GERMANY'S REPLY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16350, 23 October 1918, Page 7

GERMANY'S REPLY.

THE PEACE PROPOSALS,

FULL TEXT OF FOREIBN SECRETARY'S LETTER.

ADVANCE ON WEST FRONT CONTINUED.

BRITISH CLOSE TO VALENCIENNES.

FIFTH YEAR—B4th DAY,

hind these reforms, and demands J their energetic continuance. j The President's question as to ■with I whom he and the Governments associated against Germany are • dealing is therefore answered in ] a clear and unequivocal manner i by the statement that the offer 1 of peace and an armistice email- ' atcd from the Government, 1 which is freo from any arbitrary ■ irresponsible influence, and is 1 supported by the approval of the » overwhelming majority of Gar- 1 man people." (Signed) SOLF, Berlin, October 20th. ' "A DELIBERATE SUBTERFUGE." 5 ("The Times,") ] (Received October 22nd, 7.10 p.m.) 1 LONDON, October 21. ' The Times" points out that the - second German Note uses the word i satze," meaning thesis, instead of < bedingungen," meaning terms, which was used in the first Note. This ' stamps the Note as a deliberate subterfuge and & crooked answer. COUNT TISZA'S SPEECH. PRELUDE TO A SEPARATE PEACE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received October 22nd, 8.45 p.m.) BERNE, October 21. The Budapest newspaper "An Ujsag" states: "Count Tisza's speech is the prelude to a separate peace. Hungary intends to protect her own interests and make her own terms. Political circles declare that Berlin is ©ware of Hungary's intentions. Hungary has Btoppcd the export of grain to Austria. combined wrta tne diminution of : ~;iea from Poland, threatens Austria with starvation before the end of November.'* AN UNDESIRABLE DISCUSSION. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received October 22nd, 7.55 p.m.) LONDON, Ootober 21. In the House of Commons, replying to a series of questions regarding President Wilson's fourteen points, Mr Balfour, Minister for Foreign Affairs, said it was not desirable at present to discuss questions arising from the negotiations between Germany and President Wilson. AUSTRIAN EMPEROR'S SUPPLICATION. (Australian and N.Z, Cable Aiwooiaticm.) NEW YORK, October 21. Mr Frederick Peuiieldj formerly United States Ambassador in Austria, interviewed at Atlantic City, Baid ho strongly approved of Mr Wiison'B reply to Austria. When he left Austria last spring everybody seemed weary of the war. The last words the Emperor said to him were: "Please tell Mr Wilson that I want peace—peace—peace, and will do anything possible to secure peace." Mr Penfield added that "the Hungarians in their hearts despise Germany. Probably two-thirds of the people of Hungary approve of Mr Wil.con's attitude and resent being chained to the Kaiser's chariot." UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER REQUIRED. (Australian and N.Z, Cable Association.) NEW YORK, October 21. The "New York Times" Washington correspondent says that he learns on the highest authority that nothing but Germany's unconditional surrender will be acceptable to the United States, and that this will be before Mr Wilson's terms can be applied. Germany must oust the Hohenzollerns and the autocratic German Government. If she does not accept these conditions the Allies will fight until they secure complete victory by arms.

GERMANY'S REPLY TO PRESIDENT WILSON. PROTEST AGAINST THE CHARGE OF ILLEGAL ACTIONS. PASSENGER SHIPS NOT TO BE ( TORPEDOED. CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION. (Attitfaliitti ftnd N.Z. Cable Association.) (Router's Telegrams.) , Admiralty per Wiraleeo Prees. (Received October 22nd, 7.10 p.m.) < LONDON, October 21 (5.20 p.m.). i A German official message states :; — 1 "Germany's reply to President Wilson iB as follows:— 'In accepting the proposal for the eradiation of occupied territories, the German Government -has Btnrted from the assumption that the procedure of this ovaouation and the conditions of the armistice should be left to the judgment of the military advisers, and the actual standard of power of both Bides in the field must form the basis of arrangements safeguarding and guaranteeing the standard. The German Government euggests to President Wilson that an opportunity should be arranged for fixing details, and trusts that the President will approve of .no demand irreconcilable . with the honour of the German people and with the opening of the way to •peace or justice. Tho German Government protests against the reproach of illegal and inhuman actions made against the German land and eea forces, and thus against the German people, for covering a retreat. Destructions will always be necessary, and in bo far are permitted by international law. The German troops were under the strictest instructions to Bpare private property and exercise care with tho population to the best of their ability. Where transgressions occ.ir) despite these instructions, the guilty are punished. The German Government further denies that tho Navy, in sinking ships, ever purposely dostroyed lifeboats with their passengers. The Government proposes regarding all these, charges, that the facts shall be cleared up by neutral commissions. In order to avoid anything hampering the work towards peace, the German Government has despatched orders to all submarine commanders precluding the torpedoing of passenger ships, without, however, for technical reasons being able to 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, and of its own single choice disturb the peace of the world. To this the German Government replies that hitherto the representatives of the people of the German Empire have been an undoubted influence on the formation of the Government. The Constitution did not provide for the concurrence of the representatives of the people in the 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 an equal, universal, secret, and direct franchise. The leaders of the great parties in the Reichstag are members of this Government. In future no Government can make or continue office without possessing the confidence of the majority of tho Reichstag. The responsibility of the Chancellor of the Empire to the representatives of the people is being 'legally developed and safeguarded. { The first act of tho new Government lias been to lay before the Reichstag a Bill to alter the Constitution of the Empire in order to require the consent of the representatives of the people for decisions of war and peace. The permanence of the new system is, however, guaranteed not only by constitutional safeguards, but also by the unshakable determination of the German people, whose vast majority stands be-