Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-22

| Soon after our accession to the throne
| II was vouchsafcd MS in common with
our allies 10 undertake a step which
! had been considered and prepared By
our exalted predecessor, Francis
joseph, to pave the way for "A lasting
and honorable peace.
We gave expression 10 this desire
in speech from the throne delivered
at the opening of the Austrian reich
stath, hereby showing that we are
striving after a peace that shall free
the future life of the nation from
rancor and a thirst for revenge and
that shall secure them for genera
tons to come from the employment
of armed forces our Joint govern
mcnt has In the meantime not failed
I'm rcpeatcd and emphatic dcclara
tions which could be heard by all the
V orId 10 give expression TO our own
will and tina: of the Austro- Hungar-
ian peoples to prepare an end 10
bloodshed by peace such as your
holiness has in mind.
"Happy I'm the thot that our desires
from the first were directed toward
the same object which your holiness
today chnracteriZes as one we strive
for we have taken into close consid-
Grafton :he concrete and practical
suggcstions of your holiness and have
como to the following conclusions
Elimination of Armed Forces.
with decp-rooted conviction we
agree 10 the leading idea of your holi-
ness that the future arrangement of
the world must be based on the
elimination of armed forces and on
the moral force of right and on the
rule of international justice and le-
gality
we, too, are imbued with the hope
that strengthening OF the sense OF
right would morally regenerate hu-
manity. We support, therefore. your
holiness view that the negotiations
between the belligcrents should and
could lead to an understanding by
which, with the creation Of appro-
pirate guarantees. armaments on land
and sea and in the air might be re-
ducei simultaneously reciprocally
and gradually to n fixed limit and
whereby the high seas, which rightly
belong to all the nations of the earth
may be freed from domination or
paramountcy and be opened equally
for the use of all
"Fully onscious OF the Importance
of the promotion of peace on the
method proposed by your holiness,
namely. to submit international dis
DultS tD We
are also prepared to enter into nego-
tiations regarding this proposal.
"If. as we most heartily desire,
agreements should be arrived at be
tween the bellgerents which would
realize this sublime idea and thereby
give security to the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy for its unhampered future
development, II can then not be DIFF
ficult to find n satisIa ctory solution OF
the other questions which still remain
to be settled between the belligerents
in spirit OF Justice and OF n reason
able consideration of the conditions
for existence of both parties
eff the nations of the earth were TO
enter with a desire for peace into ne
gotiations with one another In the
sense of your holiness proposals, then
peace could blossom forth from them
The nations could attain complete
freedom of movement on the high
seas heavy material burdens could he
taken from them and new sources of
prosperity opened to them.
Guided by n spirit of moderation
and conciliation we see In the propos-
ais OF your holiness n suitable basis
for initiating negotiations and we
earnestly hope our present enemies
may he animated by the same ideas.
In this spirit we beg that the AL
mighty may bless the work OF peace
begun by your holiness"