THE PEACE OFFER

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 148, 20 December 1916, Page 8

THE PEACE OFFER

ALLIES' ANSWER WILL BE

UNANIMOUS

IDENTICAL CONCLUSIONS ARRIVED AT

PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH IN

THE COMMONS.

(UNITED PRBS3 ASSOCIATION.— COPTRIOHT.)

(AUS. AND K.Z. CABLE ASSN. AHD RBUTER.)

(Received December 20, 2.20 p.m.) LONDON, 19th December.

In the House of Commons, the Prime Minister (Mr. Lloyd George) said he appeared before the House with the most terrible responsibilities that could fall on the shoulders of any living man —as chief adviser to the Crown in the most gigantic war the country had ever engaged in, a war upon the events of which its destiny depended. It is the greatest war ever waged, and the burdens are the heaviest ever cast upon this or any other country, while the issues are the gravest ever attached in any conflict in which humanity has been involved. The responsibilities of the new Government have been suddenly accentuated by the declaration of the German Imperial Chancellor. The statement made by the latter in the Reichstag had been followed by a Note presented to us by the United States without comment.

"The answer," said the Premier, "will be given by the Government in full accord with our brave Allies. Naturally, there has been an interchange of views; not upon the Note, because it has only recently arrived, but upon the speech which propelled it; and, inasmuch as the Note itself is practically only a reproduction, or certainly a paraphrase, of that speech. "The subject matter of the Note itself has been discussed formally, and I am very glad to be able to state that we have each arrived at identical conclusions. I am very glad the first answer was given by , France and Russia, for they have unquestionably the right to give the first answer to such an invitation from an enemy still on their soil. Their sacrifices have been greater. That answer has been already published; and on behalf of the Government I give clear and definite support to it. "What are the proposals? There are none. To enter on a conference on the invitation of Germany, who is proclaiming herself victorious, without any knowledge of the proposals she proposes to make, is to put our heads into a noose, with the rope's end in Germany's hands.

"This country is not altogether without experience in these matters. This is not the first time we have fought the great military despotism overshadowing Europe, and it will not be the first time we have helped to overthrow military despotism.

" We can recall that one of the greatest of these despots, when he had a purpose to serve, in working his nefarious schemes, his favourite device was to appear in the guise of the Angel of Peace.