PEACE TALK.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1918, Page 5

PEACE TALK.

GERMANY'S REPLY. DENIAL OF INHUMAN ACTS. A CAMOUFLAGED DEMOCRACY. London, Oct. 21. The United Press reports that according to a wireless message from Berlin the German 'reply says that Germany, in accepting the proposal "for evacuation, assumed that both sides would agree to an armistice. It denies Uiiat the Germans are guilty of illegal or inhuman acts.

The Note states that Germany has ordered her submarines to stop torpedoing passenger ships, but the Government is unable to guarantee that the orders will reach all of the commanders,—United Service.

The United Press states that the German note declares tJhat the German offer comes from a Government free from arbitrary influence and supported by the great majority of the German people. New York, Oct. 21. The German note announces that Germany lias parliamentarised her constitution, allowing the people a voice in the determining of peace or war.

THE FULL TEXT. WHAT IS GERMANY'S WORD WORTH Received Oct. 22, 7.30 p.m. London, Oct. 21, 5.20 p.m. A wireless German official message states tihat Germany's reply to President Wilson is as follows: In accepting the proposal for the evacuation of occupied territories the German Government has started from the assumption that the procedure of this evacuation and the conditions of the armistice should be left to the judgment of the military advisers, and the actual standard of power of both sides in tte field must form the basis of arrangements for safeguarding and guaranteeing the standard.

The German Government suggests to the President that an opportunity should be arranged for fixing the details, and trusts the President will-approve of no demand that is irreconcilable with the honor of the German people and with tfhe opening of a way to a peace of justice.

The German Government protests against the reproach of illegal and inhuman actions made against the German land and sea forces, and thus against the German people. For covering a retreat destructions will always be necessary, and is so far permitted by international law. German troops are under the strictest instruction to spare private property and exercise care with the population to the best of their ability. Where transgressions occur despite these instructions, the guilty are punislhed.

The German Government further denies that the navy, in sinking ships, ever purposely destroyed lifeboats with passengers. The Government proposes, regarding all these charges, that the facts be cleared up by neutral commissions, in order to avoid anything hampering the work towards peace.'

The German Government Sias despatched orders precluding the torpedoing of passenger ships, without, however, for technical reasons, being able tq guarantee that the orders will reach every single submarine at sea before its return.

As a fundamental condition of peace, the President prescribes the destruction of every arbitrary power that can separately, secretly, or of its own single choice disturb the peace of tine world. To this the German Government replies that hitherto the representatives of the people of the German Empire were not endowed witlh influence on the formation of the Government, and the constitution did not provide for the concurrence of representatives of the people in decisions of peace and war. These decisions must now undergo a fundamental change. A new Government has been formed in complete accordance with the principle of representation of the people, based on equal, universal, secret, direct franchise. The leaders of the great parties in the Reichstag are members of tlbis Government. In future the Government can make or continue office without possessing the confidence of the majority of the Reichstag. The responsibility of the Chancellor fo the Empire to representatives of the people is being legally developed and safeguarded. The first act of the new Government has been to lay before the Reichstag a Bill to alter ! tlie constitution of the Empire m order to require the consent of the representatives of tlie people for decisions as to war and peace. The permanence of the new system is, however, guaranteed not only by constitutional safeguards, but also by the unshakeable determination of the German people, whose vast majority stands behind these reforms and demands their energetic continuance. The President's question as to with wlliom he and the Governments associated against Germany are dealing is, therefore, answered m a clear and unequivocal manner by the statement that the offer of peace and an armistice emanated from a Government which is free from any arbitrary and irresponsible influence, and is supported bv the approval of an overwhelming majority of the German people. (Signed) SOLF. Berlin, Oct. 20, 1018. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. THE FOURTEEN POINTS. BRITISH CABINET'S DISCREET SILENCE. Received Oct. 22, 7.35 p.m. London, Oct. 21. In the House of Commons, replying to a series of questions regarding President Wilson's fourteen points, Mr. Balfour said it was not desirable at present to discuss questions arising from tlie negotiations between Germany and President Wilson. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Association.

A CROOKED ANSWER.

Received Oct. 22, 9.43 p.m. London, Oct. 21. The Times points out that the second of the German notes uses the word "satze," meaning thesis, instead of "bedingungen," meaning terms, as. ushd in the first note. This stamps the note as a deliberate subterfuge and a erookod answer—Times Service.