VOL,. LiVIII. NO. 18,036.
THE 3IORXIXG OllEGONIAN. MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1918.
PKICE FIVE CENTS.
nrn nniu
ACCEPTABLE
Halt Now for "Discussion"
Unthinkable.
BULGARIAN PEACE POSSIBLE
Central Powers Must Accept
Terms Laid Down by
President Wilson.
ENTENTE FORCES ARE UNIT
Withdrawal of Hun Soldiers
: From Occupied Territory
Prime Prerequisite.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 Germany's
newest peace offer proposing an
armistice while President Wilson con
siders and conveys to the allies a pro
posaf on the basis of terms laid down
by the President himself had not
reached Washington in official form
tonight and there was, therefoi.-, no
authorized statement of how it was
regarded by the United States.
No one in Washington even as much
as gives thought to any proposal that
the victorious troops, of Great Britain,
France, Italy and the United States
should halt in an armistice while a
"discussion" is conducted, but there
might be an armistice of the same na
ture as was given to Bulgaria an
armistice of unconditional surrender.
Huns Would Save Something.
Plainly, however, it was recognized
as the next step in the continuing ef
forts of the German statesmen to save
something from the wreckage of their
dream of world domination, the step
which might be expected from a losing
trader who makes his proposition, has
it rejected and offers his next best,
each time coming nearer to the de
mands of his adversary, meanwhile
endeavoring to hold out in the hope of
getting the best terms he can.
It hardly is taking a position in ad
vance of the Araer.an Government .3
say that if the present proposition sig
nifies Germanys' unqualified accept
ance of the principles of peace laid
down by President Wilson in his
Fourth of July speech at the tomb of
Washington, it will be considered. If
it does not; if it is an acceptance "in
principle" with saving diplomatic
language parting the way for quibbl
ing around a council tab!-, 11 will not
be considered.
Terms Are Well Known.
Those terms, accepted -y all the
allies as their own', the President com
pressed into a single sentence:
"A reign of law, based upon the con
Bent of the governed and sustained by
the organized opinion of mankind."
They provided for the destruction,
or reduction to virtual impotence of
any arbitrary power capable of dis
turbing the peace of the world; the
settlement of every question on the
basis of interest of the people -on-cerned,
and in effect, a league of na
tions to enforce peace.
Withdrawal Is Prerequisite.
If, in the o"cr of Princ; Maximilian,
the new imperial Chancellor, Germa. j
is willing to accept these terms,' and
the remainder of the world is satis
fied that he speaks not alone but with
the military masters of Germany in
acquiescence, the next logical step
would be the withdrawal of every
German soldier from everv foot of oc
cupied territory. From that point the
allies might begin to test the sincerl'.y
of Germany's willingness to conform
to the world-peace programme.
When Austria proposed peace nego
tiations the official view was summed
up this way:
"Austria is breaking; this is the
time to hit her hardest, not the time
to talk peace."
Another Hun Offer Expected.
There is nothing to indicate that the
view has been chaneed. No om Vir.ro
doubts that soon or late Germany will
wake a peace offer that may be
worth considering.
None of the allies wishes to assume
the responsibility of prolonging the
war a day longer than is necessary to
insure the future peace of the world.
Therefore, it is realized that offers of
peace are not to be rejected before
they are examined. Prince Maxi
milian's offer, with those said to be
coming simultaneously from Austria
ICocduded oq Fags 3, Column 3.
nunnn
mm
GERMAN PEACE NOTE
SEEKS TO STOP WAR
TEXT OF IMPERIAL CHANCEL
LOR'S PROPOSAL G1VEX.
President's Terms Declared to Be
Accepted "as a Basis for
Peace Negotiations."
AMSTERDAM. Oct. 6. (By the Asso
ciated Press.) The text of the note
forwarded by the Imperial German
Chancellor. Prince Maximilian, to Pres
ident Wilson, through the Swiss gov
ernment, follows:
"The German government requests
the President of the United States to
take in hand the restoration of peace,
acquaint all the belligerent etates of
this request and invite them to send
plenipotentiaries for the purpose of
opening negotiations.
"It accepts the programme set-' forth
by the President of the United States
in his message to Congress January 8
and in his later pronunciamentos, es
pecially his speech of September 27, as
a basis for such peace negotiations.
"With a view to avoiding further
bloodshed, the German government re
quests the immediate conclusion of an
armistice on land and . water and In
the air."
It is announced that Turkey will
take a similar step.
SUICIDE FOLLOWS RESCUE
Man Lost 4 Days in Woods, When
Found, Kills Himself.
HOOD RIVER, Or.. Oct. S. (Special.)
Slashing an artery In his arm with
a tin tobacco can and hanging himself
to a 6ewer pipe with his belt, Jake
Breaun, Orc-gcn Lumber Company em
ploye, crazed from having been lost
four days in the woods southwest of
here, committed suicide at the City
Prison today.
Breaun was found Saturday ex
hausted and in a etate of collapse from
loss of blood from self - inflicted
wounds.
Breaun was 39 years old and had
registered at Seattle. He is a member
of a prominent family of Rexburg,
Idaho, where the body will be sent for
interment.
UTAH WHISKY TO BE USED
9000 Gallons of Contraband Liquor
Will Be Denatured.
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 6. Approxi
mately 9000 gallons of contraband
whisky, seized here since ."'Utah went
into the "dry" column, and which had
been ordered destroyed, will not find its
way into the sewers, but will go to
ward alleviating a Government short
age of denatured alcohoL Chief of
Police J. Parley White has received re
quests from Washington for his entire
stock.
The Bureau of Standards at Wash
ington has asked for ten barrels and
the motor transport corps asks for 400t
gallons or more. The liquor will be
denatured before shipping, it was said.
NEW BULGAR KING CHEERED
Populace Hails Monarch Joyously,
Says Sofia Dispatch.
BASEL, Switzerland, Oct. 6. The ac
cession of Crown Prince Boris to the
throne of Bulgaria was received en
thusiastically by the populace, accord
ing to a dispatch from Sofia. The bells
of all the churches were rung.
Addressing a large crowd from the
palace, Boris said:
"I thank you for your manifestations
of patriotic sentiments. I have faith in
the good star of Bulgaria and I believe
that, the Bulgarian people, by their good
qualities and co-operation, are directed
to a brilliant future."
HUNS REPORT AIRMEN SAFE
Boche Elyer Drops Message Telling
of Whereabouts of 5 U. S. Flyers.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARM'S
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN Oct. 6.
(By the Associated Press.) An incident
of the fighting yesterday .was a notifi
cation by German aviators that five
American airmen who had been re
ported missing from time to timo are
safe. One of the Germans dropped pho
tographs of messages written by each
of them. No indication of their where
abouts was given.
American aviators reciprocated by
giving information regarding Germans
held prisoner.
HEROES TO GET MEMORIAL
American Dead to Be Honored in
Winchester Cathedral.
lX)NDON, Oct. 6. A permanent me
morial to the members of the American
forces who have given tfieir lives in
the war will be erected in the Win
chester Cathedral, according to an an
nouncement by the Ministry of Infor
mation. A suitable temporary memorial will
soon be placed where the permanent
structure is to be erected after the
war.
DANIELS WANTS KNOCKOUT
Secretary of Navy Declares That
Potsdam lust Be Well Whipped.
SPRINGFIELD, I1L. Oct. 6. The war
is not over yet. We must hit Potsdam
a knockout blow now and end" the rule
of autocracy for all time.
This was the substance of an address
made here last night before several
hundred members of the Mid-day
Luncheon Club of this city by Secre
tary of the Navy Josephus Daniels.
BATTLE 'II GO
Oil, SAYS KAISER
"Honorable" Peace Offer
May Be Declined.
GOD'S HELP IS COUNTED ON
Emperor Issues Proclamation
Urging Army and Navy
to. Hold Fast.
TASK ADMITTEDLY GREAT
Whether Overtures to Bring
War to End Will Carry
Held Questionable.
BERLIN, Oct. 6. (Via Basel, Switz
erland.) Emperor William today is
sued a proclamation to the German
army and navy in which, after an
nouncing that the Macedonian front
had crumbled, he declared that he had
decided, in accord with' his allies,
again to offer peace to the enemy.
The text of the Emperor's procla
mation readi : ,
"For months past the enemv. with
enormous exertions and almost with
out pause in the fighting, has stormed
against your . lines. In weeks of the
struggle, often without repose, you
have had to persevere and resist
a numerically far superior enemy.
Therein lies the greatness of the task
which has been set for you and which
you are fulfilling. Troops of all the
German states are doing their part
and are heroically defending the
Fatherland on foreign soil. Hard is
the) task.
Navy Holding, Says Kaiser.
"My navy is holding its own against
the united enemy naval forces and is
unwaveringly supporting the army in
its difficult struggle.
"The eyes of those at home rest
with pride- and admiration on the
deeds of the army and the navy. I
express to you the thanks of myself
and the Fatherland.
"The collapse of the Macedonian
front has occurred in the midst of the
hardest struggle. In accord with our
allies I have resolved once more to
offer peace to the enemy, but I will
only extend my hand for an honorable
peace. We owe that to the heroes who
have laid down their lives for the
Fatherland, and we make that our
duty to our children.'
Peace Far From Certain.
"Whether arms will be lowered is a
question. Until then we must not
slacken. We must, as hitherto, exert
all our strength and in God's gracious
help, we feel ourselves to be ett-ong
enough to defend our beloved Father
land. (Signed) "WILHELM."
COPENHAGEN, Oct. 6. "That
peace proposals have not been made
earlier is due' only to the fact that
formation of a new government at
Berlin has been awaited," says the
Vienna correspondent of the Pesti
Napolo, of Buda Pest, according to
advices received here. "The reorgani
zation of the German Ministry will be
followed by a long-prepared and ma
tured step, based on the realities of
the situation," he continues.
"Everything indicates important
and decisive occurrences in Germany's
foreign policy, which can bring peace
nearer and, indeed, probably make
peace a reality."
MASSES JURY DISAGREES
No Verdict Reached in Case of Max
Eastman and John Reed.
NEW YORK. Oct. S. Disagreement
was reported last night after nearly It
hours deliberation by the Jury con
sidering: the case of Max Eastman.
John Reed and three other defendants
charged by the Government with con
spiracy to obstruct the draft law
through the publication of articles in
the Masses.
The jury was discharged.
LARGE SHIP TAKES WATER
Raymond Plant Launches Fourth
Vessel fof V. S. Government.
RATMOXD, Wash.. Oct. 6. (Special.)
The Sanderson & Porter shipyards
launched the fourth ship cpnstructed
for the United States Shipping Board
Saturday. The ship, which is a
Ferris type, was christened Addison by
Mrs. George AVortham Jones, wife of
the auditor of the Sanderson V Por
ter firm.
TEXT OF WILSON'S
SPEECH GIVEN HUNS
GERMAX NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH
ADDRESS WITHOCT COMMENT.
Boche Nationals Propose to Make
Austria Into Federalist Na
tional Commonwealth.
AMSTERDAM, Oct. (. The aemi-of-ficial
Wolff Bureau of Berlin haa zlven
to the German press the text of Presi
dent Wilson's recent speech. Several
of the newspapers today published long
reports of the speech without comment.
AMSTERDAM. Oct. . A Joint com
mittee of the German National party
has unanimously resolved to accept as
the basis of further negotiations a resolution-
proposed by the Social Demo
cratic party at an earlier conference,
according to a dispatch from Vienna.
The resolution expresses readiness to
negotiate with representatives of the
Czech and South Slav peoples 'on the
conversion of Austria into a federalist
national commonwealth.
TWO ACCIDENTS ARE FATAL
Cornucopia Miner Killed in Mill;
Lineman Electrocuted.
BAKER. Or.. Oct. . (Special.) John
Jeseferos, a Greek miner, was killed In
a mill at one of Cornucopia's mines last
evening, and a lineman in the employ
of the Irondyke mine was killed near
Homestead, but the phone line being
out of commission, details were not
learned.
The man killed in the Cornucopia
mine has a brother in Portland.
The man at Homestead was electro
cuted while repairing transmission
lines from the Oxbow power plant to
the Irondyke mine. The Coroner here
was notified of both accidents and
deputized local men at Cornucopia and
Homesteact to hold inquests.
DOCKS FIRED AT BRUGES
Germans Use Torch and Remove
Guns and Defense Works.
AMSTERDAM. Oct 5. (By-the Asso
ciated Press.) Some wharves and
docks at Bruges have been set afire by
the Germane, according to the frontier
correspondent of Telegraafe, The Ger
mans have removed their guna and
coast defense materials from Knocks,
and have destroyed the nheds. he says.
The correspondent states that the
warehouses at Ghent and ' the ' docks
where large quantities of provisions for
the army have been stored, are com
pletely cleared. The contents have been
sent to Germany.
SOCIALISTS ARE SENTENCED
Gubernatorial Candidates Are Fined
91000 Each and Imprisoned.
DEADWOOD, S. D.. Oct. 6. In the
United States District Court here yes
terday Orville Anderson, Socialist can
didate for Governor of South Dakota,
who had been convicted of violation of
the espionage act. was fined $1000 and
sentenced to four years in the Federal
Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan.
Fred Falrchild. candidate on the So
cialist ticket for Lieutenant-Governor
and - previously convicted of seditious
utterances, was fined $1000 and sen
tenced to two years in the Leaven
worth Penitentiary.
PANIC WITHOUT PRECEDENT
Berlin. Stock Exchange Said to Be
Indescribably Affected.
GENEVA. Oct. 6. An Indescribable
panic, without precedent, broke out on
the Berlin stock exchange yesterday,
according to the Neuste Nachrichten, of
Munich.
Shipping and armament company
shares especially were affected.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weatber.
IEPTEROAT8 Hiximum temperature. 64
degrees; minimum. 53 decrees.
TODAY'S Fair and warmer.
Peace More.
German Chancellor's peace proposal given
In lull. Pas 1. .
Germany asks for peace conference. Pas !
Kaiser counts acceptance of peace offer
questlonmDie. fas 1.
Unconditional surrender br Germans only
terms acceptable. Pas 1.
All eyes in France are turned hopefully to
ward America. Page 2.
War.
Men of twe armies Join la wiping eut Huns.
Pace 1.
Rhalms freed of foe. Pace S.
Official casualty list. Pace 4.
British capture four more towns. Pace S.
Yanks push oa in Meuse sector. Pace 1.
Boche hurled back oa 28-mlle front. Pag 8.
Runs yield all along line, page .
Foreign.
Text of Wilson's speech given Germans.
Face J-
Americans and British besieged by Bolshe
vlkL Page 2.
National.
Suffragists count victory won and moTe on
to attack remaining foes. Page 4.
f Domestic
San Francisco plans for expansion of com
merce after ir. Pace 8.
McAdoo hits trail In bond campaign. Pace 5.
Sports.
Thre football games loom for present week.
Pace 8.
Vancouver Barracks 'trims Foundation, S-o.
Pace 8.
Portland sad Vicinity.
Campaign to prevent epidemic of Spanish in
fluenza In Portland. Page 12.
War brings magnificent opportunity for
church, says Bishop Sumner. . Page T.
West promises Oregon voters unique cam
paign. Page .
Retail cigar dealers decline te close oa Sun.
days. Pace 12.
Clean linen asked for wounded boys In
France. Pace 12.
First cun Is ftred In eampalcn for more
homes for war worksrs. Pass 8.
Weather report, forecast and data. Page 8.
YAI1KS BUCK Oil
III MEUSE SECTOR
Reinforced Units Fail to
. Check Advance.
ARTILLERY FIRE INCREASES
Operations of French West of
Argonne Forest Menace
Positions of Enemy.
BOCHE RESISTANCE FEEBLE
Huns Bring Forward Machine
Guns to Degree Never
Before Attempted.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY ON
THE CHAMPAGNE FRONT. Oct. 6.
11 P. M. (By the Associated
Press.) Over a wide extent of terri
tory outlined by burning villages, the
Germans are retreating rapidly be
fore General Gouraud's troops.
They are crowded by General
Berthelot's forces from the west and
in danger of being cut off by the
Franco-Americans, who have crossed
the Arnes River.
(By the Associated Presa
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN, Oct. 6.
The American troops on the line
stretching westward from the Meuse,
who are opposed by reinforced, units
of the German army, straightened out
the kinks left in their long front to
day. Like mammoth football teams,
the various sections of the American
forces bucked the line steadily.
Reports sent to the rear by the com
manding officer accounted for so many
yards gained by smashing jolts de
livered.
Line Is Advanced.
The Americans advanced slightly at
some points today. There has been
stubborn infantry fighting between
the Meuse and the Ogons wood, andJ
further west the machine-gun and ar
tillery combats have been constant and
heavy.
There was increased artillery fire
by both sides everywhere along the
line.
It was a day lacking spectacular op
erations, but a summary of the repoi':
reaching headquarters indicates the
desperate character of the fighting.
The general line was not materially
altered, but such changes as were
made were to the advantage of the
Americans. There was no attempt to
make a general advance, but rather to
consolidate the positions already ac
quired.
German P. itions Menaced.
The operations of the French vest
of the Argonne forest served to make
more haz. rdous the positions of the
Germans, who are finding themselves
deep in the steadily growing salient
between the French and the Ameri
cans.
On the Americans right, near the
Meuse, the woods and ravines about
Cunel were cleaned out, and further
west, Monoy wood, which has been
the scene of terrible fighting for two
days, was finally cleared of '.he enemy.
The battle from that wood to Petit
Bois nearby continued for the grc-.ter
part of the day, but the close of the
engagement brought a e". .-ijhtening
out of the line there, as at other
places.
Artillery Fire Increases.
The movement of the Americans
against the woods about Cunel was
undertaken rfter a t-.-ifi.: crtll'.cry
preparation lasting for hours. Shells
were thrown in vast numbers, so when
the infantry finally did advance the
resistance encountered ..as compara
tively feeble. When the fighting was
over it was discovered that the Ger
mans had withdrawn from the low
land between Monoy wood and Petit
Bois.
It developed thot the Germans in
the process of consolidating their po
sitions had brought forward machine
guns to a degree perhaps nev" pre
viously attempted by them. cer
tain sections of the line they were
only five yards apart. Realizing the
necessity of holding that part of the
line faced by the Am icaiu, lecause
giving .way -there to thw rear of the
Kriemhilde defense would endanger
the main lines of communication, the
Germans have continued to reinforce
this front. t
New divisions have leen brought
(Concluded oa Pass 3. Coiuma .)
YANKS AND ANZACS
BROTHERS IN ARMS
MEN OP TWO ARMIES JOIN" IX
WIPING OCT GERMANS.
Americans Who Become Separated
From Own l"nlls "Enlist" Tem
porarily With Australian.
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. Oct. . (Reuters.) Tha
camaraderie existing between tha Aus
tralians and Americana was illustrated
when tha Ansaca' had passed through
the American infantry, according to
programme, during- Sunday's battle.
There naturally was some confusion
in the subsequent fighting.
After the Australians had carried
their objective a good many Americans
who probably had not unwillingly been
borne forward In the advance were
sorting themselves out preparatory to
rejoining their units. Thereupon an
Australian started a recruiting depot
in the front line. Landing upon a heap
of sandbags, he shouted:
"This Is the battalion of the
Australian Imperial forces, the finest
fighting battalion on the western front.
Who'll join walk up, walk up." Thia so
tickled the American stragglers that
most of them temporarily attached
themselves to the Anxacs, and when the
battalion re-attacked It waa consider
ably stronger than before.
PRINCE LAUDS HUN ARMS
Maximilian Says Armies Will Force
Honorable Peace.
AMSTERDAM, Oct. . Prince Maxi
milian of Baden, the German Chancellor,
has sent a telegram to Baron Burian,
the Austro-Hungarlan Foreign Min
ister, according to a Vienna dispatch,
saying:
"The glorious deeds of our armies
and the determination of our peoples
to defend themselves In loyal co-operation
with their governments will.
with God s help, lead us to an honor
able peace."
Baron Burian In reply assured the
German Chancellor that "all his
thoughts and efforts are in loyal co
operation with the imperial German
government, directed towards bringing
the blessings of an honorable peace as
soon as possible to our admirable
armies and peoples." .
YANKEE GUNS POUND HUNS
Americans Praised for Bravery In
Taking: Important Ground.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMT
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN, Saturday.
Oct. 5. (By the Associated Press.)
Big American guns again are firing to
night upon Dun-Sur-Meuse and various
other points which the Germans are
using as headquarters or as railroad
centers. The Germans are reported to
be bringing up troops in the region of
Cunel and heavy cannon began pound
ing this region.
American forces holding Fays wood
received by airplane this afternoon ci
tations Issued this morning commend
ing them for their gallant conduct In
taking the wood In aplte of stiff Ger
man resistance. Thousands of copies
were dropped b aviators at several
front-line headquarters and they were
then distributed among the soldiers.
H.L.CORBETT ENTERS CAMP
Chamber of Commerce Head to Pre
pare for Army Service.
President Henry I Corbett, ot the
Chamber of Commerce, has entered the
regular Army Officers' Training Corps
at the University of Oregon at Eugene.
and will spend 30 days In that camp In
preparation for the officers' training
camp at the Presidio, San Francisco.
He left Portland Saturday and expects
to take up his Army studies today,
spending the week-ends In Portland
looking after his business affairs.
Mr. Corbett's decision to qualify for
a commission in the Army - was not
made public until yesterday, after be
hadreached Eugene, although he had
previously made arrangements for hav
ing his work in the community looked
after during his absence.
HIGH BRITONS REACH PORT
Sir Eric Geddes and Party on Way
to National Capital.
WASHINGTON. Oct. . Sir Eric Ged
des, First Lord of the British Admiralty,
and the members of the Admiralty
Board, arrived tonight at an Atlantic
port.
They will come to Washington to
morrow to confer with Government or
nciala.
Sir Eric and his party arrived on a
commissioned shtp of the admiralty,
flying the admiralty flag. It Is the first
time In history that this flag has been
displayed outside of British home wa
ters. The visit of Sir Brio follows closely
that of Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Franklin D. Roosevelt to Great Britain.
TAKASHI HARA NEW HEAD
New Cabinet Marks Epoch in Japa
nese Constitutional History.
TOKIO. Sept. 0. The installation to
day of the new cabinet headed by Ta
keshi Hara. leader of the Selyukai party
marked an epoch in Japanese constitu
tional history.
It Is the first ministry presl i-d over
by a commoner and is based on tha
system of parties.
imill ASKS FOR
PEACE COIUE
l
ilian Tells of Note
to Mr. Wilson.
REICHSTAG HEARS ADDRESS
New Chancellor Says Germany
Is Willing to Negotiate
to End Fighting.
PEOPLE'S WISHES VOICED
"Just Peace of Justice" Held
to Be Aim; President's -Proposal
Made Basis.
Maxim
fBv the Associated Press.)
COPENHAGEN, Oct. 6. Prince
Maximilian of Baden, the new Ger
man Imperial Chancellor, announced
in the Reichstag yesterday that he
had sent a note through the Swiss
government to President Wilson in
which he had requested Mr. Wilson .
to take up the question of bringing
about peace and to communicate with
the other belligerents regarding the
subject.
Terms Found Acceptable.
The Chancellor told the Reichstag
he had addressed his note to the
President of the United States be
cause Mr. Wilson in his message ts
Congress on January 8, 1918, and in
his later proclamations, particularly
his New York: speech on September
27, had proposed a programme for a
general peace which Germany and her
allies could accept as a basis for
negotiations.
The text of the address of Prince
Maximilian outlining his policies to
the Reichstag follows:
"In accordance with the imperial
decree of September 30, the German
empire has undergone a basic altera
tion of its political leadership.
Hertling Wins Praise.
"As successor to Count George F.
von Hertling, whose services in behalf
of the Fatherland deserve the highest
acknowledgment, I have been sum
moned by the Emperor to lead the
new government.
"In accordance with the govern
mental method now introduced, I sub
mit to the Reichstag, publicly and
without delay, the principles upon
which I propose to conduct the grave
responsibilities of the office.
Support of People Expected.
"These principles were firmly es
tablished by the agreement of the
federated governments and the lead
ers of the majority parties in this
honorable House before I decided to
assume the duties of Chancellor. They
contain, therefore, not only my own
confession of political faith, but that '
of an overwhelming portion of the
German people's representatives, that
is of the German nation which has
constituted the Reichstag on the basis
of a general, equal and secret fran
chise and according to their wilL
Only the fact that I know the con
viction and will of the majority of the
people are back of me has given me
strength to take upon myself conduct
of the empire's affairs in this hard
and earnest time in which we are
living.
Guarantee Seen i . Labor Attitude.
"One man's shoulders would be too
weak -to carry alone the tremendous
responsibility which falls upon the
government at present. Only if the
people take active part in the broadest
sense of the word in deciding their -destinies;
in other words, if responsi
bility also extended to the majority of
their freely elected political leaders,
can the leading statesman confidently
assume his part of the responsibility
in the service of folk and Fatherland.
"My resolve 'to do this has been
especially lightened for me by the
fact that prominent leaders of the
laboring class have found a way in
the new government to the highest
offices of the empire. I see therein
a sure guarantee that the new gov
ernment will be supported by the firm
confidence of the broad masses of
the people, without whose true sup
port the whole undertaking would be
condemned to fa'uure in advance.
Hence, what I say today, I say not'
only in my own name and those of
my official helpers, but in the name
of the German people.
"The programme of the majority
parties upon which I take my stand
(Concluded en fc 2, Coiuma .
-ten
105.0