Page:Secrets of Crewe House.djvu/316

240 In these few weeks Bulgaria has dropped out of the war and has been compelled to surrender unconditionally. The best Turkish armies have been destroyed and Turkey is about to follow Bulgaria's example.

And what is the result of all these events in the last few weeks?

All hope of victory by the military Junker party in Germany abandoned: an armistice demanded: the admission of the new Imperial Chancellor, Prince Max von Baden, that Belgium was wrongfully attacked.

The following is the text of the Note addressed to President Wilson through the Swiss Government:—

"The German Government requests the President of the United States to bring about the restoration of peace, to inform all belligerent States of this request and to summon them to send plenipotentiaries to open negotiations. Germany takes as a basis for peace negotiations the programme set forth by the President of the United States in his Message to Congress of January 8th, 1918, and particularly in his speech of September 27th.

"With a view to preventing further bloodshed the German Government requests the immediate conclusion of an armistice on land, on water, and in the air.

(Signed), Prince von Baden,

Imperial Chancellor."

Why was this Note addressed to President Wilson?

Partly because he laid down certain conditions which he explained the German Government must accept before he would enter into any discussion whatever on peace terms.

But also partly because the German Government at length became aware of the United States' military effort.

In this, as in every other important matter dealing with the war, our leaders deceived us in the most unheard-of way. They fed us with false hopes.

They have brought us to such a desperate pass that we are retiring on every front and are now compelled to sue for peace.

But will our enemies consent to discuss peace?

Not as long as we are still in Belgium, which, as our Government admits, was wrongfully attacked; not whilst we are still in Northern France.

Before our enemies will consent to negotiate with us we must retire to Germany. For, they say, they will gladly conclude a just and honourable peace with the German people if they can be sure that militarism and medieval methods of statesmanship are abolished for good.

What must we do to save ourselves? We must retire to our own country, then we may hope for an end of all the horror and hardships we have suffered for more than four years, only