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Show I! DEFENSIVE WAR TO I BE CONTINUED SAYS I PRINCE MAXIMILIAN III Call for National Defense Forecast Throws New Light on H Latest Note From Germany "War of Defense" Will i Soon Be Reality If Allied Operations ij Continue to Develop'. (By The Associated Press) Defensive warfare will be carried on by the German nation if the present government fails to secure "a- peace with justice" said Prince Maximilian, tho German imperial chancellor, 6peaking before the reichstag yesterday. yester-day. Tnc address lends new light on tho latest note sent from Berlin to 1 Washington. The German people want first, to know what President Wilson's "four-' "four-' teen points" mean to tho future of Germany. If a, satisfactory answer is not to be obtained a "call for national defense" will be issued by the new government, said Prince Maximilian, War of Defense Not Far Distant. "This "war of defense" is not far i distant If military events continue to develop during the near future as they have In the recent past. During the last ninety-seven days of fighting tho allies al-lies have advanced along the line from ; Yin PnnL-au-Mousson to Nieunort. an average distance of about 2S miles. This advance aggregated 3S miles from Chateau Thierry to Grand Lup, fifty-nine fifty-nine from Amiens to the Sambre river ' and 38 from Dismude to the Eecloo-Zeebrugge Eecloo-Zeebrugge canal. The grand average is held to a low figure by tho fact that attacks east of Rhelms have not carried car-ried the German line back over permanent per-manent fortifications and against desperate des-perate resistance as far as the enemy was forced to flee further west and north. In this sector the progress made, however, is as important as much greater advances in some other parts of the front. Germans Stabilize Line. Standing behind the Scheldt river the Germans seem, for the moment to have stabilized their line. British troops, however, have succeeded in crossing the river east of Pecq, north of Valenciennes. That city too, has been entered by the British but part of it is still held by the enemy. (Further south, the British, Americans Ameri-cans and French arc fighting hard in their attempts to break the Hunding Jine. At last reports the British and Americans were advancing slowly east of the Sello river. The same situation obtains around what remains of the Laon salient. Attack on. Metz -Expected. The eyes of the allied world are now .directed at the Lorraine' and Woovro sectors in expectation of an American onslaught on Metz. There have been raiding operations there and further west during the past few days and raids are usually the precursors jf an attack. It has been established that Metz is the hinge upon which the whole German line is retiring retir-ing and a- blow at that fortress, if successful, suc-cessful, would throw into confusion tho whole retrograde movement. o Peace Conversation at Critical Point. COPENHAGEN, Oct, 23. Peace conversations between Berlin and Washington have reached a critical point, according to Prince Max, the imperial chancellor, speaking before Mm miohctMc voRtorclav. In the course of his address he urged that debate on the question be restricted as much as possible. "Today, therefore, I am going to say only this regarding the international situation. The president's first answer to the peace move of the German government gov-ernment has in all countries brought the questions of a peace of justice, or a peace of violence, to tho highest point," he continued. "President Wilson's Wil-son's last note did not make clear to the German people how this pubWc agitation will end. His decisive answer will perhaps bring definite certainty. Until then we must in all our thoughts and in our actions, preparo for both eventualities first that the enemy governments arc anxious for war, in which case there Is no choice for us but to put ourselves in a posture of defense with all the strength of our people driven to the last extremity. "Should this necessity arise, I have no doubt that the German government in the name qf the German people will issue a call for national defense ln the same name that it speak for the German Ger-man people when it took action for peace. He who honestly look a stand on the basis of peace will also under- . Like the duty of not submitting aj j peace of violence without a fight. The J government which would act otherwise ! would be left to the mercy of the fighting fight-ing and working people. It would be ' swept away by public opinion. German People Want Clearness. "There is also another possibility. The German people must not be blindly blind-ly brought to the conference table. The German people today have the right to ask, if peace is realized on the basis of President Wilson's conditions, what they mean for our future. Our answer to the president's question must be framed, on the German people's understanding under-standing of that question. What It now wants is clearness. "The decision will be of stupendous import. It will not be our strength that will decide but it will be what is thought to be right In free discussion with our opponents that will give the decision. This is a great effort for a proud people accustomed to victory! The legal questions involved will not stop at our national boundaries which wilr be never of our own accord open for violence." The principles upon which we have nnrrnnil o n nilo n f rnnrlnrf nlsn in - volve ail questions from many quarters quar-ters it has been reported to me that an acceptance or President Wilson's conditions would mean submission anti-German submission to an anti-German anti-German court of justice which would decide legal questions entirely from the viewpoint of its interests. If this is the case, why then is It that the extreme apostles of force In the Entente En-tente fear the council chaiubef as the guilty fear the court of justice? Rights of Nations "The essence of President Wilson's program for a league of nations cannot can-not be achieved when all peoples have not the right of national self-determination. This realization of community com-munity law means the abandonment or part of tho, unequalified importance which hitherto has been the indication of sovereignty, both by us and others. Should we at home maintain as fundamental fun-damental the national egotism which until a short time ago was the dominating dom-inating force of the people's life, there would be restitution and no renovation for us. Thero would be a feeling of bitterness which would cripple us for generations. "But If wo comprehend that the significance sig-nificance of this frightful war is, above all, victory for the ideal of justice jus-tice and if we do not resist this idea but submit with all good faith, then we shall find in it a cure for our present wounds and a reservoir of future strength." Heavy Opposition to be Conquered Prince Maximilian said that he would not deny that heavy opposition in Germany must be conquered before the ideal leaguo of nations could be realized but he continued "whether the next few days or weeks shall call us to fight on, or open the way to peace, there is no doubt we are now equal to the task of either war or peace by carrying out the government's govern-ment's program and definitely breaking break-ing away from the old system." The imperial chancellor then discussed dis-cussed electoral and parliamentary ro-forms. ro-forms. He introduced bills before the reichstag, one of which enables members mem-bers of the house to enter the government gov-ernment without resigning and another an-other proposing a change in the laws regarding the responsibility ' of the chancellor. He continued: "Deputies will take part in the direction di-rection of imperial policy and in the name of the chancellor will be responsible re-sponsible without being ministers. Thus a new way is opened for arriving ar-riving at responsible conduct of imperial im-perial affairs the parliamentry way. "Wo are convinced that it will supply sup-ply not only the government but indirectly in-directly parliament, with precious forces from the people which have hitherto not been utilized." rrince iuaxiimuan said nc hoped soon to announce results of preliminary prelim-inary negotiations to obtain a legal extension of the chancellor's responsibility respon-sibility to be secured by the formation of a state tribunal. "The new system," he said, "involves, "in-volves, as a natural consequence a new mode' of government in Alsace-Lorraine." The prince declared it was the aim of himself and his colleagues to establish es-tablish the political authority of the German people. Tho chancellor said that individual ( Continued on Page 5 ) , oo DEFENSIVE WAR TO BE CONTINUED, SAYS MAXIMILIAN (Continued from Page 3) members of tho government at first had different standpoints but now had been brought nearer together. "The German people have long been In tho saddle," he said. "Now it is to ride." "My first and last thought," the chancellor continued, "Is for the brave men who are defending themselves against superior forces and whom we must defend against unjust charges. No one must thnk he can attack our array without also attacking the honor hon-or of our people. "The lot of our soldiers today is terribly ter-ribly hard. They fight with anxiety for the homeland and wlth their minds fixed on peace, and they hold their ground." Reichstag to Be Responsible COPENHAGEN, Oct. 23 Announcement Announce-ment was made by the chancellor of a bill making tho reichstag responsi ble for war and peace, the measure to become effective when tho project for a league of nations should become operative. op-erative. The extraordinary war time measures, meas-ures, the chancellor explained, could not yet be dispensed with but they could be carried out -only by the chancellor chan-cellor who would be responsible to tho reichstag for their application. "His majesty's decrees which I announced recently have just been Issued," he went on. "They concern not only the censorship, public meeting and revocations revo-cations on personal liberty but have to do with economic, social and political poli-tical matters. "If local commanders disagree with the civilian authorities the decision must be reached Immediately by the highest commander who will not be able to promulgate any decision to which agreement is not given by myself my-self or my representative, namely Secretary of State Goebcr." "Care will bo taken that the state of siege is maintained in the spirit in which I assume the functions of the government and in which I am resolved re-solved to discharge them." Speakirlg of the powers to vc vested in the reichstag and the terms of the near measure, tho chancellor said the bill provided for the compulsory em bodiment In the constitution of the; fundamental idea of the new form of! government. He said the effect would j bo to make the reichstag the people's! house of representatives which should bo responsible "In the decision of the most Important questions for the nation, na-tion, namely of peace and war." "That means peaceful development of the empire and its relations with other powers," he continued. "In such' an extension of the people's rights the imperial government is willing to lend a baud when a league of nations has taken practical form. When such a league puts an ond to all secret separate sep-arate treaties I am confident that all agreements can be nmplified in this sense." Tho chancellor said that the Gorman people long had possessed political rights which its neighbors envied. He spoke In praise of the municipal and reichstag elections and said that al- fhniifh thn fSonnnri TinonlQ had not made use of their power in dealing with vital questions the development which had occurred at the end of December De-cember had changed everything. "Therein lies tho guarantee of the continuance and growth of the new system," he added. "This Is a bettor and more real guarantee than any law or paragraph," The German people, he declared, must not resort to forms of government govern-ment which Lhey did not In their hearts believe in for the sake of foreign for-eign countries or to meet the needs, of the moment. "The enemy is at our-gates," he said. After paying tribute to the men at tho front, ho added ; "Bad elements aro to be found in every army, but the fundamental will of the people's army is opposed to them." "Wo trust the German soldiers and thank them. We c-ry to them: " 'The homeland will not abandon you. What you want, what it can give in men, material and food that you shall have.' " nn |