The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-07-30
TEUTON CHIEFS
DISCUSS PEACE
Chancellor MichaeIis CHARGES
Lust of Power Is Only War
Aim of Foe.
AUSTRIA Isl TIRED OF WAR
Foreign Minister CzernIn Says Dual
Monoraohy VIII Accept "Honor-
able" Terms or Fight to
the Bitter End.

London, July 3O.-According to a
Reuter- dispatch from Zurich, Matthias
ErZberger, one of the leaders Of the
Clerical center In the German reichS-
tag, who has just arrived there, de-
clared to the Zuericher Nachrichten:
IF 1 could talk with Lloyd George
(the British premier) or Mr.. Balfour
british foreign secretary we could In
a few hours reach an understanding
which would enable official peace ne
gOtiationS to commence"
Herr ErZberger who has taken a
prominent part with respect to peace
during the last months, asserts that
Doctor Michaelis, the imperial German
chancellor, is peace chancellor.
MichaeIis for Peace.
Berlin, July 30.-Dr. Georg Mi
chaelis, the German imperial chancel-
lor on Saturday summoned a large
number Of newspaper men, to whom he
declared:
'The speech of David Lloyd-George,
the British premier, Queens hall, Lon
don, and the recent debate in the Brit
ish house of commons again have
proved with indisputable clearness
that Great Britain does not desire
peace by agreement and understand
ing, but only q conclusion of the war,
which means the enSlayement of Ger
many to the arbitrary violence of our
enemies
"Proof of this may be seen in the
fact that. Sir Edward Carson Cnember
Of the British war cabinet) recently
declared In Dublin that negotiations
with Germany could begin only after
the retirement of German troops be,
yond the Rhine.
1--WE possess clear proofs that the
enemy gives assent to a declaration
going even further than that impu-
IDENTIFY made by Sir Edward Carson
You all know that detailed informa-
ton regarding the French plans OF
conquest, approved by Great Britain
and Russia, has been circulated fo1
weeks past in the neutral press and
that 1t has not been denied up to the
present.
1t would be Of the greatest impOr
tnnce for the enlightenment Of the
whole world regarding the true reasons
massacre of nations for it to be known
that written proofs of our enemies
greed for conquest have since fallen
into our hands. | refer to reports OF
the secret debate on June 2 In the
French chamber of deputies.
'The enemy press endeavors te
force upon my inaugural speech the
Interpretation that only consented tC
the majority resolution with an i'll con
cealed reservation of Germany's de-
sires for conquest. am obliged to de-
ny the imputation as to an object OF
which there can be no doubt. Besides
the resolution implies-which is quite
clear-that the enemy must also re-
nOunce any ideas Of conquest"
Doctor Michaelis added that it was
manifest that Germany's enemies were
not In the least considering such re.
nunciation and that the French meet.
ing held in secret was fresh proof that
her enemies were responsible for the
prolongation of the war and were "ac.
tuated by lust of conquest"
THE conspicuousness of the Justice
of our defensive war;" the chancellor
concluded, will steel our strength and
determination in the future"
Austria In Favor of Peace.
Vienna. July 30.-Reiterating tha,
Austria Hungary was ready to accent
an honorable peace, but that the dual
monarchy, in conjunction with its al.
lies, would fight to the last extremity
If the entente powers declined to en-.
ter negotiations on the basis Of g
peace by understanding, as recently
outlined by the German imperial chan
cellor and the reichstag, Count OF
tokar CZernin Won Chudenitz, the Aus
tro-Hungarian foreign minister, in an
Interview discussed at length peace
possibilities.
The Austrian statesman took oc
casion to reply to the speech made
by David Lloyd-George in London JULY
u, when the British premier charac.
terlzed the address delivered in the
reichstag by Doctor Michaelis. the
German chancellor, as a sham. The
count said Mr.. Iloyd-George was mis-.
taken when he represented the reichs.
tag peace resolution to be "a niece Of
bluff"
'"The chancellor and the reichstag {,
the foreign minister said, declared
that Germany was conducting a de.
fensive war and that the German neo
pie only asked for an honorable peace
by means of an understanding, and an
agreement offering the basis for 6
lasting reconciliation of the nations
The chancellor and the reic,.,-tsg sol