GERMANY'S PEACE PROPOSALS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7523, 4 January 1917, Page 1

GERMANY'S PEACE PROPOSALS.

IMI !•; ANSWER. LUM)U\ Dm;.. ;’.l). O lio Allied Gtviiramcnls ot Russia, France, Great llrilain, .1 apan, . Italy, .Serbia, IVlujiuin, WonUmegro, Portugal, ami Roumania have issued jo’mt1\- a reply to the illusory peace proposals of the enemy. The papers were forwarded through the Edited States, Spain Switzerland, -and the Netherlands. The Allies protest against two assert ion- of the enemy’s Noth’—one professing their ((he Allies) responsibility for I lie war, and the other, proclaiming an. enemy victory. The reply relates ino l ejection oi the •■(forts made for peace in 19M, and gives oilier del ails preliminary. to the sf niggle. The joint reply of the Allies to th,o German IkwiOo Note was to-day communicated by the French Government to the United States Ambassador in Paris. It begins by stigmatising the proposal as illusory and protests strongly against two material assertions—namely, that professing to throw upon the Allies (ho responsibility for the war and that proclaiming the victory of the Central Powers. “Roth these assertions are untrue. Such claims alone arc sufficient to render sterile all attempts at negotiation. The Allies are as strongly devoted to peace to-day as they were in 19H, but after Cermany’s violation of her solemn engagements, Germany s promise is not a sufficjml fo'uudatiou upon which t o establish the peace.

that she broke. The mure suggestion, without a statement of tennis, that negotiations should be opened is not a peace offer. Germany's putting forward of sham proposals, lacking all substance and precision, is less a peace offer than a 'manoeuvre. It is founded on a calculated miisinlorpretation of the ; character of the struggle in the past, present, and future. IN fails to consider the facts, dates, figures’, establishing that the war was (Ic.-ired, provoked and declared by

iermany and Austria.” The reply proceeds to recall that it was the- German delegate at the Hague Conference who refused all proi l posals of disarmament, that Austria refused the satisfaction that Serbia 1 .Tiered, that subsequently Britain sug-, gosted a conference, 'France an international commission, and that thie/lzav asked the Kaiser to go to arbitration and that Russia and Austria actually came to an understanding on the ovu of the conffjct, but to a I the:: eiiorts 'Germany gave neither answer nor effect. Belgiujm was invaded by an Empire which had guaranteed her neutrality and which had the assurance to proclaim that treaties were scraps of paper and that necessity knows no law.

The Note proceeds to point out that those sham peace offers rest on the European war map alone, which represents only, a superficial passing phase of the situation and not the real strength of the belligerents Pence concluded on these terms could only bo to the advantage of tlia aggressors; who, after imaginifig that they would reach their goal in two months, discovered a biennium (hat it was never attainable.

Regarding the future, -the reply declares that the innumerable enemy outrages against both belligerents and neutrals demand penalties, reparation, aijd guarantees oi( which Germany avoids all mention. These overtures were really nothing more than a calculated attempt to influence the future course of the war and to finally, impose a 'German peace. They also, ai|med at creating dissension amongst the Allies and to stiffen public opinion in Germany and with her Allies, who \v c i.'c all severely tried by their losses, woqu out [economically, and crushed by the supreme effort imposed upon them. Another object jwas to deceive anti intimidate ' neutrals and, finally, the offer wan designed to justify a now series of crimes in the form of submarine warfare,,deportations, forced labour, and the forced cnlislpent ■ i nhabitants against their owe countries, and violations of neutrality, “Fully conscious ol the gravity, of (ho moment but equally conscious of its requirements, the Allies, closely .united with one another ana an pecie,;L sympathy with theirpcoplos, re-

fuse to consider a proposal which is empty and insincere. "Once a.vafn Hm AIU" 'lcclmv. that no peace is possible so long as they have not secured reparation for their violated rights and liberties, recognition - of the principle of nationalities, and the free existence of small States no ilonjj as they have mot Rrought about a settlement calculated to end once and fur all the forces which constituted a perpetual menace to the nations and alibi'd the only, effective guarantees -'or the future security of the world.”' Hhe Note concludes by dwelling on the enorm (y of ’Germany's offence HOlimwi U».f (inm