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Show GERMANY WILLING FOR PEACE1 WAR IMPERIAL CHANCELLOR ASSERTS HIS COUNTRY READY TO CONSIDER CON-SIDER PEACE SUGGESTION. Government Declines Responsibility For Further Continuation of Con-filet, Con-filet, But Believes it Folly to Propose Peace Terms. Berlin. So long as uncontrolled hatred of Germany, and the belief that Germany is approaching a collapse, col-lapse, continues to be the dominant idea of her foes, it would be folly for Germany to take the initiative in proposing pro-posing terms of peace. Germany, however, Is ready at any time to consider con-sider a peace suggestion from the countries with which she is at war, does not wish a continuation of the war and disassociates herself, under these circumstances, from any responsibility respon-sibility for its prolongation. This Is the substance of the German Ger-man imperial chancellor's reply in the reichstag on Thursday to the Socialist So-cialist interpretation on peace, in which he painted a picture of Germany Ger-many triumphant on all sides and supplied sup-plied with everything, even if not in abundance, necessary to the continuation continua-tion of the war. The Interpellation was Introduced by Dr. Scheldemann in the following terms: "Is the imperial chancellor ready to give information as to the conditions under which he would be willing to enter Into peace negotiations?" "If our enemies make peace proposals pro-posals compatible with Germany's dignity and safety," said Dr. von Beth-mann-Holweg, "then we shall always be ready to discuss them. So long as in the countries of our enemies the guilt and Ignorance of statesmen are entangled with confusion of public opinion it would be folly for Germany Ger-many to make peace proposals, which would not shorten, but would lengthen, length-en, the war. First the masks must be torn from their faces." Only two Socialists spoke on the interpellation, all the non-Socialist parties uniting in a short declaration Opposing discussion at this moment. The tone of the debate was dignified and patriotic. The imperial chancellor in his first speech, lasting half an hour, explained explain-ed the military situation on all the fronts and declared emphatically that Germany could not be starved out. The country had enough food, if properly prop-erly distributed. Germany's enemies, he said, were suffering more than the Germans and paying higher prices for food. |