Grand Forks herald., 1916-12-16
AUSTRIA May
HAVE FORCED
PEACE MOVE
Powerful Opposition in the
Dual Monarchy to Con-
tinuance of War.

King Said to be Restive-
Resents German Dorni-
nance, tits Claimed.
New York. Dec. 1e.-There is evi-
dence tending to show that the Ger
man peace proposals, although
launched from Berlin. actually re-
ceived their motive power in Vienna.
where the Emperor Charles, in his re-
cent interviews with the German
Kaiser, may have made the latter un-
derstand that unless Wilhelmstrasse
could make a. general peace which
would be acceptable to the Dual Mon
archy then the Ballplatz must set
about securing a separate peace.
With the death Of Francis Joseph
the peace movement in Hungary
awoke with new vigor and found an
echo in Austria. particularly in Bo-
hemia and other Slavonic commune
ties. which had been made to bear
the brunt of the war not only in
casualties suffered in the field but by
endless sacrifices and deprivations at
home.
The succession Of the Emperor
Charles was looked upon as a Cod
send by the heterogeneous mass OF
people. who had not only long since
lost all interest in the war but had
come to realize by perfectly obvious
facts that Austria-HunGary was do
ing the bidding Of Germany and was
rapidly making herself Germany's
debtor in ways that would terribly fet-
ter the Dual Monarchy economically.
If not politically, after the war.
Emperor Charles. when he ascend
ed the royal and imperial throne In
remembered the words of Count
Karolyi, uttered in the Forendshaz at
Budapest on August 25: There is no
good reason why Hungary should re-
main in the war another day."
That this has been the prevailing
sentiment for nearly year. not only
in Hungary, but also in Austria. has
been demonstrated again and again by
the deplorable conditions OF those
countries that have been described in
letters which have reached the outer
world from Vienna, Budapest and
Prague.
There had also been growing be-
lief in the Dual Monarchy, particular
ly among the industrials and manu-
facturers, that they could not stand
the postbellum strain of an Ausgleich
as already outlined between Berlin
and Vienna and that they had, there
fore, actually more to win, national
honor being satisfied, by Germany's
defeat than by Germany's victory
even II that were possible. after a pro-
longed and ever-exhausting war.
May Have Affected Emperor.
Whether the conditions thus de-
scribed have had any effect upon the
young emperor is. of course, not
known. That he is aware Of them
there can be no doubt. His old tutor
In the political game, as we'll as his
intimate friend, Count Leopold Berch-
told. who was the Common Minister
of Foreign Affairs when, in August.
1914, Austria-Hungary's tardy con-
sent to regard the Serbian quarrel as
q matter for general European ad
justment was not allowed to reach the
chancelleries of London, Paris and St.
Petersburg.
Berchtold resigned In January.
1915. 1t is understood that at a cab
met council held on January 3, pre-
sided over by the then heir presump-
tive, Archduke Charles Francis
Joseph, and attended by two prime
ministers and General Conrad and
the Common Ministers Krobatin,
supported by the archduke, had taken
a firm stand against further subservi-
ence to the German general staff, even
though lack Of It meant a separate
peace for the Dual Monarchy. But as
Russia was just then in possession OF
four-sevenths Of Galicia, he was easily
defeated, and the German conduct Of
the war was continued, with added
tribute on the part of the Austro-
Hungarian government.
That Germany was at any time pre-
pared to make peace for herself and
allies has been expressed In almost
chancellor has made since the begin
ming Of the war. Terms were even
unofficially confided to Prince Won
Bulow during his sojourn in switzer-
land, after Italy's entry into the war.
In the summer of 1915. But these,
which provided for territorial acqu:si-
tion in northern France and CONNER
cial dominance Of Belgium, were not
even considered by the neutral diplo-
mats to whom they were privately
submitted.
CN1OuS SUKtS6SUlOns.
The nearest that DR.. Won Bethmann
Hollweg has previously come to Of
fering terms on which peace might be
negotiated was in the course of a
speech he made in the Reichstag on
April 5. 1t was an analysis of what
the chancelleries Of London, Paris.
Rome and Petrograd had declared
they were fighting for, aside from in
dividual ambitions. such as the ac-
QUESTION Of Alsace-Lorraine, Italia
and Constantinople.
In this speech the chancellor de-
Tended Prussian militarism. saying:
"Our enemies wish to destroy unit
ed free Germany. They desire that
Germany shall be again as weak as
during past centuries. a prey Of all
lusts Of domination of her neighbors.
That Is what our enemies mean
when they speak of definitive destruc-
ton Of Prussia's military power
As to Belgium he said:
There must be a new Belgium. We
must create real guarantees that Bel
-ium never shall ne used as military
or economic fortification AGAINST Ger
many. Also in this respect things
cannot be what they were before
!" We want neiehbors that do not
form coalitions against us, but with
whom we collaborate and who COLA
borate with us to our mutual advant-
age"
Comments by Party Leaders.
After this speech various party
leaders made enlightening comments
as follows:
The Centre Party welcomed the
that Germany would join
a union Of states for the maintenance
Of peace, demanded the better pro-
lection OF the German frontiers (and