The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-22
VIENNA NOTE

Amsterdam, September 21. Peace would come from the recent proposals of Pope Benedict if the belligerent nations would enter into ne- gotiations in the sense of the pontiff's suggestion, Elm peror Charles of Austria Hungary says in his reply to the Vatican note. 1 The Emperor sees in the pope's peace proposal a suitable basis for starting negotiations toward a just and lasting peace and expresses the hope that the nations opposing his own may be animated by tho same idea.
 Austria-Hungary's ruler received the pontiff's note with thankful heart, and
 
 tiffs efforts may lead to the realiza- ton of the Emperor's desire for a last ing and honorable peace for all parties.
 Freedom of the seas Is one of the peace topes of Emperor Charles in order that heavy material burdens could be taken from the nations of the earth and new sources of prosperity opened to them
 The Austrian Emperor admits that the future arrangement of the world must be based on the elimination of armed fierce and on the rule of international justice and legality.
 Austria is prepared, the reply states, to enter into negotiations for the sub mission of international disputes to com pulsory arbitration.
 The reply. received here In dispatch from Vienna. was handed to Monsignor T. valfre Di Bonzo. the papal nuncio at vienna on Thursday.
 TEXT OF NOTE The text of the reply follows: Holy Father: With due veneration and deep emotion we take cognzance of the new representations your holiness. in fulfillment of the holy office en- trusted to you by God, make to us and the heads of the other belligerent states with the noble intention of leading the heavily tried nations to a unity that will restore peace to them.
 with thankful heart we received this fresh gift of fatherly care which you, holy father. always bestow on all peoples without distinction and from the depth of our heart we greet the moving exhortation which your holiness has ad- dressed to the governments of the bellig- erent peoples During this cruel war we have always looked up to your holiness as to the highest parsonage. who in vir- tue of his mission which reaches beyond earthly things and thanks to the high conception of his duties laid upon him. stands high above the belligerent peo- ! ples and who is inaccessible to all in l fluence, was able to find way which
 may lead to the realization of our own
 desire for peace, lasting and honorable 1 for all parties
 CLAIMS TO WANT PEACE l since ascending the throne of our I ancestors and fully conscious of the responsibility which we bear before God and men for the fate of the Aus l tro- Hungarian monarchy, we have never lost sight of the high aim of restoring to our peoples as speedily
 as possible the blessings of peace. | Soon after our accession to the throne lit was vouchsafed to us in common with our allies to undertake a step
 which had been considered and pre- pared by our exalted predecessor. Francis Joseph, to pave the way for lasting and honorable peace. SPEECH FROM THRONE I've gave expression to this desire 1 in speech from the throne deliv- cred at the opening of the Austrian Reichsrath. thereby showing that We are striving after a peace that shall
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