KAISER’S PEACE PLAN

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6154, 11 August 1921, Page 3

KAISER’S PEACE PLAN

INDEMNITIES PROPOSED IN 1917. ALLIES TO PAY IN MONEY. GOODS, TERRITORY. The Berlin correspondent of tlie Manchester Guardian, says:—lt has become known here that a document lies in the archives of the Foreign Office written by the ex-Kaiser in the spring of 1917 stating his peace terms. Apparently it is another of the amazing Kaiser epistles and transcends in importance as a key to the mentality of the War Lord of Germany even some of the marginal remarks published by Karl Kautsky. “We have been at war more than two years, and my Government still failed to inform me wliat the war was being fought for is the gist of the introduction, "so now in the name of the army and navy I announce my peace terms.” Precisely what these were m full detail my information does not state, but they included the following points; Belgium to he divided, Germany to have the coast. The Kaiser to he Duke of Couvlamtl. Germany to have Lithuania. Germany to have the Azores and Malta. The United States to pay an indemnity of 40 billion dollars (£8,000,000,000). Franco one of 30 billion dollars (£6,000,000.000). England to pay an indemnity in money and material.

A series of documents on the question of the throne, of Rumania shous the Kaiser to have been absorbed in 1917 by the notion of having one of his sons appointed. His own candidate was Joachim, who, ho writes, had been at the front, and bad written excellent reports, and whom he recommended also for bis ability to make good public addresses. Apparently the court clique favoured Prince Oscar, and the archives contain a report, from that prince’s advocates stating that he also had been at the front and had written good reports, and tha.t to his qualifications were to be added those of bis wife by morganatic marriage, Countess de Bassewitz. Tire nature of this marriage, it was argued, should not prove an obstacle with such a country as Rumania. The chief concern of these Prince Oscar conspirators was that his children should bo accepted by the Ilohen/.ollern family as members. There is also in the archives a letter written early in 1917 by Herr Hugo Stinnes protesting against a separate peace with Italy, which at that time seemed not improbable.. The argument of Ilerr Stinnes reveals with what ardour he believed in< the success of the submarine war.