PEACE PROPOSALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 17

PEACE PROPOSALS.

GERMANY'S HEINOUS OFFENCES.

THE TENOR OF THE REPLY. The joint reply of the Allies to the German Peace is'ote was to-day communicated by the French Government to the United States Ambassador at Paris.

The opening sentence of the reply says : " The Allied Governments have united for the defence of the freedom of nations; and, faithful to their undertaking not to lay down their anus except in common accord, have decided to return a joint answer."

The replv says in closing, after detailing the Belgian sufferings: "Her King and Government have but one aim : the reestablishment of peace and justice; but they desire only a peace which will assure the country of legitimate reparation and guarantees and safeguards for the future." The reply begins by stigmatising the proposal as" illusory, and protests strongly against two material assertions —namely, professing to throw upon the Allies the responsibility of the war and proclaiming a victory for the Central Powers. Both assertions are untrue. Such claims alone are sufficient to render sterile all attempts at negotiation. The Allies are as strongly devoted to peace to-day as in 1914, but after Germany's violation of her solemn engagements Germany's promise is not Sufficient foundation upon which to establish the peace she broke. The mere suggestion, without a statement of terms, that negotiations should.-be opened, is not a peace offer. Germany is patting forward sham proposals, lacking all substance or precision. It is less a peace offer than a manoeuvre. It is founded on calculated misinterpretation of the character of the struggle of the past, present, and future. It fails to consider facts, dates, and figures, establishing that war was desired, provoked, and declared by Germany and Austria.

The reply recalls that it was the German delegate at The Hague Conference who refused all proposals for disarmament; that Austria refused the satisfaction which Serbia offered; that subsequently Great Britain suggested a conference and France an international commission, while the Czar asked the Kaiser to go to arbitration, and Russia and Austria actually came to an understanding on the eve of the conflict. But to all these efforts Germany gave neither answer nor effect. Belgium was invaded by an Empire which guaranteed her neutrality, and had the assurance to proclaim treaties "scraps of paper," and that '"necessity knows no law."

The reply proceeds to point out that these sham peace offers rest on the European war map alone, which represents only a superficial and passing phase of the situation and not the real strength of the belligerents. A peace concluded on theso terms would be of advantage only to aggressors, who, after imagining that they would reach their goal in two months, discovered after two years of war that it was never attainable.

Regarding the future the reply declares: "Innumerable enemy outrages against belligerents and neutrals demand penalties, reparation, and guarantees, of which Germany avoids mention. These overtures are really nothing more than a calculated attempt to influence the future course of the war and finally impose a German peace, and also to create dissension amongst the Allies and stiffen the public opinion of Germany and her allies, who are all severely tried by losses, worn out economically, and crushed by the supreme effort imposed upon them. Another object is to deceive and intimidate neutrals and finally justify a new series ol crimes in the shape of submarine warfare, deportations of forced labour, forced enlistment of inhabitants against their own countries, and violations of neutrality. "Fully conscious of the gravity of the moment and equally conscious of its requirements, the Allies, closely united one with another and in perfect sympathy with their peoples, refuse to consider a proposal which is empty and insincere. Once again the Allies declare that no peace is possible so long as they have not secured reparation for violated rights and liberties, a recognition of the principle of nationalities and of the free existenco of small States, and as long as they have not brought about a settlement calculated to end once and for all the forces which constituted a perpetual menace to the nations and affording the only effective guarantees for the future security of the world." The reply concludes by dwelling upon the enormity of Germany's offence against Belgium. CHORUS OF APPROVAL. The newspapers applaud the Allies' definite m~vi emphatic refusal to consider peace until they are able to dictate terms. Germany's crime against civilisation must be punished, and all nations be given security for the future. The Sunday Times emphasises the tremendous significance of the opening sentence and adds: "Never before in the ■world's history has there been such a tmlon of people widely differing in race and policy for a common end, and ii has Deen possible only because the end transcends all selfish or particular interests.

ALLIES' REPLY TO GERMANY.

GERMAN REPLY TO PRESIDENT WILSON.

(By Cable.)

The Note in its clear, passionless language tears to pieces the Huns' hypocritical pretences. The French newspapers are enthusiastic in their approval of the Entente Powers' reply. The Petit Parisien says : " The Note is a strong, conclusive, and irrefutable reply" M. Pichon, writing in The Journal, says: " The Note does not contain any new information, except that establishing the enemies' crimes."

The Figaro says : The reply shows that Germany's Note was a mere war manoeuvre, whereby it was sought to surprise and divide the Allies. The reply's effect will be powerful and universal. The Echo de Paris says : Vainly have the Germans sought to hypnotise us with a war map, but financial and economic problems are as important as territorial. ' The Journal says : The Entente's refusal to talk peace is the most marked thing in the reply. The Italian newspapers sing a chorus of approval of the Allies' reply. 11 Messagero says: " The destruction of Prussian militarism is an essential condition of peace." The Allied Note is generally regarded in the United States as an effective reply, meaning that unless Germany states her terms there is not the slightest prospect of peace. The Administration is silent, but correspondents believe that Germany will endeavour to submit terms to Mr Wilson confidentially. Count Bernstorff does not think the Note will have answered Germany until the Allies have replied to Mr Wilson stating the methods they propose. The iNew York World says Germany forgets that the map not only shows Europe, but the loss of German colonies, a ring of steel around the Central Powers, and also their unparalleled isolation. Germany should realise that if America joins the Allies their economic resources will be practically doubled. An Amsterdam message says: An outburst of Teutonic fury will certainly follow the publication of the Entente's Note.

The Rheinisch Zeitnng declares that the German and English antithesis is not to be reconciled. 1917 is Germany's year of fate. LORD CURZON'S MESSAGE. Lord Curzon, in a New Year message to the Primrose League, says: "It is impossible to say that the end is in sight. It seems likely we must continue well into another year—perhaps longer—the tragedy that is turning the world into hell and wrecking the brightest promise of the nations. An inconclusive war with a patched-up peace would mean not merely an immediate humiliation but ultimate destruction." MR MASSEY INTERVIEWED. Mr Massey, interviewed for the newspaper People, said he was ambitious that the Empire should be supreme on land, sea, and air, and he believed that with proper statesmanship it would become a blessing to all nations. He was satisfied that when the dominions had a voice in Imperial affairs we would never again be militarily unprepared. To agree to the present peace suggestions would only enable Germany to renew her strength and cheat our army and navv of the victory to which they were justly entitled. Mr Wilson's action, though actuated by. the best motives, was ill-timed. Those who were anxious to interfere must be given to understand that the Allies would carry on until the Huns were knocked out. BERLIN'S DISAPPOINTMENT. Scandinavian and Dutch nfessages describe Berlin's disappointment. The public had stubbornly hoped for the acceptance of Germany's proposals, believing that Britain was starving and France and Russia exhausted. A Geneva message asserted that crowds thronged the approaches to the American Embassy when it was known that the reply had been received. The Berlin Liberal press admitted that the prospects of peace are receding. The King of Bavaria, in his New Year message to his troops, said: "We must obtain peace by force." The German Ambassador has unofficially expressed the opinion that the Entente Powers' reply leaves a loophole for Germany to reply with specific terms. PREPARING THE REPLY TO PRESIDENT WILSON. The Central News states that the Allies' reply to President Wilson was expected to be ready for presentation at the week end, but there are now indications of delay for several days, this being mainly due to the German answer to Mr Wilson and also to probable German peace kites, suggesting a return to status quoante regarding Belgium and France. Russia Is partly responsible for a postponement.