PEACE TALK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 26 October 1917, Page 5

PEACE TALK.

GERMAN PROPOSALS TO FRANCE. DIRECT FROM THE GOVERNMENT. REFERRED TO ALL ALLIES. TERMS NOT ACCEPTABLE. LONDON, Oct. 25. The Daily Telegraph's Milan corre- j spondent gives the following details of j 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 mad© to M. Briand by an accredited Belgian diplomat from Switzerland. Prince yon Bulow had nothing to do with the proposal, which came direct from the German Government through the regular diplomatic channel. M. Briand immediately made it a condition that all the Allies must ibe 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 Governent gave a similar nega- ! tive 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 Rugfcia, but it contemplated no concessions to Italy, Serbia and Roumania, and no disavowal of German militarism. Germany's offer of financial aid t/O 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.