South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-22
Text of the
Austrian Reply
The text OF the reply follows:

Holy IatheT. With due Venera-
ton and deep emotion we take cog
nizance Of the new representations
your holiness. in fulhllment OF the
holy office entrusted 10 YOU by God
make 20 us and the heads Of the
other belligerent states with the no
bic intention Of leading the heavily
tried nations TO a unity that viii re-
store peace 10 them.
With a thankful heart We re-
ceived this fresh gift OF fatherly
care which YOU, holy father, always
bestow on all peoples without dis
tinction and from the depth of our
heart we greet the moving exhorta-
/ ton which your holiness has ad-
dressed TO the governments of the
belligerent peoples During this
cruel war we have always looked up
10 your holiness as the highest per
sonage, who, in virtue Of his mis-
sion which reaches beyond earthly
things and thanks 70 the high con
ception Of his duties, laid upon him.
stands high above the belligerent
peoples. and who is inaccessible to
all influence. was able to find a wav
which may lead 20 the realization
Of our own desire for peace. lasting
and honorable for all parties"
Always Seeking Peace.
Since ascending the throne of
our ancestors and fully conscious Of
the responsibility which We bear be-
fore God and man. for the fate of
the AustroHungarian 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 il was vouchsafed TO us
in common with our allies to un-
dertake a step which had been con-
sidered and prepared by our exalt-
ed predecessor, Francis Joseph. TO
pave the way for a lasting and hon
orable peace.
we gave expression to this de-
sire in a speech from the throne de-
Iivered at the opening of the Aus
trian reichsrath thereby showing
that we are striving after z peace
that shall free the future life of the
nation from rancor and a thirst for
revenge and that shall secure them
for generations TO come from the
employment of armed forces. Our
joint government has in the mean
time not failed in repeated and en-
phatic declarations. which could be
heard by all the world, TO give eX-
preston TO our own will and that
Of the Austro- Hungarian peoples 20
prepare an end TO bloodshed by a
peace such as your holiness has in
mind
Happy i'm the thought that our
desires from the first were directed
toward the same object which your
holiness today characterizes as one
we should strive for, we have taken
into close consideration the con-
crete and practical suggestions of
your holiness and have come to the
following conclusion:
Approve of Disarmament.
with deep rooted conviction we
agree TO the leading idea of your
holiness that the future arrange
ment of the world must be based on
the elimination Of armed forces and
on the moral forces of right and on
the rule of international justice and
legality
I'VE. too. are imbued with the
hope that a strengthening of the
sense OF right would morally re-
generate humanity. We support
therefore your holiness view that
the negotiations between the bel
Iigerents should and could lead 10
an understanding by which with the
creation Of appropriate guarantees
on land and sea and i'm the air might
be reduced simultaneously, recipro-
cally and gradually TO a fixed limit
and whereby the high seas. which
rightly belong TO all the nations of
the earth, may he freed from DOM
nation or paramountcy and be
opened equally for the use of all.
Fully conscious of the import
ance of the promotion of peace on
the method proposed by your holt
ness. namely 10 submit international
disputes TO compulsory arbitration
we are also prepared TO enter into
negotiations regarding this pro-
posal.
Calls IL Sublime Idea.
IF. as we most heartily desire
/ agreements should be arrived at be-
tween the b,lligerents which would
realize this sublime idea and there
10y give security 10 the Austro-Hun-
garian monarchy for unhampered
future development, il can then not
be difficult 10 find a satisfactory So
luton Of the other questions which
remain 20 be settled between the
/ belligerents in a spirit of justice and
] Of "a reasonable consideration of the