PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14546, 26 October 1917, Page 5

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

GERMANY'S OVERTURE TO

FRANCE.

DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL

UNANIMOUS REJECTION BY THE

ALLIES

|A.ustra'lian and N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received Oct. 25, 9 p.m.) London, Oct. 25. The "Daily' Telegraph's" Milan correspondent gives the following details

of the German peace proposals which j 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 from Russia. The proposal was made to M. Briand by an accredited Belgian diplo- i mat from Switzerland. Prince Bulow had nothing to do with the proposal, which came direct from the German Government through. regular diplomatic channels. M. Briand immediately made it a condition that all the Allies must be

informed before a. reply was given. Mr" Balfour was the. first Minister to be informed. Ho . thought the proposal unacceptable, and conferred with his colleagues. They agreed. The Italian. Government gave a similar negative reply. All the Allied Governments answered with full knowledge of the matter. The pourparlers lasted a month, ending on October Ist. Germany was most anxious to have the proposal accepted, but it was unacceptable, not only because it implied tho annexation of hugo slices of Russia, but it contemplated no concessions to Italy, Serbia, or Roumania, and no disavowal of German militarism. Germany's offer of financial aid to Belgium was coupled with demands for privileges at Antwerp, and the AlHes acceptance of the proposal would have been a huge triumph for German militarism. i