GERMAN PEACE PROPOSALS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10117, 26 October 1917, Page 5

GERMAN PEACE PROPOSALS

ACCOUNT FOR M. RiROT'S RESIGNATION. SOCIALISTS DISSATISFIED. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, Oct. 25. The Daily Telegraph’s Milan correspondent gives the following details of the German peace proposals which were largely the cause of M. Ribot’s resignation, as the Socialists allege that Ribot should have made the proposals public. The German proposal was to restore Belgium and cede Alsace and Lorraine in exchange for compensation by Russia. The proposal was made to M. Briand by an accredited Belgian diplomat from Switzerland. Count Buelow had nothing to do with the proposal. which came direct from the German Government through a regular diplomatic channel. M. Briand immediately made it a condition that all the allies must bo inform, ed. He thought the proposal would not be acceptable. lie conferred with his colleagues, who agreed. The Italian Government gave a similar negative reply. All the Allied Governments answered with a lull knowledge of the matter. The pourparlers lasted a month, ending on the Ist October. Germany was most anxious to have the proposal accepted, but it was not acceptable, not onlv because it implied annexation of huge slices of Russia, but contemplated no concessions to Italy, Serbia, and Roumania, and no disavowal of German militarism. The Germans’ oiler of financial aid to Belgium was coupled with demands for privileges in regard to Antwerp. Acceptance of (he proposal would have been a huge triumph for German militarism,