasted a month, ending on October 1.

Germany was most anxious to have the proposal accepted, but it was unacceptable, not only 'because it implied the annexation of huge slices of Russia, hut it contemplated no concessions to Italy, Serbia, and Boumania, and no disavowal of German militarism. Germany's offer of financial aid to Belgium was coupled with demands for privileges at Antwerp, and the military acceptance of the proposal would have been a huge triumph for German militarism.