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The Commoner
NOVEMBER, 1918
"Ml
11
World War Comes
to an End
(Continued from Page 2.)
have by unanimous resolution assured the peo
nle of the Central Empires that everything that
possible in the circumstances will be done to
supply them with foo'd and relieve the distress
ing want that is in so many places threatening
their very lives; and steps are to be taken im
mediately to organize these efforts at relief in
the same systematic manner that Ihey were or
ganized in the case of Belgium.
"By the use of the idle tonnage of the Cen
tral Empires it ought presently to be possible to
lift the fear of utter misery from their oppressed
populations and set their minds and energies
free for the great and hazardous tasks of politi
cal reconstruction which now face them on every
hand. Hunger does not breed reform it breeds
madness and all the ugly distempers that make
an ordered life impossible.
"For the fall " of the " ancient governments,
which rested like an incubus upon the people of
the Central Empires has come political change
not merely, but revolution; and revolution wliich
seems as yet to assume no final and ordered
form, but to run from one fluid, change to an
other, until thoughtful men are forced to ask
themselves, with what governments, and of what
sort?
"The present and all that it holds belongs to
the nations and the peoples who preserve their
self-control and the orderly processes of their
themselves the true friends of mankind. To con
quer with arms is to make only a temporary con
quest; to conquer the world by earning its es
teem is to make permanent conquest. I am con
fident that the nations that havo learned the dis
cipline of freedom and that have settled with
self-possession to its ordered practice are now
about to make conquest of the world by the
sheer power of example and of friendly helpful
ness. "The peoples who have but just come out from
under the yoke of arbitrary government and who
are now coming at las.t into their freedom, will
never find the treasures of liberty they are in
search of if they look for them by the light of
the torch. They will find that every pathway
that is stained with the blood of their own
brothers leads to the wilderness, not to the seat
of their hope. They are now face to face with
their initial tests. We" must hold the light steady
until they find themselves. And in the mean
time, if it be possible, we must establish a peace
that will justly define their place among the na
tions, remove all fear of their neighbors and of
their former masters, and enable them to live in
security and contentment when they have set
their own affairs "in order. I, for one, do not
doubt their purpose or their capacity.
"There are some happy signs that they know
and will choose the- way of self-control and
peaceful accommodation. If they do, we shall
put our aid at their disposal in every way th'at
we can. If they do not, we must await with pa
tience and sympathy the awakening and recov
ery that will assuredly come at last."
ABDICATION OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED
A wireless report from London, Nov. 9, says:
A German wireless message received in London
this afternoon states:
"The German imperial chancellor, Prince Max
of ( .Baden, issued the following decree:
" 'The kaiser and king has decided to re
nounce the throne.'
" 'The imperial chancellor will remain in of
fice until the situation connected with the abdi
cation of the kaiser, the renouncing by the Ger
man crown prince of the throne of the German
empire and of Prussia and the setting up of a
regency have been settled.
' 'For the regency he intends to appoint
deputy Ebert as imperial chancellor, and he pro
Poses that a bill shall be brought in for the es
tablishment of a law providing for the immedi
ate promulgation of general suffrage and for a
constitutional German national assembly, which
settle finally the future form of government
oi the German nation and of those peoples which
might be desirous of coming within the empire.
Berlin, November 9, 1918.
a he Imperial Chancellor.' "
MAXIMILIAN ISSUES STATEMENT
T,!e chancellor issued the following statement:
Yon , difficult days hearts of many among
juu, my fellow countrymen wh0 outside the
front or of the German fatherland arc sur
rounded by manifestations of malicious joy and
hatred, will be heavy. Do not despair of the Ger
man people.
"Our soldiers havo fought to the last moment
as heroically as any army has ever done. The
home-land has shown unprecedented strength in
suffering and endurance.
"In the fifth year, abandoned by its allies,
tho German people could no longer wage war
against the increasingly superior forces.- Tho
victory for which many had hoped has not been
granted to us. But the German people has won
this still greater victory over itseir and its be-'
lief in the right of might.
"From this victory we shall draw new strength
for the hard time which faces us and on which
you also can build."
LETTER OF ABDICATION
A London cablegram, dated Nov. 10, -says:
Emperor William signed a letter of abdication
Saturday morning at the German grand head
quarters in the presence of Crown Prince Fred
erick William and Field Marshal Hindenburg,
according to a dispatch from Amsterdam, to the
Exchange Telegraph company. The German
crown prince signed his renunciation to tho
throne shortly afterward. Before placing his
signature to the document an urgent message
from Philipp Schoidemann, who was a socialist
member without portfolio in tho imperial cab
inet, was handed to the emperor. Ho road it
with a shiver. Then he signed the papers, say
ing: "It may be for the good of Germany."
Diplomatic Correspondence
Below will be found the diplomatic corres
pondence covering the period previous to the
signing of armistice terms by the German and
Austro-Hungarian government. Ed.
TEXT OF GERMAN PEACE NOTE
The text of the reply of the German govern
ment to President Wilson's note of October 14,
as received by wireless, and published under
date of October 21, follows:
'"In accepting the proposal for an evacuation
of occupied territories the German government
has started from the assumption that tho prd
cedure of this evacuation and of the conditions
of an armistice should be left to the judgment
of the military adv'sors and that the actual stan
dard of power on -both sides in the field has to
form the basis for arrangements safeguarding
and guaranteeing this standard.
"The German government suggests to tho
President that an opportunity should be brought
about for fixing the details. It trusts that the
President of tho United States will approve of
no demand which .would be irreconcilable with
the honor of the German people and with open
ing a way. to a peace of justice.
"The German government protests against tho
reproach of Illegal and inhuman Yctions mado
against tho German land and sea forces and
thereby against the German people. For tho
covering of a retreat destructions will always
be necessary, and they are carried out insofar
as is permitted by international law. The Ger
man troops are under the most strict instruction
to spare private property and to exercise caro
for the population to the best of their ability.
Where transgressions occur in spite of these in
structions the guilty are being punished.
"Tho German government further denies that
tho German navy in sinking ships has ever pur
posely destroyed lifeboats with their passengers.
The German government proposes with regard
to all those charges that tho facts be cleared up
by neutral commissions.
"In order to avoid anything that might
hamper the work of peace the German govern
ment has caused orders to bo despatched to all
'submarine commanders precluding the torpedo
ing of passenger ships, without, hdwever, for
technical reasons, being able to guarantee that
these orders will reach every single submarino
at sea before its return.
"As a fundamental condition for peace tho
President prescribes the destruction of every
arbitrary power that can separately, secretly
and of its own single choice disturb the peace
of the world. . To this the German government
"Hitherto the representation of the people in
the German empire has not been Endowed with
an influence on the formation of the government.
"The constitution did not provide for a con
currence of representation of tne people in deci-
slons of poacc and wnr. Thoso conditions have
JuBt now undergone a fundamental change. A
new government has boon formed in complete
accordance with tho wishes (principlo?) of tho
representation of tho people, baaed on equal,
universal, secrcL'aircct franchise
"Tho leaders of tho groat parties of tho rotolis-'
tag are members of this government. In tho
future no govornmont can tako or continue in
office without possessing tho confidence of a
majority of tho reichstag. .
"Tho responsibility of tho chancellor of the
empire to tho representation of tho people Is
being legally developed and safeguarded. Tho
first act of tho now government has been to lay
boforo the roichstng a bill to alter tho constitu
tion of tho ompiro so that tho consent of tho
representation of tho people is required for de
cisions on war and peace.
"The permanence of tho new system is, how
over, guaranteed not only by constitutional safe
guards but also by tho unshakablo determination
of tho German people, whoso vast majority
stands behind these roforma and demand their
energetic continuance.
"Tho question of tho President with whom
ho and the governments associated against Ger
many are dealing is thoroforo answered in
a clear, unequivooal manner by tho statement
that tho offer of peaco and an armistice has
come from a govornmont which is free from any
arbitrary and irresponsible influonco and is sup
ported by the approval of an overwhelming
majority of tho Gorman people SOLF."
PRESIDENT WILSON'S REPLY
The President's note to Germany as givon out
by Secretary Lansing at Washington, October 23,
follows:
"From tho Secretary of Stato to tho Charge
d'Affaires ad interim in charge of tho German
interests in the United States, Department of
State, October 23, 1918:
"Sir: I havo the honor to acknowledge tho
receipt of your note of tho 22nd, transmitting
a communication under date of tho 20th from
the German government, and to advise you that
the President has Instructed mo to reply thereto
as follows:
"Having received tho solemn and explicit as- ,
surance of tho German government that it un
reservedly accepts the terms of peaco laid down
in his address to tho congress of the United'
States on the 8th of January, 1918, and tho
principles of settlement enunciated In his sub
sequent addresses, particularly tho address of
the 27th of September, and that it desires to
discuss tho details of thoir application, and that
this wish and purpose emanated, not from those
who havo hitherto dictated German policy and
conducted the present war on Germany's behalf
but from ministers who speak for tho majority
of tho reichstag and for an overwhelming
majority of the Gorman peoples; and having
received also the explicit promise of the present
German government that tho humane rules of
civilized warfare will be obstrved both on land
and sea by the German armed forces, the Pre
sident of the United States feels that ho cannot
decline to take up with the governments with
which tho government of tho United States is
associated the question of an armistice.
RESTATES ARMISTICE TERMS
"He deems it his duty to say again, however,
that the only armistice he would feel justified
in submitting for consideration would be one
wliich should leave the United States and the
powers associated with her in a position to en
force any arrangements that may be entered
into and make a renewal of hostilities on the
part of Germany impossible.
"Tho President has, therefore, transmitted
his correspondence -with the present German
authorities to tho governments with which tho
government of the United States is associated as
a belligerent, with the suggestion that, if those
governments are disposed to effect peace upon
the terms and principles indicated, the'r military
advisors and the military advisers of the United
States be asked to submit to the governments
associated against Germany the necessary terms
of such an armistice as will fully protect tho
interests of the peoples involved and insure to
the Governments tho unrestricted power to safe
guard and enforce the details of the peace to
which the German government has agreed, pro
vided they "deem such an armistice possible from
,tho military point of view. Should such terms
of armistice be suggested, their acceptance by
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