GERMAN PLEA FOR PEACE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14893, 16 October 1918, Page 5

GERMAN PLEA FOR PEACE.

TEXT RECEIVED AT WASHINGTON.

CONFERENCE AT THE WHITE

HOUSE.

REPORTED REFUSAL OF ARMIS-

TICE.

TERMS OF THE REPLY,

(Airstranan-N.Z. Cable Association.)

Washington, Oct. 14

The German reply has been received

President Wilson immediately called Mr Lansing and Mr Baker to the White House for a conference.

The text of the Note is identical with that received by wireless.

It is understood the British Government opposes an armistice unless complete guarantees, military and naval, are given.

The Swiss Minister delivered th© official text of the German answer to Mr Lansing.

The Spanish Ambassador delivered to Mr Lansing the Turkish Peace Note, which is similar to the German Note.

More mature consideration has notinfluenced the officials favourably towards the Note.

It is pointed out that the President is not obliged to accept tho proposal, as he did not reply to the previous Note, but asked questions in order to get a clearer understanding of the German attitude-, . ; '■ •"■■■■< '*

President "Wilson spent, the day in company with Colonel House at New York, and returned to Washington in the afternoon, maintaining silence regarding the Note.

The Government ~ has decided that there shall be no armistice. The despatch of troops oversea will continue.

The reply is expected to go immediately to Germany. It states that auto cracy must go before the final peace comes. No arrangement, can be accepted by the United States which does not provide absolutely satisfactory guarantees for the maintenance of the present supremacy of the armies of the United States and the Allies.

The reply states:—"While Germany approaches the United States with offers of peace Germany's submarines continue to sink passenger ships. We cannot be expected to jagree to an armistice while Germany practises acts of inhu.rcanity, spoliation, and desolation."

"When the time to consider an armis tico comes, the Allied military advisers will be consulted. No military advantage will be lost.

In the Senate debate on the Germail offer, Senator New said it was impossible to think of accepting anything short of unconditional surrender.

President Wilson is conferring with Colonel House and Counsellor Polk, of the State Department, and is also consulting the British Charge d'Affaires. After an interview with President Wilson, Senator Ashurst gave it out that President-Wilson did not.desire m the slightest to weaken the. Allied will to victory. Senator Ashurst pointed out that Mr Lloyd George and M. Clemenceau had already been consulted. President Wilson refused to consider any armistice of his own making. Cessation of hostilities could only come through the generals in the field.

Senator Thomas introd\i,ced a resolution stipulating that there "should bo no peace with Germany without specific recognition of the rights of the Slavic and Polish, peoples.

Senator Lodge introduced a resolution with the object of breaking off further communications with Germany imme- ( diately.

Mr Taft, in an interview, said that should the conferees at the Peace Council not agree to a practical interpretation of the President's fourteen principles, Germany and Austria would withdraw with their line?' of defence strengthened, and in a better condition to continue hostilities. He asked: Is Germany sincere 9 Assuredly she hnd nothing to lose and all to gain by the acceptance o£ her proposition; otherwise she faced unconditional surrender, which the American people and the peoples of all the 411ied countries demand.